Act Now: Channel 16 launches ‘Green Scarves For Solidarity’ Campaign
Today, 7 October 2011, is the tenth anniversary of western intervention in Afghanistan. This is a date where people will be taking stock – looking at the impact of intervention over the last 10 years. When “women’s rights” was central to the rhetoric used at the time of invasion. We need to use this date to talk about the rights of women in Afghanistan, past, present and future.
In December the international community will meet at Bonn in Germany for a peace conference where governments will make statements about their expected levels of both aid and military involvement for the next 10 years. This is a key time to make sure that women’s rights are not neglected going forwards.
Afghanistan has its own vibrant women’s movement and women are campaigning and mobilising to make sure that the international community doesn’t forget the promises that it made to Afghan women. The women’s movement in Afghanistan has long used green scarves in their campaigning to symbolise their movement – so Channel 16 in partnership with the Afghan Women’s Network is calling on people to wear green scarves in solidarity with the women of Afghanistan as part of a photo petition that we will deliver to ministers before they attend the Bonn conference. These images will also be made into a solidarity photo wall which will be taken to the Bonn Conference and erected outside the event as a visual reminder of the rhetoric of intervention and a global display of solidarity with Afghan women.
Find out more about the campaign by watching our launch video above.
Get involved today and add your voice to the many calling for the protection of Afghan women and their rights. Upload an image of yourself wearing a green scarf and make a difference by clicking here.
If you are interested in writing or blogging about this campaign there is a social media press release here.