Ulster Prevention Council Weekly Blog 2-12-13: One Billion Rising

The 2012 Ulster County Youth Development Survey data just arrived – a box crammed with disks of data. I’m digging into the numbers and I will have a lot to say about our results in the coming weeks. However, it is time to take a break – to dance!
I’m joining One Billion Rising for V-Day. What is that? Here is some information from the web site:
About One Billion Rising:
One in three women on the planet will be raped or beaten in her lifetime.
One billion women violates is an atrocity.
One billion women dancing is a revolution.
On V-Day’s 15^th anniversary, 14 February 2013, we are inviting one billion women and those who love them to walk out, dance, rise up and demand an end to this violence.
What does one billion look like? On February 14 it will look like a revolution.
One billion rising is:
A global strike
An invitation to dance
A call to men and women to refuse to participate in the status quo until rape and rape culture ends
An act of solidarity, demonstrating to women the commonality of their struggles and their power in numbers
A refusal to accept violence against women and girls as a given
A new time and a new way of being
One Billion Rising is a promise that we will rise up with women and men worldwide to say “Enough! The violence ends now!”.
I was excited to see that there are at least four events planned in Ulster County.  For details, visit www.vday.org.
Whether or not you can make it to one of the V Day events, please take the time to view the following video. It will give you a good sense of the power of the day and the movement:
http://onebillionrising.org/blog/we-have-an-anthem


Cheryl DePaolo
Director of Ulster Prevention Council