February 14, 2016 is coming soon. To a lot of people, that is St. Valentine’s Day, a day to celebrate who you like, who you love. At RAPP, we’ve honored February 14th as Love Is Respect Day, a day to celebrate all of our relationships, whether they be friendship, family, or romantic. But February 14th has also been celebrated as V-Day, a global activist movement to end violence against women and girls. Since 2012, V-Day has morphed into 1 Billion Rising, because globally, that is how many women and girls are impacted by violence and sexual assault.
One Billion Rising is a call for 1 billion people to stand together against violence and assault. While the concept of “revolution” can seem heavy to folks, there are reasons why the movement has escalated from “One Billion Rising for Justice” to “One Billion Rising: Revolution.” We see far too many examples of calls for justice go unanswered. How can we harness the energy of a day for love to a call for an end to violence? Please read the information below, from onebillionrising.org.
WHY CONTINUE THE CALL FOR REVOLUTION?
REVOLUTION can be expressed in the “for who” and “for what”. It is broad enough to include all issues, and also particular enough to be specific about issues communities want to highlight and raise. It does not diffuse focus, rather – it enhances it.
The REVOLUTION call helps sustain the focus of what One Billion Rising is – a call for CHANGE. Structural, systemic, long term change.
Systems have not changed yet, therefore the call for REVOLUTION remains urgent and necessary, to deepen what it can mean, and escalate actions around it. Major changes are still needed, particularly in ways of thinking and consciousness about violence against women issues.
REVOLUTION allows creative and artistic expressions, multi-sectoral involvement, and more importantly – provides a unique space to engage people from all walks of life. It allows the use of imagination, art and political actions – and allows everyone the freedom to localise all their campaigns.
Above all REVOLUTION can bring everyone from the personal to the political – from the “I” to the “We”. IT HARNESSES COLLECTIVE ENERGY BECAUSE IT IS HOPEFUL AND ENVISIONS POSSIBILITIES AND A FUTURE.
THE CALL FOR RISE FOR REVOLUTION 2016:
LISTEN! ACT! RISE!
Amplify the Voices of Marginalised Women
Bring National and International Focus to Their Issues
Bring New Artistic Energy to Create This Possibility
Raise Other Issues That Have Not Been as Visible
Amplify REVOLUTION as a Call for System Change
Platform Voices That Have Not Been Heard Within Local Campaigns
Call on People to RISE FOR OTHERS
Call Upon People of Privilege to Rise for Those Who are Not
Create Synergy and Connection
Continue to Call for State Accountability and Justice
Keep Highlighting the Economic Context of Women
Remain INCLUSIVE, INTERSECTIONAL and COMPREHENSIVE
Keep Connecting the BODY with REVOLUTION
Rise for Change and Equality
What will you rise for?
If you like, share on social media using the hashtags
#rise4revolution and #1billionrising
