[LINK] Off topic: Children's drawings of Love & Peace

[Fiona Campbell]

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment
- for inclusion in Red Cross food parcel drops to Afghanistan.

Please find following a copy of a letter, with permission from author, =
to the Red Cross from Peter Crisp of www.petercrisp.com.au .

Logistics are being finalised for a global campaign to include artwork =
from children aged 5-7yrs, featuring their expressions of love and =
peace, to be included with each food parcel being dropped over =
Afghanistan.

It is critical that these drawings include NO religious imagery, symbols =
or text - for the safety of those receiving them, as well as religious =
sensitivity.  The programme at this stage is only for this particular =
age group of children and in the standardised A4 size.

Such a programme will take time to filter top-down thru Educational =
departments, so you may like to initiate local schools via your own =
children or P&C or teaching communities, from the ground up.  All =
artwork at this stage can be sent to Peter at PO Box 523, Yass  NSW  =
2582.

=20
To: Dr Gill McFeat Lin
   Australian Red Cross
   73Doyle Terrace
   Chapman ACT 2611

Date: 11th October 2001



Dear Dr McFeat Lin,

 I am writing to the Australian Red Cross to co ordinate a major project =
amongst the young school children of Australia.

 The project is to ask all school children around five to seven years of =
age across Australia to draw a picture of love and friendship. These =
pictures would then be air freighted to Germany to be placed in the food =
parcels being dropped into Afghanistan.

 This I am pleased to say has already had the go ahead with the =
International Red Cross based in New York.=20

 As this request goes to you now, priority has already been given to =
this project and in Washington DC we have an immediate 10,000 cards =
being printed of children's murals which have been painted from all =
around the world.

 Instead of printing glossy artwork postcards the message of love and =
friendship would be far more powerful if it is to come as original works =
of art from children in an A4 format.

 The airdrop idea of children's artwork came from me. The concept has =
been developed by Jason Raize who is currently in Australia shooting his =
US TV Series "Keeping It Wild ".

 Jason Raize is involved with International Red Cross; his contact in =
New York is Leslie Van Sant, International Communications, International =
Red Cross.=20

 Jason Raize has also been appointed as an Ambassador for the United =
Nations by Dr Klaus Topfer, Executive Director General AND Under =
Secretary of the United Nations.=20

 With other members of the United Nations, Mr Adrian Amin Director UNEP =
New York, Mr Pierre Quiblier Deputy Director UNEP North America and Mr =
Tore Breik Director& Spokesman UNEP Headquarters Nairobi, have given us =
their support.

 It is hard to imagine what we can all do as a Nation right now but I do =
know in my heart this is something very positive.=20

 I suggested the idea to Jason whilst driving together last Monday down =
in Victoria around Bairnsdale.

 By the following day, the 8th October, we had been given a contact in =
Germany at the Air Base to make this possible. In the last 24 hours we =
have been given a major priority go ahead in Washington DC with the full =
support of the International Red Cross.

 I trust and hope that we can do something very special here in =
Australia.

 Communication of love and friendship is magic when it comes from all =
the very young members of our world communities.

 I hope Australian Red Cross will assist in this project. Airdrops are =
around 37,000 food parcels each time. The world knows these are not =
enough but it is a start which will hopefully increase as time goes by =
in the next few weeks.

 Artwork from our children, as we are well aware, must not have any =
Christian Symbol.=20

 The Centre of Islamic Studies at the ANU has highlighted to me how =
dangerous it would be for anyone to receive such a symbol of =
Christianity in Afghanistan right now.=20

 ALL THE CHILDREN'S ARTWORK WOULD HAVE TO BE CAREFULLY LOOKED AT =
REMOVING ANYTHING WHICH MAY CAUSE A PROBLEM.

 I look forward to your immediate response,

 Yours sincerely,

 Peter Crisp=20


---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mailman.anu.edu.au/pipermail/link/attachments/d763f0d5/attachment.htm

---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--