January 26, 2013 to be the biggest flash mob in the San Francisco Bay Area in support of V-Day's One Billion Rising Campaign

WHAT: Flash mob dances compassionate demand: “stop domestic violence and sexual oppression”
WHEN: 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 26
WHERE: Justin Herman Plaza, Embarcadero, San Francisco
WHO: Dancing without Borders, Her Rising, CODEPINK Women for Peace and National Organization of Women (NOW), V-Day
***GREAT PHOTO OPPORTUNITY!
Hundreds of Flash mob dancers, costumes, 20 taiko drummers, ethnic dancers, music

San Francisco - Using the creative “flash mob” style, about 500 students, teachers, artists, activists and community members will converge onto Justin Herman Plaza to break the chains of sexual oppression and violence against women and girls with the power of rhythm, voice and dance as part of V-Day's ONE BILLION RISING campaign. V-Day, the global activist movement to end violence against women and girls, first announced ONE BILLION RISING on Valentine's Day 2012 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. On February 14, 2013, V-Day's 15th anniversary, activists, writers, thinkers, celebrities and women and men across the world will come together to express their outrage, strike, dance, and RISE in defiance of the injustices women suffer, demanding an end at last to violence against women.

This colorful, dynamic action will be a compelling, embodied statement calling for a compassionate world free of violence and oppression. Beginning by illustrating the staggering

statistic that 1 in 3 women on the planet will be beaten or raped during her lifetime, the dance will evolve into a ritual of gender reconciliation, affirming each woman's fullness. “I believe humankind comes most alive when we're given permission to express fully and authentically who we are in our essence. The time has come to reclaim the power of dance as a means to heal our wounds, uplift our spirit and reclaim our inner and outer strength as a community. This flash mob ritual is an invitation for men and women of all ages and walks of life, to rise with dignity in the spirit of celebration, calling for a more compassionate, aware and fully embodied culture” says Magalie Bonneau-Marcil, One Billion Rising flash mob producer and founder of HerRising.org and Dancing Without Borders.

“The compassionate actions of singing and dancing en masse are powerfully effective ways to stop violence and oppression, as documented in Estonia (The Singing Revolution), South Africa (Amandla!) and other countries. We are rising to galvanize the power of these social arts to support efforts to make the world safe for women and girls,” states Rachel Bagby, J.D., award-winning social artist and founder the Full Woman project. ez.com/fullwoman

"In recent years alone, massive numbers of women – and sometimes men and boys - have suffered not only the physical trauma of rape and gender violence in war and other conflict situations, but also the shame and stigma that often leaves survivors suffering in silence", states Nancy Mancias, CODEPINK national organizer. "We need justice for victims, including prosecution of perpetrators at national, regional and international levels, and comprehensive reparation for survivors".

"I cannot think of a more brilliant way to proclaim the right to freedom from violence than to dance! We are not just dancing for women and girls in foreign lands, we dance for ourselves and our sisters here in the US where the law of the land neither includes the Violence Against Women Act nor ratification of CEDAW (Convention on Elimination of Discrimination Against Women), states National Organization for Women board member, Mona Lisa Wallace, Esq. “The US stands nearly alone among world nations, with the exception of Sudan, Iran, Somalia and Tonga, failing to ratify CEDAW, the critically important Treaty for The Rights of Women. This is a chance for everyone to be part of the change, come out and dance, sign the White House CEDAW petition (wh.gov/y0pM) and declare the human rights of women and girls."

“One Billion Rising is a campaign that belongs to all of us. Those who have worked on the issue for decades, the millions of activists who have stood up to oppose it, the more than one billion women and girls who have been directly affected by violence, and the people who will dance in the streets of San Francisco in opposition of this violence,” Sates V-Day's Executive Director, Susan Celia Swan. “The power of this flash mob will build upon the incredible momentum in 187 countries across the world where a billion people will be rising up, dancing and showing our collective strength, our solidarity across borders, and our collective rejection

of violence against women as the status quo.”

###

About the sponsoring organizations DANCING WITHOUT BORDERS is a community dance Production Company dedicated to supports social, environmental and economic campaigns.

HER RISING, an offshoot of Dancing Without Borders, bridges sacred activism, healing, and collaborative art for the common good, community building and embodied leadership. Through community weaving, we support the rise of a new life-affirming story. www.herrising.org

CODEPINK is a women-initiated grassroots peace and social justice movement working to end U.S. funded wars and occupations, to challenge militarism globally, and to redirect our resources into health care, education, green jobs and other life-affirming activities. www.codepink.org

SFNOW is an active part of the Bay Area's committed and growing feminist community. We stand together to raise and address local issues and to support national and global feminist issues. We envision a future that allows women full participation in the mainstream of American society, exercising all the associated privileges and responsibilities. www.sfnow.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. Today, on the planet, a billion women – one of every three women on the planet – will be raped or beaten in her lifetime. That's ONE BILLION mothers, daughters, sisters, partners, and friends violated. On February 14th, 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. The ONE BILLION RISING is a promise that we will rise up with women and men worldwide to say, "Enough! The violence ends now." For more information visit www.onebillionrising.org