Margaret Mead said, 鈥淣ever doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.鈥�

Canadian Grandmothers have pledged they will not rest until their counterparts are able to rest because the tide of HIV/AIDS in Africa has finally turned.

The Comox Valley Glacier Grannies are offering the public one more opportunity to experience the moving and thought-provoking exhibit of textile art titled Turning the Tide in Africa 鈥� One Ripple at a Time, at the Pearl Ellis Gallery Jan. 19 to 31 from 1 to 4 p.m. daily.

This beautiful collection is called 鈥淭urning the Tide鈥� to highlight the current focus of the Stephen Lewis Foundation. The Glacier Grannies added 鈥淥ne Ripple at a Time鈥� to emphasize that turning the tide of the AIDS pandemic is done incrementally.

The collection was launched in May 2010 and has travelled throughout Western Canada and to several communities in British Columbia. The final leg of the tour takes the exhibit down Vancouver Island to Victoria, where it will be the focus of a live auction as part of a gala evening sponsored by Victoria grandmother groups.

Stephen Lewis will be in attendance at the March 2011 event, and altogether, the participating Grandmothers groups anticipate a sell-out and a fundraising success. Their goal is to raise $100,000, including the tour, the gala, the auction and the sale of cards, books, and crafts.

As part of the celebration of the triumphant return of the exhibit, the Glacier Grannies will host an African Dinner on Jan. 22 at the Lions Den in Comox and sponsor an Art Speak Jan. 24 at Berwick. For more information about these events, visit www.GlacierGrannies.org.

In 2006, Canadian Grandmothers pledged to their African sisters 鈥渢o act as their ambassadors, raising the volume on their long-suppressed stories until they are heard, understood and acted upon. We promise to apply pressure on governments, on religious leaders, and on the international community 鈥� We are acutely conscious of the enormous debt owed to a generation of women who spent their youth freeing Africa, their middle age reviving it, and their older lives sustaining it. We will not rest until they can rest.鈥