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White Ribbon Campaign to Oppose the Iraq War

ACTION ALERT * UNITED FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE
http://www.unitedforpeace.org | 212-868-5545
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UFPJ LAUNCHES WHITE RIBBON CAMPAIGN
Wear and distribute white ribbons to honor all who have died in Iraq
See below for action ideas and resources
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Today, December 10, is International Human Rights Day, a day for us all to
note with shame and anger our government’s violations of human rights,
particularly in the disastrous and illegal Iraq War. Article 3 of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that “everyone has the right
to life, liberty and the security of person.” International Human Rights
Day is an opportunity to remember the hundreds of thousands of people whose
human rights have been violated in Iraq.

Ending the war requires many steps, both large and small. To make the
growing death toll in Iraq more visible throughout the United States, and
to provide an easy way for people to express their antiwar sentiment,
United for Peace and Justice is launching a White Ribbon Campaign to Oppose
the War in Iraq. We are encouraging concerned individuals and member groups
of UFPJ to initiate white ribbon visibility efforts in your area.

WHY A RIBBON CAMPAIGN?
The daily tragedies in Iraq are intangible to most people in the United
States. While we can remember the horror of 9/11, many find it difficult to
imagine the reality of hundreds of Iraqi citizens and dozens of U.S.
soldiers being killed weekly in Iraq or the impact the death toll is having
on families, on communities, and on the future of Iraq. While a ribbon
campaign is an insufficient tool for expressing the heartbreak of families
or resolving the crisis Iraqis face, the ribbon is an effective tool for
raising awareness and increasing the daily visibility of the suffering.
British peace and justice allies used the white ribbon to symbolize
opposition to the war prior to the U.S. attack on Iraq in 2003. We hope to
revitalize and spread the symbolic white ribbon across the U.S. and the
world.

WHY WHITE?
White is the symbol for peace in many countries around the world and the
symbol of mourning in others. Therefore, the message of the white ribbon is
simple and clear:
“We mourn all of the dead. We support the troops. End the war now and bring
the troops home.”

WHAT ABOUT THE YELLOW RIBBON?
Yellow signifies loyalty to our troops and patriotism for the country.
UFPJ, Military Families Speak Out, and other allies have taken the yellow
symbol of support and added signs of peace to demonstrate support for the
troops and opposition to the war. We feel that the growing magnitude of the
death toll (both Iraqi and U.S.) calls for an additional and different
step: a simple and powerful symbol of mourning that directly opposes the
madness of this perpetual war.

We encourage you to continue to use and support the yellow ribbon efforts
as well:  http://www.bringthemhomenow.org/yellowribbon_graphics/
http://www.unitedforpeace.org/merchandise [Note: UFPJ is producing white
versions of our yellow car ribbon magnets; these will be available in one
week.]

IDEAS FOR USING THE RIBBONS
White ribbons can be purchased at any paper or craft supply store or
online. There are lots of ways that individuals and groups can participate
in the white ribbon campaign. Here are just a few ideas:

* Wear a white ribbon on your lapel. Make extras and carry them with you
wherever you go, so you can give them to others who wish to express their
opposition to the war.

* Tie thick white ribbon around trees, car antennas, house fences,
mailboxes and other structures in your neighborhood.

* Distribute and display white ribbons at local holiday events. You could
also use symbols of the season, like the Christmas tree, by decorating pine
trees (inside or out) with lots of white ribbons.

* Ask local churches, community centers, high school groups, and
organization to distribute small white lapel ribbons attached to pins for
people to put on their coat or bag.

* Blanket high schools, community colleges, or university campuses with
white ribbons to represent all those who have lost their lives in Iraq.
Students and faculty at American University hung 100,000 ribbons all over
campus on December 5 to represent the vast number of deaths caused directly
and indirectly by the Iraq war.  The number is based on a study of Iraqi
civilian deaths by Johns Hopkins and published in The Lancet, a highly
respected medical journal (http://www.thelancet.com).  Another source for
information about the growing Iraqi civilian death toll is
http://www.iraqbodycount.net.

* Integrate the white ribbon into your campaign to pass a local resolution
to bring the troops home. Work with allied City Councilors to blanket town
or city hall with white ribbons: http://www.citiesforpeace.org

* Use the color white at upcoming vigils and demonstrations.  Use long
sheets of white fabric to stretch the length of your march.  Construct
white ribbon flags to lead marches. Pass out white ribbons to all
participants as well as onlookers.

Let us know about your white ribbon ideas and actions by writing to
whiteribbon at unitedforpeace.org - we’ll share them on our website.

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JUST IN TIME FOR THE HOLIDAYS...
New buttons, t-shirts, and car magnets from UFPJ
http://www.unitedforpeace.org/merchandise
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DON'T MOURN, ORGANIZE
Disgusted by Bush's election? Get active!
* Visit http://www.unitedforpeace.org for links to events and groups
* Donate at http://www.unitedforpeace.org/donate to enable us to keep
fighting back
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ACTION ALERT * UNITED FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE
http://www.unitedforpeace.org | 212-868-5545
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