Patricia Pérez was born on July 14, 1962 in the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina, where she spent her childhood, adolescence and residency
And currently. She is the eldest daughter of a family of four siblings, three smaller boys to whom she always sheltered.
In 1986, at only 24 years old and a 5-year-old son, he learned he had the HIV virus. At that time AIDS was considered indefectibleme
A deadly disease. She was distressed and wept, not knowing what to do, but she was dying. The doctors did not give much expectation because they did not have it, according to Patricia’s own story they said “… you have to take care of yourself, but even your life expectancy is two years …”. Then she says that she told herself “… if I’m going to die, it will not be sitting waiting for that moment …”.
Decided then, begins this road that still has to walk, defending the Rights of People Living with HIV and tejiend or actions that favor the Culture of Peace at national, regional and global level.
His first step towards the end of the 80’s was to connect with other people in the same situation in the Muñiz Hospital of Buenos A
(Hospital de Infectología), where he set up a group of volunteers who, for 10 years, worked weekly honoring the anxieties and needs of people living with HIV.
In 1991 he attended a Congress of People Living with HIV (PLWHA) in London, where he participated in a demonstration with 10,000 unmarried people struggling for the same cause, the rights of PLWHA. This milestone has greatly affected it.
The following year in Amsterdam, 30 women living with HIV – including Patricia – founded the International Community of Women Living with HIV / AIDS (ICW). Currently only 5 of those 30 brave women survive.
From then on the life of Patricia Tomo the definitive course of passionately embracing the cause for the empowerment of the Women Living with HIV to achieve v That their voice is LISTEN to the World and More sea Strong that the injustices, the stigma, the Discrimination Violence and a child That subjected them daily.
It has toured 40 countries of the 5 continents forming groups of Women Living with HIV who fight for their Rights.
It was when she had the Presidency of the International Community of Women Living with HIV / AIDS that she decided to join efforts to take up this commitment against the violence that means the increase of the spread of HIV: she devised and launched the Global Campaign MORE PEACE, LESS AIDS .
The Campaign was launched to the world in 2007 in support of another unprecedented event: Patricia Perez, ERA NOMINATED TO THE NOBEL PRIZE OF PEACE. For the first time in history, a woman living with HIV was proposed for this award. Then it was nominated in 9 more opportunities.
Patricia travels with the Campaign on 5 continents and also presents it at the UN in the framework of the United Nations Special Assembly on AIDS (UNGASS), where she raised her voice so that the whole world understands the need to generate Culture of Peace to stop the AIDS pandemic and the negative social impact it has on people living with the virus.
Due to the success of the Campaign “More Peace, Less AIDS” Patricia and a group of collaborators decided to create the FOUNDATION “MORE PEACE, LESS AIDS”. As of 2012, the Foundation is incorporated as International Partners of the International Peace Bureau – IPB, with whom it develops actions for the Culture of Peace in different countries of the world.
Currently Patricia Pérez is the director of the Latin American Institute for Peace and Citizenship – ILAPyC and from there she continues to build a Culture of Peace, according to her sayings “… Building Peace is eliminating violence in your family, in your school, in your Work, in your community; Having as the dynamic protagonist of this action that will help to build you as a Citizen. The ILAPyC is our tool to face all those small wars of everyday life … “
This post is also available in Español.