One Billion Rising

By Gemma Cleanslate

Valentine Day, the day of love I suggest you save a lot of time to visit a much needed event being held all over the world in real-life and here in Second Life again for the 8th year, One Billion Rising

“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.

Every February, we rise – in hundreds of countries across the world – to show our local communities and the world what one billion looks like and shine a light on the rampant impunity and injustice that survivors most often face.  We rise through dance to express joy and community and and celebrate the fact that we have not been defeated by this violence. We rise to show we are determined to create a new kind of consciousness – one where violence will be resisted until it is unthinkable.

And we here in Second Life can be part of this global movement.SOLIDARITY! RISE FOR REVOLUTION!

This year, One Billion Rising Revolution is giving sharper focus and visibility to the exploitation of women, and to harnessing even stronger global solidarity to demand an end to violence in all forms.”

The four regions are filled with elegant and thought provoking builds by artists of SL  with that focus on exploitation visible in their visions . The dirt path around the perimeter will take you to all of them. Step inside and  experience the messages in the creations. There will be poetry and prose events during the day , and it will be open and active for  24 hours, beginning at 12am slt this morning . It will continue until 11:59 tonight. I believe the builds will be there for a second look for a day or so more. 2LEI has an extensive build filled with the art of many pieces to view and is always busy .

I took a tour of all the wonderful sites and stopped in at one of the entrances where I found two of the leads, Saffia Widdershins and Kess Crystal still preparing . I passed some of the artists also feverishly at work on their projects. The picture above is the installation of Daark Gothly called Raise the Vibration where you can become part of it by hopping on a dance pad and joining in.

The open areas surrounding the Mainstage are adorned with builds for roaming and exploring the peaceful quiet or listening to poetry and prose events. Take a walk to see all that the leads have put in place for your enjoyment. Check out the new dance that was prepared for this year, 2020. This is the first one that I am not participating in to my chagrin. 



(click here if the video does not play)

Thanks to the sponsors of the regions : PrimPerfect, etham, Seraphimsl.com, Lusch Audio, Eclipse Magazine, Sway, Glam Affair, Instituto Espanol, Tableau Vivant, Music Speaks Management, COCO, Ghee, Xi Delta Psi Sorority, Sisters of Mayhem MC.

And many thanks to all the leads and staff that put it all together again..! you can learn much more here on the website https://onebillionrisingsl.wordpress.com/about-obr-2/  and begin your tour here at an entrance  http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/OBR%20Unite/71/68/23

Gemma Cleanslate

Serious Request

By Wesley Regenbogen

Serious Request is a Dutch charity/fundraising event that collects Linden Dollars for a real life project. Every year there’s a different real life project behind Serious Request. This year’s project is “Hands Off Our Girls”, which is a project against the sexual abuse of women and girls in countries where there are conflicts. The project started on December 13 th, 2014 and will go on until December 21, 2014.

This real life project behind Serious Request is interesting, because it makes people aware of the problems in real life and they collect virtual money in Second Life and they donate it to the real life project after the event is done.

During the eight days 24/7, the DJs that volunteer for this project take requests. But in return they ask you to donate Linden Dollars for Serious Request. Once you donated the amount you wanted to donate, the DJs will play the song that you requested. The DJs stay the whole 8 days within the Glass House.  Every evening ( Dutch/Belgian time zone ) there is a live artist that performs at the stage behind the Glass House ( Glazen Huis in Dutch ). But aside that they also have auctions and contests and much more. All for a good cause in real life.

The sim that is created for Serious Request is called “sim Limburg3," created and owned by Quistis Shippe. It’s a Dutch sim, so the language spoken is Dutch, mostly. But also if you speak English, they will speak English to you, so don’t worry about it.

In my personal opinion, this event and the whole project is awesome and I will donate the Linden Dollars that I get from this article and an interview that I will be doing with the creators of the event. Although this is a very well known event by the Dutch residents in Second Life, I hope that more people get to know this event and the project behind it.

