Explorations in the Cultural History of AIDS

Archivo Historico de Santa María Papantla Papantla, México, 9 - 12 December 2005

Dear Participants,

* Octavio Acuña - IN MEMORIAM

This year the conference has been dedicated to the memory of Octavio Acuña, psychologist, activist, Human Being who was brutally murdered on Tuesday June 21st, 2005 in the City of Queretaro (near Mexico City, just three hours by car). An act of homophobia that has received worldwide attention. He presented a paper in AIDS in CULTURE I (2004) in Mexico City and intended to participate also this year in Papantla, Veracruz. His death therefore had a profound impact on all of us in Enkidu.

We have gathered an information page with links to several news articles that have been published in Enkidu in the last months about the circumstances surrounding the murder of Octavio and the neglectful way the local and federal authorities have dealt with this case, which was dismissed without a real investigation and remains unsolved to this day.

Dossier: The Murder of Octavio Acuña (in Spanish):

http://enkidumagazine.com/art/2005/061105/E_079_061105.htm 

* There has been a regrettable delay in publishing the final conference program because we have not yet received final notification from the Immigration Authorities regarding the visa of a number of participants from Asia, Africa and the Caribbean. We are waiting in tense and suspense to receive the final decision from the National Institute of Immigration regarding our participants' visa. We regret any inconvenience the delay in the publishing of the final program has caused our participants. We hope to receive news from the National Institute of Immigration as soon as possible so we can distribute the final program.

* Group Transportation from Mexico City

Central del Norte: We recommend the participants who travel via Mexico City to take the bus that departs from the Northern Bus Terminal at 13:00 Hrs on December 8th. Participants who have paid the registration fee in advance can travel with this bus for free. If you would like to travel with the Group Transport, please notify us by e-mail as soon as possible.

* Conference Hotel

We have achieved a favourable agreement with Hotel Totonacapan, which is located in convenient walking distiance from the Municipal Historical Archives where the conference will be held. Hotel Totonacapan offers rooms at the following rates for conference delegates:

Single Room:

1 Person: $ 255.00 Mexican Pesos

2 Persons (in one double-bed): $ 280.00 Mexican Pesos

Double Room: $ 280.00 Mexican Pesos

Triple Room: $ 350.00 Mexican Pesos

Quadruple Room: $ 400.00 Mexican Pesos

Junior Suite: $ 450.00 Mexican Pesos

In the restaurant of Hotel Totonacapan, conference delegates can eat breakfast, lunch and dinner for the price of 25 pesos.

More information about the hotel (in Spanish):

http://enkidumagazine.com/eventos/aidsinculture/hotel_totonacapan.htm 

Please inform us if you would like us to make a reservation for you there.

The conference dinner on the 8th of December will also take place in the restaurant of this hotel at 20:00 Hrs.

Further Conference Information:

* On-site registration on December 9, 2005: 09:00 - 11:00

* Conference Opens on December 9, 2005 at 11:00. Welcome Speech by the Governor of the State of Vera Cruz.

* Conference Exhibition: "Aids Affects Us All" openson December 9 at 11:30 Hrs.

* Welcome Dinner on December 8, 2005 at 20:00 Hrs.

* The Sacrament of Sharing/El Sacramento de Compartir: A theater performance by Artemisa Teatro written especially for the Aids in Culture Conference Circle: Saturday 10 at 20:00 Hrs

* Guided Tour to impressive ruins of El Tajin for the conference delegates organised by the staff the Municipal Historichal Archives on Sunday afternoon at 14:00 Hrs.

* Conference Closes on December 12, 2005 at 17:00 Hrs. Closing Speech by the Director of the Municipal Historichal Archives.

* Conference Exhibition "Aids Affects Us All": The Photography of Morgan Alexander.

On Friday 25th of November, this exhibition was displayed for the first time in Mexico at our information stand about the conference at the National University of Mexico (UNAM). On Saturday 26th of November, a selection of Morgan Alexander's work was displayed at the Zocalo, the main Square of Mexico City as part of an event oprganised in connection with the International Day Against Violence Against Women. After Wedneday November 30th a selection of Morgan Alexander's work can be seen in the Gallery of the Discotheque "Cabaretito VIP" in Mexico City (Address: Londres 104 in Zona Rosa).

Pictures from Morgan Alexander's exhibition at the UNAM:

http://www.enkidumagazine.com/art/2005/221105/E_028_221105.htm 

Presentation of Morgan Alexander's exhibition:

http://www.enkidumagazine.com/art/2005/251005/E_018_251005.htm 

Telephones:

In Mexico City the Organising Committee can be reeched at the following telephone numbers:

044 55 1763 1524 (for information in English or for information about the program)

For general information (in Spanish):

56 97 96 27

044 55 23 83 44 93

NOTE: This Wednesday, November 30th, Dr. Lars Ivar Owesen-Lein Borge will give a paper about the Conference Circle AIDS in Culture and its background as part of the activities organized at the Gallery of Cabaretito VIP in Mexico City (Londres 104, Zona Rosa). If you are in Mexico City you are invited to participate from 16:00 to 18:00 Hrs. Free admission.

More information (in Spanish) about the events in Cabaretito VIP this month:

http://www.enkidumagazine.com/art/2005/221105/E_029_221105.htm