A (hypothetical) March for Peace. Would you join?

[hypotheticalmarchforpeace]

If I had the organisational skills or influence (I don't) to organise a nationwide 'March for Peace', would you (hypothetically) sign up and join?

The marches which are happening are largely in support of one side or the other and the world is probably more divided than its ever been. My (hypothetical) march for peace would want to see peace-loving people from all sides walk together as human beings with the following non-partisan aims.

1. Everyone who wants to see stability, security and a thriving economy with opportunities for all, in the Middle East is welcome to join

1. The March would be calling on world leaders to dismantle/disempower militant, oppressive terror groups wherever they are found.

1. Create a safe and secure homeland for Jewish people

1. Create a safe and secure homeland for Palestinians

I obviously have very little idea on how these aims can be politically achieved but being fuzzy on the details has never stopped a March from happening before!

This is a genuine question because while I have personal views on this conflict, I actually (perhaps naively) want to live in a world where people can live free of violence and fear. For that reason I'm trying to be intentional about not adding to the division.

Is this a March you could join? What would you add to the aims (that is non-partisan)?

Also, if anyone knows how to actually organise a March like this (😂), count me in!

SharonEllis · Today 12:56

How would a peace march in Britain secure a separate homeland for Palestine and achieve security for Israel? Can you explain the mechanism by which it would achieve these aims?

I would also like to know the answer to this.

It makes no difference sadly

I would join. I wouldn’t kid myself that it would make any difference on the ground but at least it might send a message to our own political leaders. What they’d do about that message is another issue!

I actually looked for this type of march during the week but all the ones I found were aligned with one side or the other, I wanted something that just says STOP.

No, because it would probably be hijacked by trouble-makers.

Women collectively could do something. Yes it would only be a gesture but sometimes it is important to engage in futile but symbolic gestures

absolutely not, just imagining how it will be hijacked by some fat, rich, horrible hamas leadership cunt, sitting in qatar and proclaiming their terrorist fight is working

There would need to be a neutral slogan of some kind to stop this happening - I’m not clever enough to think what that could be though.

I would. Everyone can say it's naive and wouldn't 'achieve anything' - well, same goes for every other bloody reaction to this situation. Sometimes just saying what you think publicly is all you can do, and through doing that you meet others who think the same, build networks and ideas, and might slightly shift things in the direction of your values even if it's at some distant point in the future and not obvious straight away how that can happen. Also it shows people here who are affected that not everyone is cheering on the violence and polarisation.

I recently joined 'Women in Black' which has vigils in various cities and might provide a bit of what you're looking for. There are peace activists out there, including many of the veterans (is that word appropriate?!) of the Greenham Common days. The recent events and the reactions to them over here have made me much more appreciative of the importance of a pacifist and feminist approach. I guess I was previously one of the people who would have dismissed it as naive, but by a process of elimination I think it's the best stance we've got!

Yes I would march.

For those asking what good we can do here, you may as well ask the many people marching at the moment.

There are people feeling marginalised and scared in all communities in our own countries right now, we may not change the middle east but we can work for peace here.

I would join OP, I think it’s a great idea for people of all faiths ( and no faith) to march together for peace. Yes it won’t stop the current massacre, it would probably
not even be reported but it will bring people together. It’s the constant them and us that feeds hate.

From another thread
ToWhitToWhoo · Today 15:13

There are still voices for peace, despite the horrors.

www.allmep.org

www.oasisofpeace.org.uk

Tomorrow's Women - Leadership organization for young Palestinian and Israeli women (tomorrowswomen.org)

onevoicemovement.org.uk

Also on that thread

Maireas · 22/10/2023 1:00

https://www.womenwagepeace.org.il/en/
There is this women's movement for peace, a grassroots Israeli organisation, but inclusive and reaching out to a sister group in Palestine, the Women of the Sun. A tiny light in a dark sky.

Some really interesting answers!

