CONVOCATION 28 SEPTEMBER 2008: III Week of Nonviolence in Iraq

The last Sunday of the month in the Plaza Mayor (next to the horse statue) at 12:00 noon
Women in Black
invite you to a vigil in black and in silence.

28 SEPTEMBER 2008

On the occasion of the III Week of Non-violence in Iraq

We declare our support for the 150 organizations of the civil society that work for peace as members of the LaOnf Network, (“non-violence” in Arabic: La = no; Onf = violence).

WOMEN IN BLACK AGAINST WAR (of Madrid)
convinced that peace can emerge only from within the civil society of Iraq and in a non-violent fashion, support the work of LaOnf. In view of this, we demand:

♀ that the government and civil society of Spain give support for the reconstruction of the civil society of Iraq and its peace initiatives.
♀ that the media draw attention to the courageous work of the social organizations that are promoting a non-violent Iraqi society.

We issue a call for reason and solidarity, a call for peace, a call for non-violent struggle. There is hope for Iraq.

Let us expel war from history and from our lives

C/ San Cosme y San Damián, Nº 24, 2º
28012 – Madrid

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III WEEK OF NON-VIOLENCE IN IRAQ

Women in Black Against War (of Madrid) we declare our support for the 150 organizations of the civil society that are working for peace.

Five years after the invasion, Iraq is living through a humanitarian disaster. The U.S. occupation, sectarian violence, the influence of Iran and Syria, corruption of the Iraqi government and the interests of third countries contribute to maintaining the violent conflict, with the civil population as its primary target. Iraq has already suffered 1,000,000 persons murdered, more than 5,000,000 persons displaced or living as refugees in other countries, and 21,000 persons arrested by U.S. troops.

The political manipulation of information is fomenting the stereotype of an Iraqi society that is violent and fundamentalist. The media continually show sectarian violence and never violence that stems from other sources, giving the impression that there is no hope for Iraq.

However, there is another hopeful reality – as members of the LaOnf Network, some 150 organizations of the civil society of all the religious and ethnic communities are working together in a non-violent way to build peace in Iraq. (LaOnf = ”non-violence” in Arabic. La = no; Onf = violence).

During the past four years, LaOnf has been active in the midst of the war and extreme violence, being the backbone and support of Las Semanas Iraquies de Noviolencia (Iraqi Weeks of Non-violence), whose objective is to raise consciousness among the people of the civil society to favor non-violence, as well as to call on the international community to put an end to the occupation.

LaOnf celebrates the Third Week of Non-Violence, 11-18 October with the support of international organizations and movements of the civil society for non-violence, among them the Association of Victims of 9/11 Peaceful Tomorrows (USA), Nova (Barcelona), Un Ponte per Bagdad (Italy).

The Non-violence Week is an important testimony of the will and capacity of a large section of the Iraqi civil society to rebuild harmonious living and to peacefully reject war, defying all the armed groups. The organizations that comprise LaOnf carry out educational and sensitizing activities in all provinces of Iraq.

Women in Black Against War support the work of the LaOnf Network, convinced that peace can emerge only from within the civil society of Iraq and in a non-violent fashion. In view of this, we demand:

♀ that the government and civil society of Spain give support for the reconstruction of the civil society of Iraq and its initiatives for peace.

♀ that the media draw attention to the courageous work of the social organizations that are promoting a non-violent Iraqi society.

We issue a call for reason and solidarity, a call for peace, a call for non-violent struggle. There is hope for Iraq.

http://www.laonf.org/

About the same subjet:
Convocation 15 October 2008 (English)
Pictures of the convocation 15 October 2008
Convocation 26 October 2008 (English)

Translation: Trisha Novak, USA