Every so often, esctoday.com produces an article beyond the world of the Eurovision Song Contest. Today is World AIDS Day and with more people becoming infected every day with the HIV virus, we feel it is right to give our full support to the campaign to stop the spread of HIV and end prejudice towards those carrying the virus.

We are delighted that partner websites eurovision-croatia.com, esconnet.dk, escsweden.com and escmalta.com are supporting the campaign, as is the Eurovision Song Contest fan club, OGAE. Today, we ask our readers for your support.

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Although this campaign goes way beyond Eurovision, we can find plenty of connections with the competition. This year’s runner-up, Ani Lorak is a long-time advocate of supporting AIDS and HIV causes. She has helped raise awareness in the Ukraine and beyond with her charitable work and raising the profile of causes including Designers against AIDS.

One of the Eurovision Song Contest and Israel’s most cherished participants, Ofra Haza tragically died as a result of AIDS ten years ago. An international star with a heavenly voice was lost because she was caught in a time where awareness was low, the virus was hard to find and treatments were primitive.

In 2007, the Austrian Eurovision Song Contest entry Get a life – get alive was dedicated to raising AIDS awareness. The performer, Eric Papilaya works closely with the international charity Life Ball and performed on stage with a giant Red Ribbon, the symbol of AIDS awareness.

Earlier this year, Andreas Lundstedt, a solo singer and band member of Alcazar in Sweden publicly confirmed that he had contracted the HIV virus. He wanted to speak out to show that people can live public lives and continue with their lives, helping to change opinions and bring down the barriers of prejudice. He will be returning to the Melodifestivalen stage in 2009 with Alcazar.

The team at esctoday.com are united in their support of the charities working to prevent the spread of HIV, remove the prejudices towards the virus, and support those who are diagnosed as HIV positive. For that reason, we ask our readers to help those in need and those trying to fight this fight. We have created a donations page at justgiving.com and all proceeds will go to the Terrance Higgins Trust, who Ani Lorak worked with on her visit to London earlier this year.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Today, we ask our readers for two things. Firstly, for readers around Europe and the world, if you know of AIDS charities in your country, please post their website address in the reactions below along with the country they operate in. Through this, we aim to promote as many charities as possible on World AIDS day around Europe.

Secondly, please make a donation here. We have selected one charity for esctoday.com to support, but of course there are many organisations doing fantastic work in their field. THT is based in the UK and works with many other charities throughout Europe and the world. If you would rather donate to a charity in your own country, please post a link to their website in the reactions below so that others are aware of their presence and can donate to them. All donations go directly to the charity's bank account and no money will pass through esctoday.com.

This article is dedicated in loving memory to Ofra Haza, the bravery of Andreas Lundstedt and to the amazing charitable work of Ani Lorak, Eric Papilaya and everyone working to promote AIDS awareness and support those with HIV and AIDS.

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Be aware! Reba McEntire performs She thinks his name is John:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OGHnCtoC_w