Help us making Orange actions
when the Olympic Torch continues
We should highly appreciate if you could take some Orange initiatives when the Torch arrives to your country, see list below. If you do not know the basic idea about TheColorOrange campaign, you can read about it at:
http://www.thecolororange.net/uk/page21
Until now we don’t have any groups of Orange activists around the world. But it is feasible to establish such a group. The action in Greece was carried out by just 10 activists in Denmark who decided to go to Greece and do something by themselves. That was a tremendous success. Se the report of the BBC:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T92fGP-SEVM
and photos: http://www.thecolororange.net/uk/page119
We have a network of e-mail addresses of people and organisations that maybe could back up locally, but it is needed that someone takes the initiative. If you would do the basic organization and the necessary preparation, we could send our Appeal to possible activists in your country, and then they can contact you. So it’s getting started. In fact, just a few people are sufficient to achieve a success. A small group of friends of 5-10 persons would be enough to put your country on the Orange agenda. You could also contact local organisations such as Amnesty International and the Tibet, Burma and Darfur solidarity movements, circus, theatre and music groups, sports people, politicians, etc. that might be enthusiastic about the idea.
The basic Orange idea is simple, and easy to carry out. The activists who have just been in Greece achieved a success by simple means:
- They bought a lot of used clothes and painted it orange with normal acrylic painting, mixed with about 10% latex to make it softer. But this may not be necessary. It was fun painting it. The clothes were almost luminescent with a remarkable radiation in the public space. Bright clothes can be painted orange in a washing machine. The activists had also made some wristbands and scarves of cheap orange velour shred into strips, which were handed out to journalists and the public. So at the end many were wearing some orange clothes or accessories.
- They printed a leaflet with the Appeal in English and Greek on orange paper with The Color Orange logo. A normal copier was used. They handed out the leaflets on their trip round in Athens and at the meetings with the press about the Torch Lightning ceremonies. They printed also plenty of stickers and orange visiting cards to be handed out. You find our Appeal in 17 languages at www.thecolororange.net/uk/page21.
- The Orange actions are to be completely peaceful. The activists are simply there in their orange outfit. If the police are blocking the way they simply underline that they are absolutely entitled to wear orange clothes and outfit and that no authority has the right to forbid it.
- It is of paramount importance to be accompanied by press people to prevent the police from blocking your way on a highway or some other place. Your position is tricky if nobody knows you are there, as it happened to our activists in Greece. At the end of the day the local and international press is decisive for propagating the Orange accusation against China. You can almost claim that “if an event is not covered by the press, it has not happened”. So it is essential to take contact to the press at an early stage so that they can cover the events from the very beginning. They will readily do that, as it is their job to circulate good stories.
- Our Color Orange staff in Denmark serves as a backing group sending out press releases announcing the events and describing them when they have happened. The media coverage of our actions in Greece has been overwhelming. The same can be expected in your city. We will do our best to give the local activists efficient support to boost the impact in the media.
Undoubtedly there will also in your country be a huge media interest for the Olympic events. Through a joined effort we can use the opportunity to propagate our Orange ideals about human rights and human dignity. Just a few people can achieve a convincing effect.
In our Orange Appeal for support you find this wording: “If you and millions of others, help pass on this idea together, we can create a butterfly effect blowing an orange wind over China.” - We hope you would be one of these butterflies.
We look forward to a fruitful co-operation. Send us a mail if you’re planning Orange actions, then we will forward it to other possible activists. Send us videos and photos of your actions, then we’ll upload it on our website for use of the press and as a font of inspiration for others.
Best wishes
TheColorOrange team
Banevaenget 22
DK-5270 Odense N, Denmark
Tel.: +45 6618 4058
Fax: +45 6618 4158
E-mail: contact@TheColorOrange.net
Internet: www.TheColorOrange.net
