Skeptical Scientist and Whistle Blowing Journalist Honored for Exposing AIDS

Rethinking AIDS, an international group of more than
2,500 scientists, doctors, journalists, health advocates
and others, announced that a prominent research
scientist and a well-known AIDS journalist will
accept "Clean Hands" awards as part of events on
May 13-14 in Washington, D.C. The awards, given by the
Alliance for Patient Safety and Semmelweis Society
International, recognize public health "whistleblowers"--
in their case, for their work in exposing fraud
in AIDS research.

University of California at Berkeley microbiologist
Peter Duesberg, Ph.D.(aboard member of RA) and
journalist Celia Farber will be two of 19 individuals
to accept the awards at a ceremony Tuesday, May 13,
at the Library of Congress in Washington (see event
details below). On Wednesday, May 14, Dr. Duesberg
and Ms. Farber will testify before a "No FEAR Tribunal"
to inform members of Congress and the public of the
dangers to all when whistleblowers are silenced.

The awards are presented as part of the second annual
"Whistleblower Week in Washington." Whistleblower Week
is sponsored by a coalition of organizations led
by the No FEAR Institute, a group supporting
government employees seeking fair treatment and
employment protection for those who expose corruption.
Since May 2002, when the federal No FEAR Act
(Notification and Federal Employee Antidiscrimination
and Retaliation Act) passed, the Institute has sought
even stronger guarantees for whistleblowers.

These historic events honor those taking a stand for
integrity and courage in public affairs and the abuses
of the public trust endemic to AIDS research.

EVENT SCHEDULE:
(No reserved admission; arrive early)
Presentation of "Clean Hands" Awards
Tuesday, May 13, 2008, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Members' Room, Thomas Jefferson Building, The
Library of Congress First Street S.E., between
Independence Avenue and East Capitol Street,
Washington Screeningof film "The Constant Gardener"
Introduction by Peter Duesberg and Celia Farber;
discussion following Tuesday, May 13, 2008,
6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Location to be announced

"No FEAR Tribunal"
Wednesday, May 14, 2008

9 a.m. to 12 p.m. - House of Representatives
Testimony Room 2200, Rayburn House Office Building
Independence Avenue, South Capitol Street, First
Street, and C Street S.W., Washington

1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. - Senate Testimony
Room 215, Dirksen Senate Office Building
Constitution Avenue, C Street, First
Street, and Second Street N.E., Washington

MEDIA CONTACTS:
David Crowe
President
Calgary , Alberta , Canada (Mountain time zone)
1-403-289-6609 (office)
1-403-861-2225 (mobile)
david.crowe@aras.ab.ca
Elizabeth Ely
Public Relations Chairperson
Brooklyn, N.Y., U.S. (Eastern time zone)
1-718-704-9672 (mobile)
publicrelations@rethinkingaids.com

Rethinking AIDS: The Group for the Scientific
Reappraisal of the HIV/AIDS Hypothesis ("RA" or
"the Group") was formed in 1991 to express the
concerns of a growing number of renowned scientists
and medical doctors about HIV research and the
resulting human rights abuses. In 1995, by a
letter published in Science, the Group called for
a thorough reappraisal of the existing evidence for
and against the HIV/AIDS hypothesis and recommended
that critical epidemiological studies be undertaken.

Among RA's founders and key members are University
of Toronto professor emeritus and former cancer
researcher Dr. Etienne de Harven; Harvard microbiologist
Dr. Charles Thomas; 1993 Nobel laureate for chemistry
Dr. Kary Mullis; Nature/Biotechnology co-founder Dr.
Harvey Bialy; University of California at Berkeley
molecular biologist Dr. Peter Duesberg and the late
Yale mathematician Dr. Serge Lang, both members of
the National Academy of Sciences; professor of medical
physics at the Royal Perth Hospital in Western Australia
Dr. Eleni Papadopulos; and Glasgow University professor
emeritus of public health and World Health Organization
consultant Dr. Gordon Stewart.