You can find the Glass House and the Serious Request location here :

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Limburg3/129/114/21

The website of Serious Request is only available in Dutch, though, it can be found at :

http://www.seriousrequestsl.nl/
A full list of the team behind Serious Request can be found here : http://www.seriousrequestsl.nl/organisatie/

Wesley Regenbogen

Scenes from One Billion Rising 2014

Friday February 14, 2014 was the day of the Second One Billion Rising event in Second Life. The OBR blog (link) described the event across the world, "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 RISING FOR JUSTICE is a call to women, men, and youth around the world to gather safely on 14 February 2014 outside places where they are entitled to justice – court houses, police stations, government offices, school administration buildings, work places, sites of environmental injustice, military courts, embassies, places of worship, homes, or simply public gathering places where women deserve to feel safe but too often do not."

The event in Second Life took place across four OBR sims. Among the greeters was SL Newser's Gemma Cleanslate, who look a number of pictures.

 There were poetry and open mike events.

 There were also music and dance events with inspirational songs.

 Earlier, Gemma had taken some pictures of art exhibits (link). During the event, Bixyl Shuftan showed up and took a few more.

 One art exhibit from the outside looked like a box with the symbol for women.

The inside was a bit spooky, dark and forboding with the dark outlines of dozens of figures around a lone female, illuminated in a glass cage.

For more information, check the following links:

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/One-Billion-Rising/493344827375934
Second Life Group: One Billion Rising
Twitter Stream: https://twitter.com/OBRinSL
Flickr Group: http://www.flickr.com/groups/2169739@N23/

One Billion Rising for Justice page: http://www.onebillionrising.org/

Pictures from Gemma Cleanslate and Bixyl Shuftan

16 Day Womens' Rights Festival in Second Life

Second Life's grandest Women's Right festival spans 16 days of live music, art, and talks gridwide! TODAY! JOIN US! SCHEDULE BELOW! VISIT Afghan Womens Museum - Learn Truth About Womens Rights!

Location: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Four Bridges Exhibit/117/125/641

OFFICIAL SITE: 16 Days of Activism in SL (http://16daysactivismsl.wetpaint.com/page/Schedule+of+Events)

Tuesday, 30 November, 2010

10AM SLT -- Tommie Scorpio performs -- Four Bridges Main Stage

1PM SLT -- animorf Kawadias speaks on "Gender Violence It Affects Everyone, Even You. (Violence among the LGBT Comunity, Adults and Youth )."

animorf Kawadias is the founder of the The SL LGBT Alliance Bridge -- Four Bridges Main Stage

Wednesday, 1 December, 2010

World AIDS Day

5PM SLT -- Ren Stonecutter -- Paper on the subject of AIDS- Four Bridges Main Stage

Thursday, 2 December, 2010

2PM SLT -- Tone Uriza performs -- Four Bridges Main Stage

3PM SLT -- Juel Resistance performs -- Four Bridges Main Stage

4PM SLT -- Andreus Gustafson performs -- Four Bridges Main Stage

Friday, 3 December, 2010

8:30AM SLT -- Any1 Gynoid, Book Launch and Interview: "Communities of SL" -- NonProfit Commons

Chapter 5 covers Secrets of SL Activism - Power Organizing Skills!

Chapter 6 covers Citizen Journalism Activism - Power Blogging Skills!

Download Free SL Book!

10AM SLT -- Winters Kanto performs -- Four Bridges Main Stage

1PM SLT -- Ellie Brewster, "Is there a connection between violence against women and environmental destruction?" -- Four Bridges Main Stage

2PM SLT -- SLLU Feminist Network Anti-Fashion Show -- SLLU Feminist Network, Flagg

5PM SLT -- Terrylynn Melody performs -- Four Bridges Main Stage

8PM SLT -- Kitty Zeddmore performs -- Four Bridges Main Stage

Saturday, 4 December, 2010

6:30AM SLT -- any1 Gynoid -- Activist Citizen Journalism - Free Class -- Any's Classroom

Learn to Report and Blog about 16 Days Campaign in SL! Spread the Word!

11AM SLT -- Opening of Artistide Despres's Art Installation, Deaths of Juarez -- Four Bridges North

Over 420 women were raped and killed mysteriously in Ciudad Juárez, a Mexican border city of the United States. None of these crimes has yet been solved. The local government, apparently overwhelmed by the magnitude of these events, has thrown up its hands. Security measures and protection for women are conspicuous by their absence. And in response, women are mobilizing once again.

