Stephen Henry Lewis is a Canadian politician, broadcaster and diplomat. He was the leader of the Ontario New Democratic Party for most of the 1970s. After working for several years as a labour mediator, columnist and broadcaster, in 1984 Lewis was appointed Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations, serving in the post until 1988. From 1995 to 1999, Lewis was Deputy Director of UNICEF. From 2001 until 2006, he worked as United Nations Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa. In his role as Special Envoy, he worked to draw attention to the HIV/AIDS crisis and to convince leaders and the public that they have a responsibility to respond. He has been widely praised for his effectiveness in this role. He is currently Distinguished Visiting ProfessStephen Henry Lewis is a Canadian politician, broadcaster and diplomat. He was the leader of the Ontario New Democratic Party for most of the 1970s. After working for several years as a labour mediator, columnist and broadcaster, in 1984 Lewis was appointed Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations, serving in the post until 1988. From 1995 to 1999, Lewis was Deputy Director of UNICEF. From 2001 until 2006, he worked as United Nations Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa. In his role as Special Envoy, he worked to draw attention to the HIV/AIDS crisis and to convince leaders and the public that they have a responsibility to respond. He has been widely praised for his effectiveness in this role. He is currently Distinguished Visiting Professor at Ryerson University in Toronto and is a member of the Order of Canada.
In addition to being a passionate and articulate spokesperson for the plight of Africans suffering from the AIDS pandemic, Lewis established the Stephen Lewis Foundation to assist the victims of this disease. In 2005, Lewis presented the CBC Massey lectures and these, in turn, were transcribed into the best-selling book "Race Against Time", where he describes the disjuncture between what the international community promises and their actions in responding to the pandemic in Africa. Lewis is also a prominent spokesperson for the Canadian chapter of Make Poverty History. ...more