Author: V-Day

01 Apr

Posted at 16:06h in Dispatches from Beyond Incarceration, V-Day

I had the opportunity to go to the New York state capitol in Albany three times in March with Release Aging People in Prison (RAPP) to urge lawmakers not to sign onto Governor Hochul's plan to push back bail reform. It is appalling that she wants to implement the passage of her 10-point public safety plan into the budget with bail reform and rollbacks as a caveat. This controversial safety plan and budget is an insult to all advocates and activists who have diligently worked to protect the most marginalized people in our city over the past decades. [caption id="attachment_48480" align="alignright" width="320"]...

29 Mar

Posted at 17:48h in One Billion Rising, V-Day

V-Day and One Billion Rising stand in solidarity with the millions of Ukrainian women and girls who are being made more vulnerable to sexual violence in the face of Russia’s invasion and as reports grow of rape being used as weapon of war. The Ukrainian government is calling on the international community to investigate instances of rape and other forms of sexual abuse by Russian soldiers as both are considered war crimes that break international law. As reported in The New York Times, “Russian forces and Moscow-backed armed groups have been accused of perpetrating sexual violence in other conflicts — most recently involving...

07 Mar

Posted at 19:07h in Newsletter, One Billion Rising, V-Day

RISE for the Bodies of All Women, Girls & the Earth International Women’s Day Through Earth Day One Billion Rising events are taking place and will continue through 22 April, Earth Day with the 2022 theme: RISE for the Bodies of All Women, Girls & the Earth. Creative resistance events take various forms from flash mobs to documentary films, candlelight vigils to trainings with men, night walks to pride marches and more. We call on the world to hold Artistic Risings for the bodies of all women and for the ‘ultimate body’ – our earth. Using the body as your call. Using the...

18 Dec

Posted at 06:00h in City of Joy, Newsletter, One Billion Rising, V-Day

A V-Card supports the global activist movement to end violence against all women, girls & the planet and is the perfect gift for the Holidays! This year, you can make a donation to V-Day on behalf of your friends and loved ones. V-Day will send a specially designed 2021 holiday V-Card letting them know of your unique gift to them. Donations support V-Day’s work, including VOICES, the Beyond Incarceration Project, One Billion Rising and City of Joy. To send a V-Card, go to the donate page, check the boxes next to "Make this an honorary or memorial gift" and then "Send an...

03 Dec

Posted at 16:05h in Dispatches from Beyond Incarceration, V-Day

New $10 Million Women’s Re-entry Center Opens in Maine» After three years of parole supervision, New York State finally discharged me. As a free woman, my excitement brewed for my first visit to  Maine. Cheryl Wilkins and Yolanda-Peterkin Johnson accompanied me. We wanted to connect with the women in our group, Right/Write to Heal, for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women in New York and Maine and see them in person. Cheryl and Yolanda were also crucial speakers in the Abolition Night at the Strand Theater. I couldn’t have had better companions.  I admire these women for their strength and dedication to...

03 Dec

Posted at 16:01h in Dispatches from Beyond Incarceration, V-Day

On October 13, 2021, several organizations came together to protest closing the death camp; closing this death chamber has been a long-standing issue for advocates of criminal justice reform and abolitionists throughout New York State for decades. The crumbling infrastructure, the infestation of rodents,  inhumane living conditions, the onset of COVID-19, and the ongoing deplorable abuse from staff and persons in custody have resulted in far too many deaths. I remember back in 1979 being shipped off to Rikers Island at 17 years of age. I was petrified because of the stories I heard about the rapes, the rat infestation, the...

30 Sep

Posted at 20:01h in City of Joy, Newsletter, One Billion Rising, V-Day

Dearest Activist, Friends, Supporters, Saturday was an unforgettable day. One which demonstrated the true power of our solidarity as activists across the globe held actions in every region of the planet in cities as far reaching as Kathmandu, Manila, New York, Mexico City, Dhaka, Bukavu, and Rome. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for coming out, for giving your time and your hearts. Because of you, the women living inside Afghanistan felt seen and heard and know that they are not alone in their struggle. By coming out to listen, by reading their testimonies, by holding space for them and sharing...

02 Sep

Posted at 18:51h in Newsletter, One Billion Rising

One Billion Rising Taiwan, Italy, Mexico We cannot underestimate the power of our solidarity at this moment. Yesterday, activists, individuals and groups rose in global solidarity across social media channels for and with the women of Afghanistan. Using the hashtags #RiseForAndWithWomenofAfghanistan and #StandWithWomenofAfghanistan, the message was carried across 85 countries. Credit: @merno0sh; @loguiraud_foto RISE FOR AND WITH THE WOMEN OF AFGHANISTAN is a call to action developed in consultation with grassroots women leaders and activists on the ground in Afghanistan. A call to activists, supporters, allies, and elected officials to advocate for a more feminist forward foreign policy that prioritizes the...

05 Mar

Posted at 17:49h in One Billion Rising

TUNE IN & RISE LIVE Updates from International Women’s March in Santiago, Chile 8 March 2021 Follow us at facebook.com/vday and witness events live on the ground, as activists go live during the day on V-Day/One Billion Rising’s Facebook page. #InternationalWomensDay INTERNATIONAL WOMENS MARCH LIVE FROM CHILE - As Chile prepares to elect the authors of the nation’s new constitution in April, an estimated 1.5 million women will take to the streets to center their valiant voices in this forthcoming process. Self-identified women from across a plethora of civic, cultural and political spaces are set to march on the Alameda and demand equity and justice in the areas of...

04 Mar

Posted at 16:14h in City of Joy, Newsletter, One Billion Rising

One Billion Rising activists are calling for RISING GARDENS, a global grassroots action for revival, restoration and transformation, making the connection between violence against women and destruction of the earth. During the pandemic, activists are expanding their reach online as they simultaneously deepen their reach on the ground, doing community work to meet the needs of the moment. Rising Gardens actions amplify the intersectional issues of women's inequality and its impact on food insecurity, land ownership and the lack of access to healthcare, as well as the long term effects from extractive industries and the destruction of Mother Earth, and other...