12 Noon SLT -- "Walk in Her Shoes -- Are You Man Enough?" -- March From Deaths of Juarez

Men march in support of women . . . in pink high heels!!
March From: Deaths of Juarez
March To: Garden for Change

1PM SLT -- The Women Monologues, with Paulette Felissimo, Truellie Telling, TheDove Rhode, Siri Vita, Medora Chevalier, and Explorer Dastardly -- Garden for Change

Storytelling, from a woman's perspective.

2PM SLT -- Men's Roundtable: Role of Men in the Elimination of Violence -- Garden for Change

Featured Panelists: Xikotenkatl Ethaniel, Ren Stonecutter, Uri Morpork, and Cotton Thorne

Sunday, 5 December, 2010

6:30AM SLT-- any1 Gynoid -- Secrets of SL Activism! Organizing for SL Activists - Free Class -- Any's Classroom

Learn Power Activist Organizing Skills for SL! Change the World!

11AM SLT -- Alexjo Magic, "The Impact of Israeli Occupation on Palestinian Women" -- Four Bridges Main Stage

12 Noon SLT -- Millay Freschi, "Women in Science and Technology, and Social Justice" -- Four Bridges Main Stage

Monday, 6 December, 2010

21st Anniversary of the Montreal Massacre

Vigil for the Victims of the Montreal Massacre at Deaths of Juarez

Tuesday, 7 December, 2010

11AM SLT -- SonyaJevette Charisma performs -- Four Bridges Main Stage

1PM SLT -- Brendan Shoreland Benefit Concert Against Violence Against Women -- Four Bridges Main Stage

2PM SLT -- Poets Against Women's Violence - Serene Bechir (Moderator) -- Four Bridges Drum Circle

5PM SLT -- Kitzie Lane performs -- Four Bridges Main Stage

6PM SLT -- Dann Numbers performs -- Four Bridges Main Stage

Wednesday, 8 December, 2010

2PM SLT -- Jenele Levenque presents "Violence against Transgender Communities" -- Four Bridges Drum Circle

3PM SLT -- Josina Burgess, "Liberation of the Feminine Species," an exhibit of sculpture and photography -- Four Bridges Main Stage

Introduction by the artist, followed immediately by an Open discussion on the power of art with SL women artists.

Thursday, 9 December, 2010

12PM SLT -- Ayjla Onmura -- Four Bridges Main Stage

2PM SLT -- Vincent Mericks performs -- Four Bridges Main Stage

Friday, 10 December, 2010

International Human Rights Day

12PM SLT -- Closing Day Ceremonies with The Light Show, featuring Medora Chevalier, Junivers Stockholm, Sunshine Vayandar, Jeanette Janus, and Southern Riptide -- Garden for Change

1PM SLT -- Arimo Teixera performs -- Four Bridges Sky Beach

3PM - 5PM SLT -- U2inSL TRIBUTE CONCERT! -- Four Bridges Main Stage

Amnesty International-E and the organizers of the 16 Days event are proud to present U2inSL on International Human Rights Day at the Four Bridges Main Stage. U2inSL is a roleplay group existing in support of the War Child, One Campaign, Make Poverty History, African Well Fund, Music Rising & others. No money is made by the band.The group is not affiliated with the real U2. U2 is a registered trademark owned by U2. Bono is a registered trademark owned by Bono/Paul Hewson.All rights reserved. No infringement intended." They will begin their stream of awareness at 3pm and the concert will begin at 4pm.

5PM SLT -- 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence Closing Keynote by Millay Freschi, Director of Amnesty International-E -- Four Bridges Main Stage

MAJOR LOCATIONS

Four Bridges Main Stage

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Four Bridges Project/123/241/24

Afghan Womens Museum

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Four Bridges Exhibit/117/125/641

Free Activism Classes @ NCI

http://slurl.com/secondlife/NCI+Dream+Seeker/156/206/34

Four Bridges Sky Beach

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Four+Bridges+Project/222/217/408

Garden for Change

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Garden+for+Change/211/206/28

Dead of Juarez (Les Mortes de Juarez)

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Four Bridges North/83/114/2

any1 Gynoid
(article originally on CNN)