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November 19, 2001 - Despite
the usual Suva downpour, a small group of Peace Vigil supporters gathered at
the Holy Trinity Anglican Cathedral to hear messages of peace and unity from
the next generation of Fiji Islanders, inlcuding students from Tamavua Primary
School and St Joseph's Secondary School shared their vision for Fiji and Global
Peace.
Also at the BLUE RIBBON PEACE VIGIL in Suva, Fiji
Islands, THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF WOMEN FIJI / WOMEN'S
ACTION FOR DEMOCRACY AND PEACE INITIATIVE highlighted its support not
only for the FIJI ANTI WAR MOVEMENT Petition and Actions planned for this Friday
23 November 2001, but also recommitted itself to peaceful solidarity across
the Pacific Island region:
" Whilst our Vigil has a specific focus on Fiji, we also remember
the needs of our sisters and brothers of our on Pacific Island region, including:
- Those working for disarmament
and free fair elections in the Solomon Islands
- Those committed to strengthening
of the present phase of peacebuilding in Bouganville
- We extend peaceful solidarity
to the people of Rapa Nui, commonly known as Easter Island, in denouncing an
attack on the traditional landowners by the armed forces of the Chilean government
and in seeking their legitimate claims against the Republic of Chile at
The Hague,
And all other peoples of the Pacific Island region who continue to face internal
and external conflicts"
The peace vigil group was reminded of the global necessity to strengthen our
peacebuilding efforts when following the September 11th tragedy in the United
States, the U.S. chose to bomb Afghanistan, one of the most tragic and war ravaged
countries in the world:
"The Washington Peace Center and the National Coalition for Peace and Justice
(a coalition of the nation's largest peace and justice organizations) has called
for support to join the growing international movement demanding that there
be No More Victims. At a local level, this concern for global peace and an end
to warfare, has emerged as the FIJI ANTI WAR MOVEMENT,
and in supporting the FIJI ANTI WAR MOVEMENT PETITION
we reiterate the call for:
- an end to all military
action in Afghanistan
- that the perpetrators
of the crimes of September 11th be brought to justice in compliance with international
law and procedures, and
- that strategies to prevent
future terrorist acts address the root causes of political and religious intolerance
including poverty, inequality and injustice.
THE BLUE RIBBON PEACE VIGIL also reaffirmed the need to ensure that women are
active participants in the peace making process:
"We further remind the world community, of the commitment made in THE
UNTED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION 1325 (October 2000) which recognizes
the urgent relevance of women in peace building, conflict prevention, conflict
resolution and therefore call upon all decision-makers involved in the current
peacemaking processes in Afghanistan to ensure that women are represented in
the peacemaking processes established to address the issues of concern, not
only in Afghanistan, but also in Pakistan."
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