International Peace Day

Wearing white poppies accomplishes nothing.

jingl maybe the white poppy people would suggest that we don't sell arms to the Saudis or anyone else for that matter?

Nothing against promoting International Peace Day, btw, but in a more general and non-personal way such as telling people when it is, what events are on and why.

Like jings though, I think that unfortunately there are times when military action is the only option. Extremists do not want to negotiate; they want to cause mayhem, terror and destruction and to sieze power.

Hear, hear to Alexander Pope's "Do good by stealth and blush to find it fame".

It seems advertising one's doing good is the fashion now though. That doesn't sit well with me and I can't help thinking "virtue signalling" (it's like an ear worm that phrase!) when I encounter it. That and "blatant attention-seeking".

Sorry, but that's the truth, especially on a public forum like gransnet. Talking to one's very close friends about what one's doing is different and okay, I reckon.

grannyactivist may I ask you if you know what the the white poppy people suggest doing about the destruction of Syria and it's occupants, and the likelihood of the same thing happening to Yemen?

ga, Changing the subject slightly. How did you feel when your daughter married a military man? I only ask because I come from a military family on one side and pacifists on the other. It has led to discord in the past which is in danger of rearing up again now that our eldest DGS is thinking of following his father into the Navy.

I hope your talk about peace did some good grannyactivist. I, however, believe that there can come a time when war is necessary.

I myself like that saying, "The greatest pleasure in life is to do good by stealth and have it discovered by accident". Nonetheless, congratulations on all the amazing good things you do.

I'm all for action where one can make a difference for others. Not so keen on the talking bit. It seems a bit missionary-like and I'm never sure enough that my viewpoint is the right one to start trying to get others to join in the activism by doing stuff like giving talks.

I still love my convent school motto: Action Not Words. I suppose the nuns thought praying was action too, though I have never thought that. Deep thought and meditation maybe... if it helps one to get off one's butt and do stuff.

Very much so....

You're an inspiration grannyactivist

Sorry; I forgot to answer the question about where the money from sales pf peace poppies go.
'Money raised over and above the cost of producing, publicising and distributing the poppies goes to fund our education and campaigning work, thus promoting nonviolent approaches to conflict and challenging militarism.'
www.ppu.org.uk/whitepoppy/01white_faq.html

The day for me is one of reflection and positive action - I gave a talk today about peace and as an illustration I described how, as a family, we responded to my son in law being killed in action in Afghanistan by fostering two Afghan teenagers. You can call it posing or virtue signalling jingl - but my (albeit limited) understanding of 'virtue signalling' is that the term is applied to people who talk about, but take take no action in, making things better. There is a clue in my name; I would say that I am a peace activist jingl - and marking this day is part of my activism.

I don't wear a white poppy, but I don't object to anyone else wearing one.
Unfortunately white poppies, prayers or anything else will not bring world peace.?

Do ISIS and al Qaeda cooperate?

Al Qaeda are Sunnis I think. Not sure about Isis

We shall see, but Russia has a firm, and to them, vital footholds in Syria which they're not going to give up unless they're physically made to, and how do we do that?!!

Yes - and untouched in parts of Damascus where people still go about their business and Assad rules supreme

The reality is that if the UN does not succeed then the refugee crises will grow and grow. What to do? What a nightmare.

That I'm afraid is the reality.

Russia perceives the West as weak and vacillating, this is why they do as they please, when they please knowing that there is nothing any of us can do, and that we will almost certainly never confront them except verbally! As if they care about that!!

Where does the proceeds from the sale of the white poppies go? I know, of course, the British Legion uses the proceeds from the red poppies to take care of war wounded, and families left behind.

Amen to that Lost

'I suppose some relatives of war dead might feel comforted knowing that some people are thinking about their losses 'out loud' (wearing the badge, talking about it, etc), so to speak.'
...yes, I think they might....

I don't think Russia is remotely afraid of the US! They're completely ruthless, devious and with very different ideas and attitudes to the West. The destruction of Syria is reminiscent of Europe at the end of WW11. The starving displaced children/people, devastated cities and countryside. Easter European countries were more afraid of the Russians, their liberators, than they were of the Germans. As for the Germans, what happened to them courtesy of the Russians, is too horrible to talk about, thus their desperation to surrender or escape to an American/British/French Zone. Make no mistake the Russians are ruthless and to be greatly feared. I am old enough to just remember it.

I have never been so distressed about war as now - because it's played out in front of our eyes with all the complications of refugees and countries with their own ,agendas.
To see starving dying children in Yemen and injured children In Syria and refugee children with fear In their eyes - and Then There are all those westerners who lack compassion particularly on Daily Mail website and think every Muslim is a potential terrorist young or old male or female.who think people fled their countries crossed oceans for the sheer hell of it - yes there are economic migrants but they all flee countries with corrupt regimes wher they have little chance of a good life-
World Peace day - ? there will always be war and but it is so multi layered and complicated now
The UN can't sort it
The aid convoys are bombed intentionally by someone The medical facilities targeted
The people left are starving in the ruins of Syria whilst Assad
The countries involved won't sort it.its not in their interest to end the war.
The major powers are not to be trusted
You can wish for peace - there's nothing wrong with that because we are very fortunate but we are powerless and it won't happen - and wars wil continue to rage till the world stops turning .
Of course we want peace -to give children back their future -War takes everything from everybody in the end .

Must be such a nightmare to have bombing planes roaring overhead. Terrifying.