Apologies Accepted
an article by Charlie

If you've been fortunate enough to visit the site sorryeverybody.com, you may have come away with a sense of the power in the internet to promote healing and solidarity. That site, put up in the immediate aftermath of the US election on Nov. 2nd, was reported here on CPNN. Since the site went up, over 6,000 apologies have been issued by Americans ashamed of the countries choice to re-elect the proponent of pre-emptive war.

Now, on a website called Apologies Accepted, the world is beginning to answer. From countries spanning the entire globe including, Malaysia, Brazil, Germany, China, and dozens of others, people are expressing appreciation and solidarity with the 49% of America who voted for change this past November.

Like it's predecessor, the site's design is simple and poignant. Over 1,200 people have decided to accept our apologies so far, an encouraging sign for Americans who enjoy what the rest of the world has to offer, and fear traveling due to the hate inspired by the war like policies of our government.

More important the sites themselves however, is the way in which the internet is transforming the ability of people all over the world to connect and organize for a common vision of peace and justice. It is sites like these, (and CPNN) that help us to see the possibilities of peace on the horizon, however distant they may appear at present.

DISCUSSION

Question(s) related to this article:

Internet for a culture of peace
how can we use it better?

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MAKING AN EFFECTIVE PEACE MOVEMENT

LATEST READER COMMENT:

Thanks for the post, curiousdwk. I think you've put your finger on one of the key issues of internet organizing - and certainly one of the most important issues for CPNN.

For a while now, the moderators and peace promoters have been discussing how to increase the scope of CPNN and how to retain visitors and get them involved (whether it be writing an article or posting a quick one-sentence response). The consensus so far has been 1.) that we need to re-think the structure of CPNN, making it more accessible and more empowering and 2.) that we need to increase our outreach to diverse groups and individuals.

Of course, how we go about this is the hard part. But, the cool thing about CPNN is that it's participatory, empowering, critical, optimistic, and all that good stuff. Most of the people I talk with about news media feel cheated and disempowered by mainstream reporting.. . ...more.

This report was posted on December 23, 2004. The moderator is David.

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