[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 77 (Wednesday, June 1, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1008-E1009]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING DR. ROBERT CARR

                                  _____
                                 

                            HON. BARBARA LEE

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 1, 2011

  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the extraordinary life of 
Dr. Robert Carr. A long-time leader, activist and researcher in the 
prevention of HIV/AIDS and the promotion of

[[Page E1009]]

human rights, Dr. Carr's prolific work benefitted communities all over 
the world, including in Jamaica and the Caribbean. In his most recent 
role as Director of Policy and Advocacy at the International Coalition 
of AIDS Services Organizations (ICASO) in Toronto, Canada, Dr. Carr was 
a dynamic and effective leader. The global AIDS movement is devastated 
by the untimely loss of one of their most beloved colleagues. With his 
passing, we look to Dr. Carr's continued legacy and the outstanding 
quality of his life's work.
  Dr. Carr became active in the field of HIV/AIDS over a decade ago, 
when he began to research stigma and discrimination against people 
living with HIV in Jamaica. In 2002, he became Executive Director of 
Jamaica AIDS Support for Life, a national NGO serving Jamaican 
society's most disenfranchised populations, including prisoners, the 
hearing impaired, people who use drugs, sex workers, transgender 
people, and gay and other men who have sex with men. In response to a 
lack of access to HIV and health services in Jamaica, he co-founded and 
was first Executive Director of the Caribbean Vulnerable Communities 
Coalition (CVC), one of the first Caribbean organizations to focus on 
issues related to the rights and needs of sexual minorities.
  As a result of his intellect, passion and talent for collaboration, 
Dr. Carr began a fast ascent to leadership positions within the AIDS 
movement and his work quickly took on a global scope. The author of 
several books, Dr. Carr wrote extensively on human rights and HIV, as 
well as on the social context that drives stigma and discrimination. 
From 2006 to 2008, he taught at the University of the West Indies, 
serving as the Coordinator of the Graduate Programmes Unit at the 
Caribbean Institute of Media and Communication. In recent years, Dr. 
Carr served on the NGO delegation to the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating 
Board (PCB) and joined with other global advocates to found the Global 
Forum on MSM & HIV (MSMGF). He acted as a panelist for numerous 
Congressional Briefings in Washington D.C., worked with the LGBT Caucus 
and assisted with high-level meetings at the U.N., as well as countless 
other global policy arenas.
  In these myriad roles, Dr. Carr was universally recognized for his 
unrelenting principles, his powerful mentorship, his unfailing efforts 
to build bridges across the broad HIV movement, and his larger-than-
life presence. He insisted, unequivocally, that no marginalized 
community be left behind in the fight for social justice and the end of 
the HIV/AIDS epidemic. As a social worker and an academic, an attentive 
listener and an articulate public speaker, Dr. Carr's charming sense of 
humor, warmth and integrity were at the core of his dedication to 
activism.
  Today, California's Ninth Congressional District salutes and honors 
Dr. Robert Carr. Our global community is indebted to his life's 
contribution in countless ways. Dr. Carr will always be remembered as a 
pioneer in advancing the health and human rights of marginalized 
groups, while going the extra mile to help them form an empowered, 
unified front. We extend our deepest condolences to Dr. Carr's family 
and his extended group of loved ones and colleagues. He will be deeply 
missed.

                          ____________________