Statement on the September 11th, 2001 attack on New York and Washington

Women In Black New York

One year after the terrible attacks on New York and Washington on September 11th, 2001, the death toll from violence continues to rise and we are further from peace than ever.
We renew our call for national governments, international institutions, and all militants to step back from war and military aggression.
All those who perpetrate violence must be brought to justice under international law. We urge all political and military authorities to combine their efforts in seeking strategies for an inclusive, just and equal global society. Without that, we will never see peace.

Please join us for weekly silent vigils in front of the New York Public Library, 5th Avenue at 41st St to remember those lost to terrorism in the last week.

 


WOMEN IN BLACK

Women In Black New York stand in silent vigil to protest war, rape as a tool of war, ethnic cleansing and human rights abuses all over the world. We are silent because mere words cannot express the tragedy that wars and hatred bring. We refuse to add to the cacophony of empty statements that are spoken with the best intentions yet may be erased or go unheard under the sound of a passing ambulance or a bomb exploding nearby.

Our silence is visible. We invite women to stand with us, reflect about themselves and women who have been raped, tortured or killed in concentration camps, women who have disappeared, whose loved ones have disappeared or have been killed, whose homes have been demolished. We wear black as a symbol of sorrow for all victims of war, for the destruction of people, nature and the fabric of life.

Women in Black is an international peace network. Women in Black is not an organization, but a means of mobilization and a formula for action. Women in Black vigils were started in Israel in 1988 by women protesting against Israel’s Occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. Women in Black has developed in countries such as Italy, Spain, Germany, England, Azerbaijan, Colombia, and in FR Yugoslavia, where women in Belgrade have stood in weekly vigils since 1991 to protest war and the Serbian regime’s policies of nationalist aggression. Women in Black groups have formed in many cities in the United States since September 11th. Women in Black New York have been holding vigils in solidarity with our sisters throughout the world since 1993.


We stand in silent vigil in front of the New York Public Library at 5th Avenue and 41st Street every Wednesday from 5:30 – 6:30. Come join us.

Donations may be sent to P.O. Box 20554, New York, NY 10021, and should be made payable to RACCOON, Inc., with WIB in the memo line.

For information, please call Indira at 212 560-0905. E-mail 074182@newschool.edu to get on our mailing list. See also http://wib.matriz.net.

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Site Last Updated: February 13, 2003 -for site information

Women in Black