Beginning with the first International Grandmothers Gathering in 2006 and culminating with the recent South Africa Grandmothers Gathering on the eve of the XXI International AIDS Conference, donated Aeroplan Miles have also supported African grandmothers’ struggle to secure their human rights! This is a cornerstone of the Stephen Lewis Foundation’s work, and would not be possible without the generosity of our supporters and Aeroplan members.

In addition to African Grandmothers Gatherings in Toronto, Canada; Manzini, Swaziland; Entebbe, Uganda; and Durban, South Africa, Aeroplan Miles facilitated the historic African Grandmothers Tribunal, held in Vancouver, Canada. This People's Tribunal shone a global spotlight on violations of African grandmothers’ human rights in the midst of the AIDS epidemic. Moving testimony from participating grandmothers was met with powerful statements from the Tribunal’s high-profile judges, and a clarion call to international funders and policy makers. Aeroplan Miles made it possible to amplify the grandmothers’ voices and expertise so that they resounded globally, and to capture their message in a feature length film about the Tribunal that was screened at the International AIDS Conference in Australia and the 32nd Annual Board Meeting of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

African grandmothers and the community-based organizations that work with them are emerging as powerful leaders. They are mobilizing for change, seeking protection of their rights and the rights of their families and communities, and are experts on what works and what needs to happen to turn the tide of HIV & AIDS. When you donate Aeroplan Miles to the Stephen Lewis Foundation, you make it possible for these grandmothers to speak directly to Canadians and the world—an incalculable contribution to turning the tide of HIV & AIDS.