White poppies - 3 ways you can help this year’s Remembrance campaign

Posted: 13th October 2021

White poppies – 3 ways you can help this year’s Remembrance campaign

Each year the Peace Pledge Union provides a vital alternative voice at Remembrance time. We remember all victims of war, civilian as well as military, we challenge the militarism on display in the mainstream media, and we plan a peaceful kind of remembrance, symbolised by the white poppy.

So many of our members and supporters do extraordinary work spreading the word about white poppies and starting those important conversations. Here are three ways you can help in the coming weeks.

1. Remember to order your white poppies!

With Remembrance Day less than a month away, it’s not too early to start wearing your white poppy. Please think of giving one to a friend or family member. You can order white poppy packs of 5, 10, 25 and 100 via our online shop: https://shop.ppu.org.uk/

2. Approach somewhere local that may want to distribute white poppies.

It could be a shop, cafe, library, place of worship, school, union branch, anywhere you think might be interested. You can have a look at the places that already stock them here: https://www.ppu.org.uk/remembrance/white-poppy-outlets

If you find somewhere interested, please let us know at [email protected]. Outlets are welcome to buy white poppies to sell or for donations, as they choose.

3. Plan a way to mark the day.

Whether by laying a white poppy wreath, pausing for two-minutes’ silence at a memorial or planning a remembrance ceremony, there are many ways to remember in a spirit of peace and nonviolence. It doesn’t need to be complicated to plan something. Watch this video compilation to see the many ways people marked Remembrance Sunday last year: https://youtu.be/VJXwcMR1GsY

Keep an eye on our events page for ceremonies near you, and please let us know at [email protected] if you are planning a ceremony, as we’d be happy to publicise it: https://www.ppu.org.uk/events

War will end when people refuse to go along with it – join the PPU today

At the Peace Pledge Union, we don’t believe in waiting for politicians and generals to take the lead. We believe that change comes from below. We can all take part in resisting war and militarism, building peace and practising nonviolence.

Since the PPU was launched in 1934, many thousands of people have taken the peace pledge, committing themselves not only to rejecting war but to working for peace and tackling the causes of war.

Sign the peace pledge and pay a small annual membership fee to join us today: https://www.ppu.org.uk/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=363&qid=181381

Leicester Schools Peace Project

PPU staff and members attended the Changemakers Centenary Festival at the University of Leicester in October, celebrating the founding of the University as a ‘living memorial’ to WW1. Guided tours of the campus and Peace Walk in Victoria Park were provided by PPU Member Andrew Bolton and Student Ambassadors from the University.

Find out more about the Leicester Schools Peace Project at https://www.ppu.org.uk/lspp and watch this space for details of a new booklet telling the stories, via a guided walk, of the founding of the University as a ‘palace of peace’ and the people involved.

Arms fair resistance continues – join us in Malvern

Arms dealers are facing resistance as four arms fairs take place in Britain this autumn. As you may have read in last month’s newsletter, the DSEI arms fair in London was met by protests and blockades in September.

On 5 October, a smaller arms fair called DPRTE took place in Farnborough in Hampshire. It had previously been based in Bristol, Cardiff and Birmingham – before being chased out of each city by nonviolent protests. But if arms dealers were hoping for an easy ride in Farnborough, they were disappointed – members of Greater Rushmoor Action for Peace held protests at two of the gates to the arms fair and handed out leaflets at the local railway station and in the street.

People in Liverpool are taking nonviolent direct action this week as AOC arms fair is held in their city. Before the fair had even opened, members of Palestine Action occupied the venue and there were large-scale protests as the fair began on Tuesday.

If you’re inspired by these examples we invite you to join us in resisting the Three Counties Arms Fair in Malvern next month!

There will be protests of various sorts on Thursday 4 November, organised by Malvern Individuals for Peace and the Three Counties Campaign Against Arms Trade. They invite people from outside the area to join them! The Peace Pledge Union will be there. Find out more at https://www.ppu.org.uk/civicrm/event/info%3Fid%3D204%26reset%3D1 

Events

Visit our website for PPU events, as well as other events that PPU members and supporters are involved in: https://ppu.org.uk/events

Peace Pledge Union
020 7424 9444