Freedom. Safety. NOW. Creative Action Against Gender-Based Violence

Saturday, January 26, 2013, noon to 1pm

@ Indian Consulate
3 East 64th Street
New York, NY

“Though we tremble before uncertain futures / may we meet illness, death and adversity with strength / may we dance in the face of our fears.” – Gloria E. Anzaldúa

Please join the women of SAWCC for a creative movement-based protest action in response to the horrific violence wrought upon Jyoti Singh Pandey in India in December 2012 and on women’s bodies everyday around the world.

We are inviting people of all backgrounds and abilities to join our effort. Here are ways you can participate:

MOVE
Take a look at our planned movement sequence, choreographed by Parijat Desai, Fariba Alam, Roohi Choudhry, Alka Dev, and Jaishri Abichandani.

If you would like to learn the sequence and join in on Saturday, here is a step-by-step tutorial:

If possible, please wear black with a red accessory—ideally red gloves.

We need volunteer leaders: If you’d like to help lead others in the movement sequence, e-mail info@parijatdesai.org.

MAKE NOISE
Learn the simple chant (1-2 FREEDOM | 1-2 SAFETY | 1-2 NOW!) and join in the chanting and clapping segment.
Bring pots/pans to bang on, cymbals or gongs to play, or bells to ring (No loudspeakers or amplifying devices). Review the videos above for information.

We need volunteer leaders: If you want to help lead others making ambient sound, and/or setting the pulse for the movement sequence and chanting, please e-mail info@parijatdesai.org.

WRITE
We are also putting together a memorial of letters from participants addressed to Jyoti and the Indian government. Text of the letters might include (but is not limited to): poetry, stories of survival, demands for safe private and public spaces, ideas for gender equality and freedom. The letters will be strung together like prayer flags and suspended on the railings outside the consulate. Please bring your letters (preferably printed on red paper) for the memorial on Saturday.

If you can’t join us Saturday but still want to support the action, you can send us your letters to studiocircle@sawcc.org. We will print them and add them to the memorial.

VOLUNTEER
We need volunteers to help with crowd management and set-up. If you are able to devote 1-3 hours Saturday morning, please contact studiocircle@sawcc.org for more information.

Please RSVP to the Facebook invite here. We look forward to sharing this with all of you!