I think in response to the question of 'what's the point?' I think you could probably say that of any protest. I've only ever been on one big national march and I don't think I attended because I thought it would change anything (it didn't!) But I felt powerless in the situation at the time and I just wanted to feel like I was doing something. It turned out to be a really lovely day and I met some great people en-route but nothing fundamentally changed.

Yes

No, absolutely not. I fully support Israel.

I don't understand these marches, tbh. It always seemed so bloody arrogant to me, UK sticking its nose into business which has absolutely fuck all to do with them. What do you think will happen? A few k of mermaid-haired twitter warriors clutching badly drawn placards and tatty flags would 'demand' peace and another sovereign legitimate country will what? Say 'oopsie daisy - yea, we'll stop the war immediately now that THE UK has spoken'. What right do you have to demand/ask for something, what business is it of yours what Israel is doing? Israel is not your colony or something. And obviously they won't care one iota about your 'marches'. Neither will the USA - the most powerful and the only actually relevant ally of Israel.

March or don't march - it won't do shit.

It reminds me of a march against Trump as soon as he was elected in...Aberystwyth, of all places. About 50 of daft woke students decided to protest against the President of the US they didn't like. In a remote corner of Wales Trump never even heard of. It's just.. Moronic.

I think lots of people have an inflated sense if our capabilities and influence on the world stage. Same as those who seem to think Rishi is just saying his personal thoughts on whats going rather than being conscripted to tow the line as PM.

Sunak is supposed to be a leader, not tow a line. Leaders leading has obviously become too weird a concept in 2023 Britain.
Of course I'd go.
I'd do it because I couldn't bear not to, knowing that if my own DC and family had died in an unjust war, i'd like to know someone somewhere cares about the injustice. To me it's about giving a few hours of your time to show you care to the victims. And at least then leaders aren't be able to justify inaction by claiming to speak on people's behalf like they always do "The people of this country are not interested, they simply want me to focus on local jobs and the economy."

Conscripted by who? He's not 'just saying his personal thoughts'. As the Prime Minister he'll have worked out a policy position with senior advisors and allies - but whose line is he towing?

Ok, lets take that at face value. How did people selling the Protocols of Zion & other Islamist & antisemitic literature in the streets of London advance the cause of peace here? How did shouting slogans for jihad & whipping up anti jewish hatred advance the cause of peace?

Everything can be hijacked and twisted by anyone with bad faith. You have no control over that. You just need to do what your conscience tells you to do. If you're not moved to march, don't march.

They didn't, but only their voices are being heard.

marching can be peaceful activism and it says to the UK government that we don’t want to clap the Israeli authorities on when they are doing this. Look at apartheid in South Africa- people speaking out around the world did make a difference.

@SharonEllis I would hope people would appreciate that these were a v small minority of people, honestly most likely people with deep issues. If it did happen, I'm v sorry. It wasn't what the march was about. There's often looters in marches too. Are we supposed to be keep quiet and never complain about anything because of looters and extremists?
Some people will have been planted too, to heighten tensions. But we can only do what we think is right.

I would rather donate to Israeli-Palestinian peace movements on the ground who are doing practical work for peace. It may seem futile, but I think they need support: https://amp.theguardian.com/world/2023/oct/22/an-atmosphere-of-fear-free-speech-under-threat-in-israel-activists-say

No. It won’t make any difference. Both sides hate each other more than they love anyone.
We should stay out if it. The opinion of people here is irrelevant.

That is just not true. There are so many lessons from Northern Ireland here. On a personal level - in my house when the IRA killed ordinary civilians, like heartbreaking stuff - my grandmother (an otherwise kind and caring woman ) used to be literally cheering them on . She’d day “ we got more of them Mary” to my mother. She had a black heart for ulster unionists and the British for various reasons. And that is basically how I was brought up. Yet we got from that attitude to peace. It seemed impossible but where where is a will there us a way and an imperfect, tentative peace continues now.