CEASEFIRE vigil in Ojai on Monday!
Amnesty International and the Ojai Peace Coalition are teaming up to host a global vigil calling for a ceasefire in the Middle East.
Ojai may be small and out of the way, but we've got plenty of good peace energy in this valley, and a strong humanitarian streak that encourages our participation as a community.
We will meet at the Y intersection in front of Ojai’s Vons at 7pm on Monday August 07. Amnesty International has designed this vigil, and we are to focus on three messages:
we call for a ceasefire
we demand that all governments stop the supply of arms to the conflict
we stand in solidarity with the victims and survivors from all sides of the conflict
This is to be constructed as a solemn occasion, not a boisterous or outraged or casual one. We are encouraged to bring and use candles and to wear black. As part of the brief and simple “program”, we will hear a short passage being recited, and we will observe 2 minutes of silence.
We have a few needs in order for this to be successful and for our message to be clear:
The word “CEASEFIRE” needs to be especially prominent. What i’d like to try is for 9 VOLUNTEERS to each commit to buying ONE POSTERBOARD and putting ONE LETTER on it. Email me if you’d like to do this, and i’ll assign letters.
it would be nice if we could have ONE POSTERBOARD with the Amnesty International logo on it, or at least those words. We already have a poster that says “Ojai Peace Coalition”, so the AI one would be a nice compliment and show who sponsors this vigil. Someone who feels confident in their art skills could take this on. Email me to let me know.
you can sign Amnesty’s petition to Secretary Rice now at http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/siteapps/advocacy/index.aspx?c=goJTI0OvElH&b=953489&template=x.ascx&action=7211, or we can gather physical signatures at the vigil. If someone will go to http://www.amnestyusa.org/countries/israel_lebanon/petition.pdf and print several out and bring them, i’ll commit to mailing them.
you are welcome to bring posters or other messages of your own creation, but please check them against the three focuses of our vigil, listed above.
Because it’s easy – due to our social training – to choose a “side” in any conflict, i want be especially clear that this vigil is NOT about condemning Israel, and NOT about wishing shame on the United States for its role as a financial backer and arms supplier. It is NOT about judging Hezbollah, and it is NOT about debating rights to exist, rights to return, rights to defend oneself, etc.
This IS a humanitarian vigil, at which artificial political boundaries are meaningless. It IS a time to recognize that some of our human brothers and sisters are doing some killing, and some others of our human brothers and sisters are doing some dying. It IS a time to mourn this truth, to call for its end, and to flex some power we DO have to make that happen. This IS an evening for global citizenship...to be connected, and to recognize and act on the responsibility to be active.
PLEASE forward this action plan far and wide over the next two days, and if you have the tiny amount of energy that it would take to volunteer to fill one of the needs outlined above, PLEASE email me as soon as you can to claim your opportunity.
Peace,
-evan
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Comments (6)
A story today puts a London ceasefire gathering at 100,000 participants.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/8/5/21134/33652
Comment #1 Posted by: Tyler | August 5, 2006 11:40 PM
Good evening, everyone.
As of this moment, the CEASEFIRE vigil that was planned for tomorrow evening is a bust.
For something like this to work and be successful, several elements must be present. Chief among them are a cohesive message and sheer numbers. Unfortunately, i am seeing neither.
I am not naïve enough to believe that empathy for victims of these wars does not exist, or that energy for peaceful resolution is not present. However, if we simply do not have it in our energies or schedules to do this particular action at this particular time, then for the sake of the message we will stand down. I have only two firm commitments to attend tomorrow night’s proposed vigil, and only one commitment to buy, create, and bring a letter poster. So my needs right now are for support and for communication. If you planned on coming, and especially if you want to contribute by investing a small amount of energy into a letter poster (we’re trying to spell the word CEASEFIRE, just so we’re clear) i need to hear from you. Most of the time – particularly when we have the luxury of advance notice and planning – i’m fine to operate on a “if i build it, you will come” sort of premise. In this case however, where we are REacting to a world event and with very little time to plan it, if we don’t all build it together, then it’s not gonna happen.
There need to be AT LEAST NINE PEOPLE just to create the word CEASEFIRE alone, and a nice healthy crowd of 15 or so might get our community-at-large (and our local media, who have been notified) thinking that this peace idea is something popular and with some energy. It’s important to me that you know that i am NOT interested in action done out of shame or guilt. It is NEVER my intention to encourage you to choose either of those feelings or self-judgements, so please don’t read into my message in that way. If you DO have time and energy to honestly and joyfully give, however, then i need to hear from you NOW before i officially open or close this vigil.
If you forwarded the original call for vigil, THANK YOU VERY MUCH! Please forward this new message just as widely...i want to make sure that everyone is as well informed as possible, and i’m uncomfortable with the thought of someone showing up without having heard a peep about this.
You have my love and support, either way.
-evan
Comment #2 Posted by: evan | August 6, 2006 11:09 PM
This morning some of us participated in the march to City Hall to ask them to save O-Hi Frostie (8:30 to 11:30 am.) Thank you for letting me know that the CEASEFIRE vigil may not be held tonight because I rely on public transportation and there is none between 7-8 pm.
Comment #3 Posted by: sasha | August 7, 2006 11:47 AM
Hi everyone!
While i have reservations about appearing to bob back and forth on whether this vigil is happening or not, i’m VERY excited to announce that the CEASEFIRE VIGIL IS BACK ON for TONIGHT AT 7PM AT THE Y IN FRONT OF OJAI’S VONS.
Several people have found the energy to come forward and commit to making and bringing letter posters, and so we’ll have our focal word. Anyone who intended or intends on coming who could NOT make a poster is still very much welcome and encouraged, of course!!
To reconnect:
Wear black if you can
Bring your letter poster if you’ve committed to bring one
Arrive a few minutes before 7 so we have a solid hour of vigil
We have a three-part message
we call for a ceasefire
we demand that all governments stop the supply of arms to the conflict
we stand in solidarity with the victims and survivors from all sides of the conflict
Bring candles if you have any (i will provide some)
Again, forward this as widely as before. This last-minute stuff is stressful, but we can make it work!!
Peace,
-evan
Comment #4 Posted by: evan | August 7, 2006 01:36 PM
Wouldn't a ceasefire help Hezbollah and hurt Israel by giving Hezbollah more time to move their rockets and resupply?
If Israel stopped and called back all troops wouldn't Hezbollah still fire rockets at them? So, really is this calling for a one-way ceasefire?
I really don't know but would like some answers.
Comment #5 Posted by: Brian | August 7, 2006 06:48 PM
dont make it more complicated than it needs to be, Brian. this was calling for a universal ceasefire, which is a nice way of screaming "STOP FUCKING KILLING EACH OTHER!" at the whole world. Hezbollah, Israel, the U.S., Iraq.....everyone. the killing stops (for the most part) when the shooting does.
Comment #6 Posted by: evan | August 18, 2006 09:27 AM