BETWEEN BEDROOMS AND BALLOTS: THE POLITICS OF HIV'S ...

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
“It takes a village” as the saying goes. In this case, it’s taken a few teams on a couple of
continents, several countries, and a few universities. I first ‘found’ Mozambique in 2000 and
spent a month there, believing that it was one of the most interesting places in which I’d spent
time, never thinking that I’d build a career around the country. It had been my first trip to the
African continent and my only goal was to determine what it was that I wanted to do for the next
few decades of my life. Being from Miami, it was, in hindsight, just like home with its tropical
climate, diversity and multicultural atmosphere. To work on a topic as difficult as the politics of
HIV in a country that is overwhelmed by the disease, one generally has some prior experience
with it. In my case, I had worked for many years in theatre in South Florida and in the 1990s it
was, of course, a particularly salient issue in America, and I saw many succumb to it. On top of
this, after a very passionate and productive life as a dancer and professor, my mother battled with
cancer for several years before passing away in 1994; the inherent difficulties of arguing with
insurance companies and often doctors jaded me to the point where, unbeknownst to me at the
time, I began to become intrigued by the manner in which protest and dissent occur against the
status quo. If it was so difficult to hold actors in the health domain accountable in the United
States, how could it possibly occur in developing countries with fewer resources and legal
channels and such a wide gap between elites and those struggling to make ends meet?
This dissertation is a product of many years; both of research on the topic, as well as years
spent traveling around the world to discover my own passion and niche. I’m fortunate enough to
return to the continent each year for research and to spend time with friends. Having said this,
there are a number of people that deserve a great deal of thanks as well as praise for all the hard
work they put into the choreography of making the lives of others more comfortable.
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