This is a picture of a red ribbon. The Red Ribbon is an international symbol of AIDS awareness that is worn by people all year round and particularly around world AIDS day to demonstrate care and concern about HIV and AIDS, and to remind others of the need for their support and commitment. The red ribbon started as a "grass roots" effort, and as a result, there is no official red ribbon, and many people make their own. To make your own ribbons, get some ordinary red ribbon, about 1.5 cm's wide and cut it into strips about 15 cm's long. Then fold at the top into an inverted "V" shape and put a safety pin through the centre, which you use to attach the ribbon to your clothing. AVERT has more about WORLD AID'S DAY

JOHANNESBURG (AFP) - Governments across the globe pledged Monday to step up the fight against HIV, combatting the stigma associated with the disease and promising to bankroll treatment programmes on World AIDS Day.
US President George W. Bush was to announce his administration had already met its goal of treating two million people living with HIV/AIDS by the end of the year, while his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao visited patients with the virus as part of a government effort to fight discrimination.
In South Africa , the country with the highest number of sufferers in the world, the government was mapping out its AIDS strategy under a new health minister as part of a sea-change in attitudes from the ANC government.
South Africans held a moment of silence at midday (1000 GMT) as a mark of respect for victims of the virus which has affected some 5.5 million people.
Speaking at a ceremony in the eastern port city of Durban, newly-appointed Health Minister Barbara Hogan urged men to overcome their traditional reluctance and voluntarily test for HIV.
"We enourage all men, I repeat all men, to test themelsves for HIV to protect themselves and thepeople they love,"