Women of Afghanistan Unite for Peace on March 8

NEW YORK, March 3 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On March 8th International Women's Day, at 10 AM, thousands of women across all of Afghanistan's provinces will raise their voices for peace.

Bpeace (The Business Council for Peace) is mobilizing international support for the Afghan women by circulating an online petition: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/afghanpeace. The petition, along with signatures collected in Afghanistan, will be presented to the Afghan women organizing this unprecedented event as well as to President Hamid Karzai and the United Nations.

Women in Kandahar, the most violent Afghan province that has experienced hundreds of violent deaths in the first two months of 2008, are gathering on International Women's Day on March 8th. These women believe only Afghans can stop the violence against other Afghans. Women in Kabul and from every Afghan province will be celebrating International Women's Day. At these gatherings they will read a message of peace in support of the brave women of Kandahar. Afghan women are standing side by side, their voices ringing out in solidarity.

The Afghan women have taken their cue from Betty Williams and Mairead Corrigan who were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1976. In the face of long- standing Irish conflict and violence, they worked to establish a grass-roots movement which gave the people of Northern Ireland a vehicle to say that they had had enough of the violence that wrecked their daily lives.

"It takes courage to organize this extraordinary gathering of women in Kandahar. These women are demonstrating their frustration with the ongoing violence in a visible way that has worked well for other countries and cultures," said Toni Maloney, chairperson of Bpeace, the organization sponsoring the petition. "Signing this online petition takes but a moment, but that moment has power. Thousands of signatures will send these Afghan women the additional emotional support they need to know that they do not stand alone."

About Bpeace

Bpeace (Business Council for Peace) is an international network of business volunteers who help women in Afghanistan and Rwanda build sustainable businesses as a bridge to peace. More jobs mean less violence(sm). (www.bpeace.org) Bpeace volunteers and staff are in daily contact with the Afghan businesswomen in its program who together employ 1,491 Afghans, who support more than 10,592 family members.

Link to online petition to support the Afghan Women's March for Peace on March 8th, International Women's Day. http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/afghanpeace