Remembrance

Remembrance

Our feelings about November Remembrance mirrors the message of our Beachy Head Peace plaque. To us it is not just a military commemoration but a time to reflect on the death and suffering caused caused to all people by all wars.

Our stall featured large white poppies for people to sign with their messages. This attracted considerable support and we finally presented the poppies to our MP Nigel Waterson - together with our agreed Statement on War which you can read here. It says that actual wars can rarely be just.

Meanwhile a few hardy souls placed a white poppy wreath on the Peace Memorial on Beachy Head, an event which made it into the local press.

Herald, November 14, 2008

White Poppy wreath for peace

FOUR Eastbourne peace campaigners laid a white poppy wreath at Beachy Head on Sunday as an alternative Remembrance Day vigil.

Angie Roche, Tania Long, Jean Farebrother and Michael Bentley carried the wreath along the UN Peace Path, before laying it at the foot of the Eastbourne United Nations Association/Eastbourne for Peace and Liberty peace plaque, installed last May at a small ceremony attended by the Mayor of Eastbourne Greg Szanto.

The White Poppy movement was founded in 1933 by the Co-operative Women's Guild.

It aims not to offend or to disrespect the deaths of soldiers commemorated by traditional red poppy Remem-brance ceremonies, but reflects a belief that war should no longer be used as a solution to international problems.

Tania Long, Angie Roche, and Jean Farebrother at the Beachy Head Peace Plaque