Just passing this along...

[MYSONSDAD]

PLEASE BROADCAST AND DISTRIBUTE THIS MESSAGE.

JOIN IN SENDING THE MESSAGE OF EQUAL PARENTS' WEEK!
September 27, 2003 - October 3, 2004

As International Sponsor, the Children's Rights Council ("CRC")
invites people around
the world to join in Equal Parents' Week ("EPW") and unite our
voices in making the
message "The Best Parent Is Both Parents" an international mandate.  
Last year,
people in 18 states throughout the United States and 12 countries
joined to send the
message of Equal Parents' Week throughout the world!

WHAT IS EQUAL PARENTS' WEEK?

EPW is a movement which sends the message that parental rights and
responsibilities
must be shared equally by both parents. The purple ribbon is the
symbol which sends
this message.

EPW advocates that the right of both parents to function equally as
a parent, the
right of children to be raised and nurtured by both parents, and the
right of familes
to exist and function as a family, are civil and human rights
inherent and
inalienable to all families. The EPW mandate for equal parent status
is a mandate for
the time it takes to love, nurture, and teach our children our
values the only way we
can...a mandate for the ability to be a parent...and a mandate for
justice.  EPW
advocates that a 2-parent focus be established as an international
priority,
maximizing the involvement that both parents are willing and able to
contribute in
raising their children, and promoting the ability of both parents to
meet all their
children's needs without compromising or imposing financial
impediments to
nonfinancial forms of child support.

This year, EPW takes place September 27, 2004 through October 4.  
The CRC is
soliciting participation in EPW to create an international movement
that will unite
the voices of people all over the world to raise public awareness
and achieve
legislative reform to promote joint custody and shared parenting,
and address
injustices that affect parents, children and family members
everywhere.  Although the
simple act of tying a purple ribbon may seem insignificant, the
power of our message
and the power of this message being sent by purple ribbons all over
the world will
reach people everywhere. If every family member throughout the world
who cherishes
their love for their family unites their voices in sending this
message, we will send
a message so powerful it cannot be ignored.

YOU CAN DO ANY OF THESE THINGS TO JOIN IN EQUAL PARENTS' WEEK:

-  Wear purple ribbons and tie them ANYWHERE they can be seen during
EPW.  Sign up
using the link http://members.tripod.com/epweek/profile1.html
-  Hold or attend a public candlelight vigil, preferably on
Thursday, September 30 at
7:30 pm (or any other day during EPW).  Sign up using the link
http://members.tripod.com/epweek/profile1.html
- If you cannot attend or hold a public candlelight vigil, hold
a "Home Vigil" in
your home on Sept. 30 at 7:30 pm.  Sign up using the link
http://members.tripod.com/epweek/profile2.html
- Hold ANY ACTIVITY (i.e., picnics, gatherings, rallies, candlelight
vigils) on any
day(s) throughout the week, and include purple ribbons to send the
message!  Sign up
using the link http://members.tripod.com/epweek/profile1.html

AN INTERNATIONAL EVENT OF SOLIDARITY TO SEND OUR MESSAGE.
"A Moment in our Hearts, A Moment of Solidarity."

As a international event, we are asking all organizations to hold
public candelight
vigils if possible. TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE, ALL CANDLELIGHT VIGILS
SHOULD BE HELD ON
THE SAME DATE AND TIME:  Thursday, September 30, 2004 at 7:30 p.m
(as this time
occurs in your time zone, not adjusted for any other time zone)  
Please view the
"Five Candles Reading" at  
http://members.tripod.com/epweek/candlevigil.html for use
at public candlelight vigils and "Home Vigils."  Sign up to hold a
public vigil using
the link http://members.tripod.com/epweek/profile1.html

"HOME VIGILS"

We are urging all people who cannot attend a candlelight vigil or
who do not have one
taking place near them to share in "A Moment in our Hearts, A Moment
of Solidarity"
by holding their own "Home Vigil" and light a candle in their home
for at least 15
minutes, on Thursday, September 30, 2004 at 7:30 pm, the same date
and time as the
public candelight vigils will be taking place. A "Home Vigil" can be
held by anyone,
it can be held by a single person living alone, and include as many
people as you
wish, so invite your family and friends if you like.   Please use
the link
http://members.tripod.com/epweek/profile2.html to sign up to hold
a "Home Vigil".
NOTE:  Home Vigils are as important as public candlelight vigils,
because they are
very valuable in strengthening the message of EPW.  

SEPTEMBER 15, 2004 IS THE PRESS RELEASE CUTOFF.

Please contact the International Coordinator as soon as possible to
notify us of
participation in EPW, and by September 15, 2004 for inclusion in the
international
press release.  Please use the link in the EPW website
entitled "Sign Up:
Candlelight Vigils, Purple Ribbon Activities, etc."
http://members.tripod.com/epweek/profile1.html  to notify us of
participation.
Please provide ALL the information requested in the Sign Up Link
(this includes
identifying for each activity the complete address/location of the
activity; the date
and time it will be held; your organization's contact and media
contact; and the
names, addresses and phone numbers of persons holding Home Vigils).  

Please know that the voice of every person is very valuable in
strengthening the
message we want to join with you in sending all over the world, and
to help send the
most powerful message throughout each country and internationally.
Please feel free
to contact me if you should have any questions or want to discuss
anything regarding
EPW.  Please visit the Equal Parents' Week web page at
http://members.tripod.com/epweek  

On behalf of the Children's Rights Council, please accept my warmest
regards.  I look
forward to hearing from you.

Patti Diroff
International Coordinator, Equal Parents' Week
Children's Rights Council
http://www.gocrc.com/
http://members.tripod.com/epweek/
The message each purple ribbon sends is a message of
equality, responsibility, and values. The message behind
the message is one of civil rights, conscience and love.








"Children learn what they live"