Being the most popular rock band in Indonesia, Dewa always found millions of followers easily. Their tunes are quite catchy and their melodies are superb, and everyone like me could get addicted to their songs easily. Domination of Dewa on Indonesian music is far from the foreseeable future.
Yet what if they try to send a message through their songs?
That’s exactly what they are doing, they send message of unity and love. Having seen awful damage done by irresponsible individuals and extremist groups throughout the archipelago, they decided to fight the extremist group head on. In their two latest album “Warriors of Love” and “Republic of Love”, they took a dramatic turn in writing their songs by charging it with heavy dose of…. theology of love and compassion. If you are quite careful, you could easily pick up some quranic verses and hadiths (Prophet’s sayings) quotation in their songs. Suddenly they are on the mission of peace and tolerance. It is definitely a noble cause worthy to mention, especially when they risk their lives and face harassment for writing these songs. My prayers and support are for them, and I am sure most Dewa fans (known as Baladewa) give their unwithering backings to their idols. In fact their songs, as usual, are so beautiful and quickly become hits in Indonesia. I heard that they are going to release an international version of Republic of Love sometime this year.
Here I loaded their latest hit, the original version of “Warriors of Love” from their Republic of Love album (don’t get confused, it is not in the Warriors of Love album, the hits would be “Prince of Love” and “One”)
So here I am, proud being a soldier of love 
Oh guys, as always, don’t forget to buy their CD and support their music.
Warriors of Love
Hey there, all you lovers of peace
Watch out, watch out and be on guard
For lost souls, anger twisting their hearts
For lost souls, poisoned by ignorance and hateThere’s no doubt, evil dwells in the hearts
Of all those, of all those who are full of hate
There’s no doubt, evil dwells in the souls
Of all those, of all those full of prejudiceChorus:
Warriors of love
Spread the seeds of love throughout the earth
Go and destroy the virus of hatred
That makes people’s hearts sick and depraved
By corrupting their souls
Warriors of Love
Teach the mystical science of love
For only love is the eternal Truth
And the shining path for all God’s children everywhere in the worldIf hatred has already poisoned you
Against those … who worship differently
Then evil has already gripped your soul
Then evil’s got you in its damning embraceIf so, don’t bother to hope or dream
that I…that I’ll ever love or embrace
People full of hate and anger like you
People… who’re always full of lust… for others’ bloodBack to Chorus
Hey there, all you lovers of peace, don’t ever don’t ever don’t ever don’t
Try to play God, by judging and condemning anyone different from you
For God has not given you the right to be mankind’s judge and jury
Nor the power to know the ultimate Truth, or to tell others what they must doWeren’t all of us created as either men or women, on this earthly plane
Destined to become many tribes and lands, no two of them exactly the same?
Why don’t we understand and respect all of our brothers’ and sisters’ pain,
Rather than turn into murderous demons, with our bloody arms raised to the sky?
AIDS: Dark in Love
-Mohammad Khairul Alam-
-Executive Director-
-Rainbow Nari O Shishu Kallyan Foudation-
-24/3 M. C. Roy Lane-
-Dhaka-1211, Bangladesh-
-Email: rainbowngo@gmail.com-
-Web: http://www.newsletter.com.bd-
-Tell: 880-2-8628908-
-Mobile: 88-01711344997-
The Asian HIV/AIDS epidemic is highly dynamic. Though, in the early 1980s when the HIV/AIDS epidemic was becoming significant in the Western Hemisphere and Africa, only a few cases of HIV infection were reported in Asia. The risky behaviour and vulnerability, which promote, fuel and facilitate the rapid transmission of HIV, are present in virtually all countries of the Asian region. Thus, the potential for its further spread is significant. Based on evidence from various causes, behaviours that produce the highest risk of infection in this region are unprotected sex (both heterosexual and homosexual) and needle sharing among intravenous drug users (IDUs). However, the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Asia took a new turn in the 1990s. It is spreading faster in parts of Asia than in other regions of the world. Some have predicted that the magnitude of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in this region in the twenty-first century could be much worse.
Trafficking in young girls, children and women is a matter of great concern all over the world. In South Asia, cross-border trafficking, sourcing, transit to destination is a big problem. Even more prevalent is the movement of persons within the countries for exploitation in various forms. There are no definite figures about the number of victims.
Trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation is the most virulent form in South Asia. Internal displacement due to conflict in some of these countries, poverty and lack of employment opportunities, increase the vulnerabilities to being trafficked.
AIDS researcher Mr. Anirudha Alam said, “Trafficking & HIV/AIDS is interrelated, especially women and girls are trafficking for use of sexual industry. Most of trafficking girls would face several physical & sexual abuses. When a girl or women newly enrolls a sex industry, she tries to safe herself heard & soul, but most of the time they couldn’t free her.”
Though this data is not enough to certify the fact, still South Asia is home to one of the largest concentrations of people living with HIV. Female sex workers (FSWs) – as a group – are an important driver of the epidemic. As has been shown in a very recent research involving repatriated FSWs in Nepal, many of the FSWs who have been trafficked are at a significantly higher risk than “average” women of contracting HIV. The Rainbow Nari O Shishu Kallyan Foundation and ‘Society for Humanitarian Assistance & Rights Protection’ (SHARP) jointly conducted a survey that focuses on the attitude, behavior and practice of FSWs in Goalondo Brothel, this study points out that almost 53% of sex workers enter the profession before the age of 20 years, and 30% enter between 20 to 25 years of age, and some of them have been entangled through instigation of the traffickers.
The spread of HIV/AIDS in Asia is expected to accelerate if Governments fail to act with a sense of urgency, and if preventive action is taken too little or too late. In this regard, the Monitoring the AIDS Pandemic Study has warned that the recent increase in HIV prevalence in specific locations in Asia should be regarded as a serious warning of more widespread epidemics. It is also significant to recognize that HIV/AIDS cases are often underreported. Asia is lacking in providing a comprehensive system of complete range of voluntary counseling with testing (VCT) services. However, governments and some NGOs have developed some VCT centers in several regoin in their countries. Though insufficient in number, the initiative is praiseworthy.
The risk factors for HIV/AIDS infection is at an upsetting level in Bangladesh. Being a low prevalence country, containing the epidemic in the early stage is very essential. The Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) services for HIV is now acknowledged within the international arena as an efficacious and pivotal strategy for both HIV/AIDS prevention and care. The need for VCT is increasingly compelling as HIV infection rates continue to rise, and many countries recognised the need for their populations to know their sero-status as an important prevention and intervention tool. However, access to VCT services in Bangladesh like many developing countries is limited. Many people are still very reluctant to be tested for HIV. This reluctance is the result of barriers to VCT, which are: stigma, gender inequalities and lack of perceived benefit.
The consequences of HIV/AIDS can be far-reaching for young people. Not only does HIV disease have terrible consequences for the individual, causing serious illness and eventual death, it has the potential to trigger negative social reactions. Across the world, people with HIV/AIDS routinely experience discrimination, stigmatization and ostracization.
References: CARE, World Bank, UNAIDS.