Berkshire County Joins ONE BILLION RISING Today

Today, February 14, 2013, Berkshire County will join with activists around the world for ONE BILLION RISING, the largest day of action in the history of V-Day, the global activist movement to end violence against women and girls.

Organizers all across Berkshire County are planning February 14 events to strike, dance, and RISE, demanding an end at last to violence against women.

In North Adams, Mayor Richard J. Alcombright will issue a Proclamation honoring The Elizabeth Freeman Center of The Berkshires and declaring today, February 14, 2013, as "One Billion Rising Day."

1:30: Miss Halls school in Pittsfield perform the dance together as a community.
4pm: Flash mob in front of Scruti on Railroad Street in Great Barrington.
6pm-9pm: ONE BILLION RISING 10x10 Upstreet Dance Party Upstairs at Spice Dragon on North Street in Pittsfield.

"When you watch the ONE BILLION RISING video, in three short minutes you see the painful, common acts of violence women experience all over the world, and then you are swept with the passion and determination of women rising to act against it, even within the face of it. Think about it, one in three women in this world are beaten and raped, and our community is not immune", says dance party organizer Nina Molin, MD. "It has to stop and we all must participate."

ONE BILLION RISING began as a call to action based on the staggering 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. One billion women violated is an atrocity. One billion women dancing is a revolution. For more information go to onebillionrising.org.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS FOR DANCE:

6:00pm-6:30pm
Arrive
Get a drink and some food
Watch One Billion Rising Break the Chain video in anticipation of learning the Dance

630PM
Welcome by Janis Broderick of the Elizabeth Freeman Center
Eve Ensler RISING Read by Kristen van Ginhoven of WAM Theatre
One Billion Rising Video
Break the Chain Dance with Karen Allison

7:45PM
Three Staged Readings from I Am an Emotional Creature by Eve Ensler
Read by Leandra Sharron, Alyssa Breguet and Harryet Candee

8:30PM
Door Prizes Announced!

Throughout the evening:
Dancing with DJ Fern
Make your own T-Shirt for the Elizabeth Freeman Center Clothesline Project
Cash Bar

This is one of the launch events for the 10x10 Upstreet Art Festival running in Pittsfield, February 14-24.

ONE BILLION RISING 10x10 Upstreet Dance Party will take place on Thursday, February 14, 2013, 6pm-9pm at Upstairs @ Spice Dragon, 297 North Street, Pittsfield, Mass. COST: $10. HOW TO GET TICKETS FOR THE 6pm DANCE: In Person: Bagels Too or Bisques, Beads and Beyond; Bagels Too, 166 North St Pittsfield, MA 01201; Bisques, Beads and Beyond, 141 North St Pittsfield, MA 01201. Phone: 1-800-838-3006. Web: http://onebillionrising10x10upstreetdanceparty.bpt.me.

To see a current list of Berkshire County events go to www.facebook.com/WesternMaRising/events and click on Western MA Rising @ Berkshires or go to onebillionrising.org and click on 'find a rising near you'.

One in three women on the planet is raped or beaten in her lifetime. That is ONE BILLION WOMEN violated. One billion daughters, mothers, grandmothers, sisters, lovers and friends. On 14th February 2013, V-Day's 15th Anniversary, we are inviting ONE BILLION women and those who love them to WALK OUT, DANCE, RISE UP, and DEMAND an end to this violence. ONE BILLION RISING will move the earth, activating women and men to dance across every country. V-Day wants the world to see our collective strength, our numbers and our solidarity across borders. Join V-Day and ONE BILLION RISING today and SAY NO to violence against women and girls. To sign up and learn more, visit www.onebillionrising.org.

V-Day is a global activist movement to end violence against women and girls that raises funds and awareness through benefit productions of Playwright/Founder Eve Ensler's award winning play The Vagina Monologues and other artistic works. In 2012, volunteer activists ran over 5,800 V-Day benefit events in the U.S. and around the world, educating millions of people about the reality of violence against women and girls. To date, the V-Day movement has raised over $90 million and educated millions, crafted international educational, media and PSA campaigns, reopened shelters, and funded over 14,000 community-based anti-violence programs and safe houses in Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti, Kenya, South Dakota, Egypt and Iraq. Over 300 million people have seen a V-Day benefit event in their community. V-Day has received numerous acknowledgements including Worth Magazine's 100 Best Charities, Marie Claire Magazine's Top Ten Charities, one of the Top-Rated organizations on Philanthropedia/Guidestar and Great Nonprofits. V-Day's newest campaign is ONE BILLION RISING which will culminate on February 14, 2013 with a global action worldwide. For more information, visit www.vday.org.

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