Activists at Rhodes University and the Grahamstown community joined hands yesterday for the One Billion Rising campaign – a global action event that took place around the world on Valentine's Day.
Activists at Rhodes University and the Grahamstown community joined hands yesterday for the One Billion Rising campaign – a global action event that took place around the world on Valentine's Day.
Locally “Rhodes Rising” was organised by Rhodes student services officer Larissa Klazinga who said more than 500 people had signed up to participate.
The day's activities included a flash mob at Church Square where a petition regarding the violence against women in the district will be handed over to a municipal representative.
This was followed by a pole dance performance at the Rhodes Theatre Café.
To top it all off, participants performed a dance to the official One Billion Rising song Break The Chains on the campus Union lawns, which will be posted on YouTube.
One Billion Rising forms part of the V-Day global activist movement campaigning against violence against women and girls.
The choice of name for the campaign is quite aptly described on www.onebillionrising.org: “One in three women on the planet will be raped or beaten in her lifetime. One billion women violated is an atrocity. One billion women dancing is a revolution.”
At a rehearsal earlier this week Sixolile Timothy, a fourth year law student, said she decided to take part in the event because she finds it difficult to find a worthwhile cause that's also fun to help.
“Everybody loves dancing and why not dance for a good cause? I want to be a part of the one billion.” Post-graduate international studies student Mbongeni Ngwenya encouraged everyone to get involved in this kind of campaign, “because if this violence stops then the world will be a better place.”
Wondering what a flash mob is?
A flash mob is when a group of people suddenly assemble in a public place to perform an act for a brief time before dispersing.
Flash mobs are usually meant to create entertainment, satire, allow artistic expression and create awareness around particular issues.
Flash mobs are usually organised via social media, emails and other telecommunication practices.
