One Billion Rising
One great way to celebrate Valentine’s Day is to support a movement working to eradicate violence against women and girls. I’ve said in my yoga workshops for a few years now that I think this is going to be the Century of Women! I see the power of women to stand up, speak up, and rise up to our full expression of equality growing by leaps and bounds.
As a case in point, last year on Valentine’s Day was the biggest mass action in human history: One Billion Rising. The campaign began as a call to action based on the staggering UN statistic that 1 in 3 women on the planet will be beaten or raped during her lifetime. With the world population at 7 billion, this adds up to more than ONE BILLION WOMEN AND GIRLS.
Events are being held across the globe to raise awareness and money for this cause. This campaign is an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of many people all over the world.
To support this great program with a donation and/or to look for events in your area, go to the website. If you live in the Sarasota, FL, area, check out this wonderful program at a local yoga studio offered by my friend Esther.
You can also sign a declaration here calling for urgent action on climate change and sustainability solutions, in the recognition that climate destabilization imposes greater burdens on women.
This is an amazing movement to be part of.
For me it follows from the philosophical teaching articulated so beautifully by Douglas Brooks:
“I am not you.
I am something like you.
I am nothing but you.”
One Billion Rising is an acknowledgement of our connection to each other. It is a magnificent and an empowering way to share our heart energy on Valentine’s Day!
Here’s more information from the website:
One Billion Rising is a global movement of the “recognition that we cannot end violence against women without looking at the intersection of poverty, racism, war, the plunder of the environment, capitalism, imperialism, and patriarchy. Impunity lives at the heart of these interlocking forces.”
It is part of the V-Day movement that began in 1998 which has raised over $100 million for the cause. It has crafted educational, media, and PSA campaigns, reopened shelters and funded over 13,000 community-based anti-violence programs and safe houses around the globe.
The movement also recognizes that the impacts of climate change on women are generally a greater burden, especially for women from low-income communities, indigenous women, and those in developing countries. The Women’s Earth & Climate Action Network (WECAN) is a “solutions-based, multi-faceted effort established to engage women worldwide to take action as powerful stakeholders in climate change and sustainability solutions.”