One Billion Rising: SP again to
dance at event to urge an end to violence

February 11, 2015
Santa Paula News

With the alarming knowledge that 1 in 3 women on the planet will be beaten or raped during her lifetime and the world population estimated at 7 billion, this adds up to more than one billion victims.

But there is also One Billion Rising, the biggest mass action to end violence against women in human history that on February 14 will bring people around the world together to express their outrage, dance and rise in defiance of the injustices women suffer and demanding an end at last to violence.

Saturday, Valentine’s Day, will also be the 2nd Annual One Billion Rising event in Santa Paula, where local activists and community leaders will gather first at Ebell Park and later at the Universalist Unitarian Church to demand an end to violence and highlight how such abuse affects the entire family - and even creates those who will abuse others.

The February 14 event will start at Ebell Park (corner of East Main and 7th streets) at 2 p.m. in front of Santa Paula Theater Center where there will be a community dance performance to music/choreography composed for this global event titled “Break the Chain.”

At 2:30 p.m. the event will move east to the nearby Universalist Unitarian Church (740 E. Main St.) for a program that will include music, spoken word and speakers from local organizations engaged in front-line work with victims followed by a reception. 

Those interested in learning the dance are invited to participate Wednesday, February 11 at 7 p.m. at First United Methodist Church (133 N. Mill St.) and the Saturday morning of the event at 11 a.m. at the Universalist Unitarian Church. You can even learn the dance by visiting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJQvJNfn0kc

Loni Kate English is again an organizer of the Santa Paula One Billion Rising event with Pastor (and City Councilwoman) Jenny Crosswhite and

UU Minister Maddie Sifantus: “It’s pretty much the same team from last year plus some new recruits... we have a similar model to the one we used last year, the ‘flash mob’ dance,” a unique way to raise awareness.

Last year the dance drew a large crowd that enjoyed the dancing by men and women as well as the message of the event to rise against violence against women.

English is expecting even more dancers and participants in the One Billion Rising event this year with Lideres Campesinas and the Coalition for Family Harmony based in Fillmore taking part. 

Silvia Godinez, who coordinates a domestic violence support group in Fillmore, will speak, as will representatives from Lideres Campesinas and Interface Children Family Services.

Interface said English, will benefit from any donations made to the event.

“We have to create a larger safety net with more places and services, more safe zones for people that need help and,” noted English, “are looking for it more and more,” to escape violence.

Interface Children and Family Services is a local organization that helps families through community outreach, counseling services and violence intervention.

English said speakers will address the impacts of domestic violence on children as well as how “cycles of violence are created by domestic violence... and how we can break the cycle,” as family, friends, neighbors and the community.

Soroptimist international of Santa Paula is also sponsoring the event.

“One out of three means that we all know someone, many someones, perhaps even ourselves, who have experienced or will experience violence,” said the Rev. Michelle Magee. “We can’t undo what has happened but by coming together to work for change, we do have the power to change the future.”

The movement has raised more than $100 million and educated millions about the issue of violence against women and the efforts to end it, among other programs and projects. V-Day is also a highly rated nonprofit charity. For more information visit www.vday.org or www.onebillionrising.org

For more information about Santa Paula’s One Billion Rising event, call English at 805-207-5013. 





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