Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Yesterday, I received an email asking if I would donate copies of AGAIN for the Bethesda VDay Campaign. Of course, I said yes and then went to check out their website. I had heard of VDay before and vaguely knew of it's association with the Vagina Monologues, but I hadn't known how wide-reaching the campaign is or the varied fundraising efforts it produces throughout the country. The campaign is geared to stopping violence against women and girls around the world and promotes creative events "to increase awareness, raise money and revitalize the spirit of existing anti-violence organizations. V-Day generates broader attention for the fight to stop violence against women and girls, including rape, battery, incest, female genital mutilation (FGM) and sexual slavery."

Here is just some of the past efforts of the campaign:

"Performance is just the beginning. V-Day stages large-scale benefits and produces innovative gatherings, films and campaigns to educate and change social attitudes towards violence against women including the documentary Until the Violence Stops; community briefings on the missing and murdered women of Juárez, Mexico; the December 2003 V-Day delegation trip to Israel, Palestine, Egypt and Jordan; the Afghan Women's Summit; the March 2004 delegation to India; the Stop Rape Contest, the Indian Country Project, and Love Your Tree. In June 2006, V-Day launched a two-week festival of theater, spoken word, performance and community events called UNTIL THE VIOLENCE STOPS: NYC which invited thousands of New Yorkers to make New York City the safest place on earth for women and girls. During the two-week festival, UNTIL THE VIOLENCE STOPS: NYC welcomed 2,000 runners in Prospect Park running to demand an end to violence, witnessed 50 actresses and over 100 writers contributing their genius, time and talent to sold out events, and reached millions through media and a citywide subway and bus campaign."