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Help Make June 25th WORLD VITILIGO DAY

Memefan

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[h=1]Dear Secretary-General,[/h]Hear us as we speak with one voice about human rights, healthcare and education. We, the undersigned, are just the few of estimated over 100 million people living, working, taking care of children across the world with this neglected disease, vitiligo.
We contribute to every single industry and culture in the world. We are the rich and the poor. We are the face of the entire all neglected disease community. You find us in schools, hospitals, on TV and movies screens, sport arenas, and churches, while many went into seclusion and voluntary isolation from society.
Although vitiligo daily has destroyed the lives of millions of individuals since recorded history, predominantly in the developing world, there is no cure in sight. But few diseases give rise to more fear and loathing than vitiligo, especially in dark-skinned people, in whom it can be strikingly prominent. And because it is not contagious or life-threatening, we often receive no support whatsoever from our national healthcare systems.
Thus, I support the initiative 25June and respectfully require the United Nations to
1. Urgently pursue multilateral efforts in vitiligo healthcare and education, and to
2. Designate June 25 as the World Vitiligo Day.
Mr. Secretary-General, please hear our voice. We know you can encourage Member States to respect our rights. Please pursue policies supportive of neglected disease collaboration, vitiligo in particular. This is central to the human rights and personal dignity of millions of women, men and children on this Earth.
Yours in health and freedom,
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To sign the letter, visit http://25june.org/

This petition was started by the VR Foundation, this year’s goal is to mark World Vitiligo Day on June 25 a date to be observed annually by the United Nations.

[h=2]June 25th is a significant date in the vitiligo calendar because it marks the passing date of pop-star Michael Jackson, a long-time vitiligo sufferer.[/h]
 
WORLD VITILIGO DAY MEDIA RELEASE



Did Michael Jackson want to be white? Did he bleach his skin? It's time for the truth to be told.



The truth about Michael is coming out on 25 June, the World Vitiligo Day



It's the story Michael Jackson never told. The most famous entertainer in the world suffered from a disease called Vitiligo. And even after his death it's still one of the most misunderstood things about the king of pop. Vitiligo is a skin disorder that robs the body of it's pigment. It's the reason the most famous man on the planet went from black to white.



And Mr. Jackson was not alone. Well over 100 million people from all over the world suffer from this disease. It affects all nationalities, ages and genders, every level of social strata. One can find them in schools, hospitals, on TV and movies screens, sport arenas, and churches, while many went into seclusion and voluntary isolation from society.



Vitiligo is an acquired disease characterized by progressing skin depigmentation, due to destruction or malfunction of melanocytes, cells that produce melanin. It is present worldwide, and its prevalence in different countries ranges from less than 0.1% to more than 8% of general population (~1% in the United States and in Europe), while many cases go unreported due to the current dermatology practice.



Although vitiligo daily has destroyed the lives of millions of individuals since recorded history, predominantly in the developing world, there is no cure in sight. Few diseases give rise to more fear and loathing than vitiligo, especially in dark-skinned people, in whom it can be strikingly prominent. And because it is not contagious or life-threatening, patients often receive no support from national healthcare systems or insurance companies whatsoever.



The World Vitiligo Day is a public initiative aimed at building global awareness about vitiligo. Its ambitious goal is to raise 500,000 signatures to address the United Nations in order to recognize this neglected and debilitating disease. The choice of this particular day is a memorial to the popular artist Michael Jackson, who suffered from vitiligo since 1986 until his death, occurred on June 25, 2009.



This idea was first nursed by Steve Haragadon, the founder of the Vitiligo Friends network, and further developed by Ogo Maduewesi, the founder of the Vitiligo Support and Awareness Foundation (VITSAF) from Nigeria. In early 2012, VR Foundation, a non-profit organization squarely focused on vitiligo research, has joined the group to boost and to coordinate this mass-collaboration campaign. All activities are now united on the website 25June.org.

More info on the World Vitiligo Day: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Vitiligo_Day

Contact: Yan Valle, CEO VR Foundation



yan@vrfoundation.org

Toll-free: +1-855-966-3555

http://25june.org/en/media_coverages/1
 
CaptainEoLove85 said:
Consider it done. More people need to know how this disease affects people.
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Absolutely! Still too many comments about how Michael wanted to this and that, and nothing said about his illness.
I hope this is a good way to hammer vitiligo facts to people's sculls, and it is not ok to make fun of his skin colour.
 
Bubs said:
it is not ok to make fun of his skin colour.
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INDEED! nor is it fair to claim Michael "didn't" want to be black. He was very much proud of who he was and always stood up for his people. He just couldn't help the fact his disease changed his skin tone, inside he was just as proud of his race as ever.
 
Petrarose said:
They will have to campaign to make more people aware of the petition.
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One other thing - when I was on that site to sign it I clearly saw the number 7000 signatures collectes. But when I wanted to see the very first signature, on the first page, the number was over 6000, as if the signatures 1-5999 didn't exist. Did they just start with the number 6000 (meaning they actually only got 1000 signatures - and if yo, why?) or what's the deal here?
 
signed.... I'm moved by this.... this is a great idea, I'm all for it!
 
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