Women in Black London calls on the UK Government to:
Ensure that visas and safe passage out of Afghanistan are provided to all who are especially at risk from the Taliban. Do not limit the numbers of Afghan refugees to arbitrary quotas, but respond to this humanitarian emergency by providing for those in need of asylum in Britain, not just the 20,000 announced on 17 August.
Support the people of Afghanistan, especially women, girls and human rights defenders from any further violations of rights and safety. Restore UK cuts to humanitarian and development aid, and increase funding and support for women-centred educational and health projects, such as Afghanaid, which was forced to end projects helping 10,500 women in rural Afghanistan with livelihoods, literacy and reproductive health information.
Cancel the DSEI Arms Fair: Plans to host the 2021 DSEI Arms Fair in London this September must be stopped. Too many countries are awash with weapons that were manufactured and sold by UK arms industries. In just the past 3 years, the UK provided £45 million worth of weapons to Afghanistan. Such weapons, along with militarism and war, have for decades made peace and justice impossible for the people of Afghanistan.
Please download and print the pdf of this leaflet, below, sign and send
To the Rt.Hon. Boris Johnson, 10 Downing St, London SW1
I agree with Women in Black’s appeal to the British Government set out above and call on you to respond to it urgently and whole-heartedly. Please act now!
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More background:
Full text of letter from Amnesty International to Boris Johnson – which you can support
https://www.amnesty.org.uk/actions/urge_PM_help_Afghanistan_crisis?from=issue
Find out how you can get involved in events to Stop the DSEI Arms Fair https://www.stopthearmsfair.org.uk/events/
Read the submission from Voices for Creative Nonviolence – Afghan Peace Volunteers to Parliament in 2020 https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/12064/html/
Support Madre to help women escape violence in Afghanistan https://www.madre.org/
Women in Black hold vigils every Wednesday between 6-7 pm at the Edith Cavell Statue, opposite the door of the National Portrait Gallery, St.Martin’s Place, London WC2. Our vigils are silent, women-only and if possible we wear black. We welcome all women who support our call for an end to militarism and war. Contact us: Twitter @WIB_London FB @womeninblack.london http://london.womeninblack.org/
Donations for leaflets most welcome