[IMC Bombay] White Ribbon Campaign
PUKAR @ IndyMedia
pukar at bol.net.in
Mon, 5 Aug 2002 15:07:47 +0530
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<blockquote type=3D"cite" cite>From: "Sameera Khan"
<sameerakhan@vsnl.com></blockquote>
<blockquote type=3D"cite" cite><br></blockquote>
<blockquote type=3D"cite" cite>F.Y.I. and dissemination.</blockquote>
<blockquote type=3D"cite" cite><br></blockquote>
<blockquote type=3D"cite" cite><b>GUJARAT 2002</b><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type=3D"cite" cite>The recent communal violence in Gujarat
has left a trail of devastation and a continuing climate of grief and
fear. During the<br>
two months of rioting, over 2000 people were killed. Over 10,000
shops and factories were gutted. And over 150,000<br>
individuals were rendered homeless, forced into relief camps for
refugees in their own state and nation. Today, around 20,000<br>
people still remain in the relief camps, and little has been done to
ensure just compensation and rehabilitation of the many<br>
victims.<br>
<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type=3D"cite" cite><b>A MOVEMENT AGAINST SILENCE</b><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type=3D"cite" cite>While a number of individuals have spoken
out against the events in Gujarat and some NGOs have been working with
limited<br>
resources on the ground, the public response has generally been marked
by a deafening silence.<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type=3D"cite" cite>Convinced that the vast majority of
Indians condemn communal violence, stand in solidarity with the
victims, and uphold a<br>
vision for a peaceful, just India, this campaign seeks to mobilise and
unite civil society under one simple symbol and its forceful<br>
message.<br>
<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type=3D"cite" cite><b>THE SYMBOL, THE MESSAGE</b><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type=3D"cite" cite>On 15 August 2002, India's Independence
Day, citizens will be asked to join this effort by wearing a white
ribbon - in the<br>
form of a badge or a band - as a visible sign of their condemnation
of the communal riots in Gujarat and their support for<br>
justice and peace. The aim is to try and have 1 million Indians
wearing this badge.<br>
<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type=3D"cite" cite><b>A CAMPAIGN FOR AWARENESS AND
ACTION</b><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type=3D"cite" cite>Organised by a group of committed young
Indians, working with ActionAid India and the Ahmedabad-based
Citizens'<br>
Initiative, the campaign intends to generate awareness and public
participation throughout India, especially among young<br>
people. To achieve this objective, the campaign will engage
diverse means and venues, involving television, radio, print
media,<br>
web sites, college festivals, civil society networks, celebrities, a
large team of student volunteers, and channels for direct<br>
distribution.<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type=3D"cite" cite>The message will be spread widely and
constantly during the week leading up to 15 August and white ribbons
will be<br>
distributed at public sites so that as many like-minded Indians as
possible can join together to make a powerful statement and<br>
public impact on Independence Day 2002.<br>
<br>
<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type=3D"cite" cite><b>JOIN A MILLION INDIANS IN WEARING A
WHITE RIBBON ON INDEPENDENCE DAY!</b><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type=3D"cite" cite>Across the country, citizens will be
wearing white ribbons to say: 'No to Violence, Yes to Peace' -
please join us by wearing a<br>
white ribbon and volunteering to distribute white ribbons across
Bangalore city and Karnataka state.<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type=3D"cite" cite>This nationwide campaign is being run by
a group of committed young Indians, working with ActionAid India and
the<br>
Ahmedabad-based Citizens' Initiative, In Karnataka, it is being
coordinated by the White Ribbon Campaign for Peace (India),<br>
Bangalore Initiative for Peace as well as many other movements and
individuals.<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type=3D"cite" cite>In Bangalore, ribbons will be distributed
across the city=8A<br>
'Peace Links: A Human Chain of White Ribbons' will be formed
along MG Road, starting from the Mahatma Gandhi statue,<br>
on the morning of 15th August, at 11am.<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type=3D"cite" cite><u>PLEASE JOIN US FOR A VOLUNTEERS'
MEETING ON 11TH AUGUST</u><br>
<u>2.30pm, Feroze's Estate Agency</u><br>
<u>Cunningham Road (opp. Westminster), Bangalore - 52.</u><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type=3D"cite" cite><u>For details, contact:
whiteribbonindia@rediffmail.com</u><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type=3D"cite" cite><b>The White Ribbon Campaign for Peace
(India)</b><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type=3D"cite" cite>Dear friends, violence in Gujarat
continues. The country seems to be perpetually on the brink of war.
And the violence<br>
continues in the rest of the country - perhaps not physically, but in
the kinds of conversations we overhear, the gestures we<br>
watch people make: words and expressions of war-mongering and communal
hatred are all around us. We may be confused<br>
about the kinds of responses we should make, we may be uncertain about
what we can do individually and collectively to<br>
make a difference.<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type=3D"cite" cite>But all of us share a common sense of
outrage, and a quest for peace. We know that war will not help the
peoples of South</blockquote>
<blockquote type=3D"cite" cite>Asia, and communalism turns our pride in
Indian plurality into a sad caricature. It is about time that we
expressed our need for</blockquote>
<blockquote type=3D"cite" cite>peace, for non-violence, together; it is
about time we stopped being the 'silent majority'. Because we are both
- unfortunately<br>
silent and fortunately a majority.<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type=3D"cite" cite>So say YES to peace. Peacefully!<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type=3D"cite" cite>*Wear a White Ribbon*<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type=3D"cite" cite>*Ask at least five other people to wear
white ribbons*<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type=3D"cite" cite>We need symbols of peace, of secularism,
of humaneness: we need to stand up and be counted.<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type=3D"cite" cite>Please share this request with as many
people as you can.<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type=3D"cite" cite>Let us wear our white ribbons till the
violence ends - both in deed and in word. Thank you.</blockquote>
<blockquote type=3D"cite" cite><br></blockquote>
<blockquote type=3D"cite" cite>(N.B. Posters are also
available)</blockquote>
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