Adventures In Organizing

October breast cancer month. 

Already in the early 90’s October was dedicated to be the international Breast Cancer Month. From New York to Hong Kong, from Stockholm to Cape Town, whether in the name of Pink Ribbon, Cinta Rosada, Fenhongsidai or Ruban Rose, everywhere in the world, for almost 20 years, people have been jointly organizing activities, publishing magazines and raising money for the cause. However, breast cancer is not just a reality of October. Breast cancer is a hard reality of the entire year, of every month, of every day and even of every minute. The very same reality as any other life threatening desease that deserves the same attention and awareness.

A few years ago, my father told me when he was in pain about the beast cancer of my sister, ‘Walter, you can cover a pistol with pink flowers but it is still a pistol, a lethal threat’. And he was absolutely right. The pink that is coloring our lifes during the month of October. whether commercial or sincere, shouldn’t cover the reality of breast cancer itself. Worldwide, millions of people, women and men are suffering from breast cancer every day. And each and everyone of them feels the pain, the fear, the uncertainty, the responsibility, the loss, the essence. Let all of this being represented by this vulnerable appearing color. However, the brightness of pink at the same time stands for hope and strength of each victim to fight its personal fight. It stands for the community making this personal fight a community responsibility. It stands for all the efforts of people; fund raisers, medical staff, researchers, students, and volunteers worldwide, working together to find the cure. It stands for the industry proving its responsibility towards products and ingredients. It stands for equal fundamental rights for all breast cancer survivors whether born in richness or in poverty anywhere on mother earth.

Pink Ribbon stands eventually for one thing that makes Pink Ribbon unique, a world wide solidarity of people and breast cancer organisations to stand together. We therefore dedicate October 2009 to the solidarity of all people. Let’s fight together!

Walter Scheffrahn
Founder Pink Ribbon Inc.