Please scroll down this page for: the peace vigil themes and focus, core messages for all of the vigils, small message slips to hand out at the vigils, and some other suggestions for placards and banners. Information about the peace vigil series and links to vigil details, locations and times, as well as to photos of the vigils that have already been held, are available here.

Vigil themes and focus - The peace vigils have three themes: remembrance of all of the casualties of war and of war resisters, ending war as a response to conflict, and promoting peace. There are four core messages that will be the same at all of the vigils, including the central message 'Honour the war dead by ending war', which unites the three themes.

Messages for placards and banners, and message slips to hand out

Message slips to hand out: you can print these message slips on A4 (eight per sheet) paper or light card.

Posters: The posters below are A4 size - you can either have them printed as A0, A1, A2 or A3, then tape to card or corflute; or use the text to make your own banners and placards.

• Honour the war dead by ending war - black text on white - white text on black
• We remember all the casualties of war - black - blue
• We remember all the war resisters - black - blue
• Build peace, cherish people, protect the planet - black - blue
• Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every missile fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. (US President Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1953) - poster, this will fit better on a banner, rather than a placard

The posters below are A4 size - you can either have them printed as A0, A1, A2 or A3, then tape to card or corflute; or use the text to make your own banners and placards.

• Disarm now for peace on earth - black - blue
• Demilitarise to protect the planet - black - blue
• Peace cannot come from the barrel of a gun - black - blue
• Welfare not warfare - black - blue
• Peace to heal our land, peace to heal all lands - black - blue
• Resist war for peace on earth - black - blue
• 1915 - 2015: 100 years of thinking war works - black - blue

The posters below are A4 size - you can either have them printed as A0, A1, A2 or A3, then tape to card or corflute; or use the text to make your own banners and placards.

• Violence never solves conflict - black - blue
• Peace, hope and love - black - blue
• Choose peace not war - black - blue
• Family violence is not okay, but war is? - black - blue
• No war will end all wars - black - blue

These message slips to hand out at the vigils are courtesy of Golden Bay Quakers - print 18 per A4 sheet, then cut to size.

• Build peace, cherish people, protect the planet - black text - blue text
• Peace to heal our land, peace to heal all lands - black text - brown text

Please email Peace Movement Aotearoa if you have other suggestions for peace vigil messages.