Blue Ribbon - Usage As An Awareness or Activism Ribbon

Usage As An Awareness or Activism Ribbon

Blue ribbons have been used as awareness ribbons for numerous different causes. Notable examples:

• Against child abuse. The National Exchange Club’s national project, the Prevention of Child Abuse, was adopted in 1979 with the encouragement of National President Dr. Edward North, Jr., a physician from Jackson, Mississippi, who observed increased incidences of abuse through his medical practice. The emblem of the project is a blue ribbon. The club sponsors numerous Blue Ribbon Campaigns and Child Abuse Prevention Month in April. In the wake of the Penn State child sex abuse scandal, the Penn State Nittany Lions football team announced that they will wear a blue ribbon to support child abuse victims.
• The "Blue Ribbon Online Free Speech Campaign" is an online campaign by the EFF endorsing the protection of free speech on the Internet.
• The blue ribbon is internationally used to spread awareness of chronic fatigue syndrome
• Anti-smoke campaigns. In Canada, it is the symbol of an anti-tobacco, anti-second hand smoke campaign. It has the same meaning in Japan. Students of the Hugh Boyd Secondary School in Richmond, British Columbia started the "Blue Ribbon Campaign" in 1999. Each year it has grown and now has taken on a national scope. Singapore is the first country in the region to adopt The Blue Ribbon initiative started by the World Health Organisation Western Pacific Region, on a nationwide scale with 10 markets and food centres.
• In the U.S., a blue ribbon is the symbol of prostate cancer and colon cancer awareness.
• Against child beating. In the U.S.A., a Blue Ribbon Campaign against child abuse originated in the spring of 1989 when Bonnie Finney of Virginia tied a blue ribbon to her car antenna, as tribute to her three year old grandson, Michael Bubba Dickinson, who died at the hands of his abusive mother, Belinda Finney Dickinson and her boyfriend. Both were convicted, however, she on the lesser charge relate to child-neglect and abuse, and he on the full murder charge. The blue color of the ribbon symbolizes the color of bruises.
• In the UK, a blue ribbon can be the symbol of testicular cancer awareness.
• In Spain, a blue ribbon (lazo azul) was used since 1993 by those opposing the terrorism of ETA.
• In Ukraine, a blue ribbon represents solidarity with President Viktor Yanukovych, support for the "Party of Regions" (Ukrainian: Партія регіонів) and protest against what is perceived as the seizure of power by Viktor Yushchenko during the Orange Revolution in December 2004.
• The blue ribbon was used in the Cedar Revolution in Lebanon in 2005, the movement to end perceived Syrian hegemony over Lebanese politics.
• In regard to Australian Politics the term "blue ribbon" refers to an electorate, state, or area that is considered safe for the conservative Liberal Party. This term can also be applied to the Conservative Party which shares the same ideology and traditional colour of the Australian Liberal Party.
• In Israel, blue ribbons indicate support for the Israel unilateral disengagement plan of 2004, as opposed to orange ribbons, which indicate opposition. It is intended to invoke the flag of Israel.
• In Japan, a blue ribbon is a symbol against abduction by North Korea. It symbolizes the Sea of Japan, between Japan and Korea.
• In the Philippines, there is a Blue Ribbon Committee in the Philippine Senate, a committee that serves as an oversight to government accountability and investigations against corrupt officials.
• In spring 2007, thousands of World bank employees started wearing blue ribbons as a symbol of support for the cause of good governance. This was seen as a silent protest against World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz, who had to step down several weeks later due to charges of nepotism.
• In the United States, the blue ribbon (and awareness bracelet from CCFA) are used to signify Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, colorectal cancer, and associated gastrointestinal diseases.
• In the United States of America, a blue ribbon is a symbol for remembrance of fallen police officers. The ribbons are displayed by the survivors of fallen police officers and are very symbolic of the COPS organization, Concerns Of Police Survivors. In Australia, a blue and white checkered ribbon is commonly used.
• In Sweden there is a temperance organization with the name "Blå bandet" (The Blue Ribbon).
• In the US town of Enterprise, AL on March 1st, 2007 a tornado destroyed Enterprise High School and part of the city killing 8 students and 1 Enterprise resident. A Blue ribbon with a White ribbon is used (the schools colors) to commemorate the loss of life that day. Other ribbons are blue with white lettering, often stating "We Will Never Forget 3-1-07".
• In the city of Belleville, Ontario, the blue ribbon is used in the Violence Awareness and Random Acts of Kindness campaign.
• A blue ribbon is also the ribbon used for awareness for the disease of neurofibromatosis.
• A blue ribbon is used for awareness of bullying.