White Poppies are now available at Peace Hub for 2023 – pop in to get one for a donation, to wear in the run-up to Armistice Day & Remembrance Sunday. You can also take a look at our white poppy displays created by local craftivists from Bull St, Hall Green and Walsall Quaker Meetings. And have a look at our Peace Poppy Mosaics, which are now in the garden here at Bull St.
What are white poppies, and why do people wear them?
This video, made by one of our volunteers Jacob, explains:
White poppies are produced by the Peace Pledge Union (PPU) who state that:
“The White Poppy symbolises the belief that there are better ways to resolve conflicts than war, and embodies values that reject killing fellow human beings for whatever reason.”
The PPU note that over 90% of casualties in modern conflict are civilians, and ask us to “Remember Them All” – victims of all nationalities in all wars, including current wars and lesser-mentioned colonial wars of the past.
PPU suggest 10 ways to support the white poppy campaign this year.
History of White Poppies
White poppies first appeared in 1933, as concern was growing that the ‘war to end all wars’ would be followed by an even worse war. Many people felt that the best way to honour those killed and injured in the first world war was to say ‘never again’ and wore the white poppy to show their support for peace. Find out more about the history of the white poppy, and the 90th anniversary at the PPU website.
White poppies are now worn in October and November to remember all victims of war, and they also “represent a commitment to work for a world where conflicts will be resolved without violence and with justice.”
If you share this commitment, pop into Peace Hub to pick up your white poppy; or feel free to ask questions and find out more.