“Actions, not Words!” demanded a girl, holding up a pink wristband to a crowd of people, as another joined in: “Please join in our fundraising campaign to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS!!” 

As part of their J8 Summit follow-up plan, the Japanese J8 team from Tokyo organized a fundraising campaign called “Actions, not Words”. They urged their school and local community to promote awareness of the devastating impact of HIV/AIDS, and demanded world leaders’ promises for HIV/AIDS turn into action now – not later. 

Pink wristbands were sold to the general public during the cultural festival that took place at their school on 11 -12 September. The pink represents a mix of red for HIV/AIDS and white for extreme poverty. 

The J8 team spoke to their school peers about the diverse impact of HIV/AIDS, explaining the significance of just one dollar's contribution (the price of one wristband) to Africa's development, and emphasizing the importance of HIV/AIDS awareness, especially among young people. 

A special video was produced with former J8 participants showing that there are young people around the globe determined to promote HIV/AIDS awareness. A parallel awareness campaign was also run on Facebook. 

All the funds raised will go to UNICEF to help fight the HIV/AIDS pandemic, and the Japanese J8 team will monitor the way that the funds are spent. Moeko Fujii, one of the J8 team members, stressed: "There is no meaning in just putting on the wristbands saying ‘Actions, not Words’ without truly understanding and spreading this message around the world".