Pick up your white poppy today!
"War is a crime against humanity. I renounce war, and am therefore determined not to support any kind of war. I am also determined to work for the removal of all causes of war." - This is the peace pledge, signed by members of the Peace Pledge Union.
We are very proud to be the only place in Southampton you can get the iconic white poppy. If you have a commitment to peacebuilding and nonviolence why not tell the world? Pick up your white poppy from us today.
The white poppy stands for three things.
They represent remembrance for all victims of war
They represent a commitment to peace
They represent a challenge to attempts to glamorise or celebrate war.
White poppies were first produced in 1933 by the Co-operative Women's Guild, a coop - like us(!), made up largely of women who had lost husbands, fathers, sons, brothers and friends in World War One. They were worried by the growing militarisation of Remembrance events and the detachment between the red poppy and the need to work for peace. The Guild's General Secretary, Eleanor Barton, called for renewed commitment "to that 'Never Again' spirit that was strong in 1918, but seems to grow weaker as years go on".
Today, white poppies are distributed by The Peace Pledge Union - the oldest secular pacifist organisation in Britain. Since 1934 it has been campaigning for a warless world. From anti bombing campaigns during WW2 to protest at the remote controlled military drone assassinations of today. Campaigning against the militarisation of Armistice Day in the 30s to the militarisation of society today.
Details for the National Alternative Remembrance Service on Sunday 8th November at midday can be found here. It will be held online, as you might expect to ensure the safety of all.
If you’d like to join the PPU, find out more about the work they do today to promote peace, or want to find out more about white poppies - visit their website.
Get your white poppy from us whilst stocks last - you’ll find them by the till. Or alternatively add one to your online order - did you know Aldous Huxley, Vera Brittain, Siegfried Sassoon and Bertrand Russell were all members of the PPU? Well there’s some reading suggestions for you right there.
Pay by donation - any profits from white poppy sales go towards promoting peaceful alternatives to war, campaigning against militarism and PPU’s peace education work.
