One Woman Army

Reclaiming Peace

I am in awe of women.

I don’t know if I can truly express this awe. I am full of emotion. I have no words. My heart swells.

Last night was night #1 of the 2007 production of The Vagina Monologues.

I have been involved with the V-Day movement for several years now, and yet, each year, I am consistently made aware anew the intense amazing power of women. As our host says, “V-Day is a catalyst. A spirit. An energy”. Stories are overwhelmingly revealed. Stories are shared. Experiences are told. Tears fall. Laughter is heard in the darkness of the theatre, coming full-bellied out of the audience, the women on stage. Secrets, untold and hidden - are revealed and trusted.

The work of women is so often hidden, unspoken. The experiences of women are unspoken. But that is what The Vagina Monologues is about - making the unspoken, the hidden, the shameful, the secret - spoken all again.

Giving a voice to those who have not previously had a voice.

This year V-Day is focusing on Women in Conflict Zones. V-Day is envisioning a new world. We are Reclaiming Peace.

From the V-Day website:

“In 2007 the V-Day Spotlight addresses Women in Conflict Zones because war exponentially increases the crimes of violence against women and girls. In equal measure the strength and resilience of women in rebuilding their communities and leading governments to peaceful solutions needs to be celebrated.

For women, not just during war but for decades to come, armed conflict means escalated military, sexual, and domestic violence, lack of security as a displaced person or refugee, and vulnerability to sex traffickers and coerced prostitution even by the peacekeepers themselves. Given the 21st century’s escalating armed conflicts, impunity for wartime sexual violence cannot be tolerated. As patterns of wartime rape and sexual violence continue today in places such as Sudan, Congo, and Iraq, it is paramount to expose and condemn these crimes through international media coverage and public outcry and efforts in our communities themselves.

V-Day first took aim at wartime sexual violence with the 2002 Spotlight: Afghanistan Is Everywhere, followed by the 2005 Spotlight: Women of Iraq: Under Siege, and the 2006 Spotlight: The Global V-Day Campaign for Justice to ‘Comfort Women.’   Our 2007 Spotlight will continue to ensure that wartime sexual violence remains in the media and public eye.”

Tonight is another amazing, beautiful night. I can’t wait.

To find a V-Day production in your community visit V-Day. Benefit productions of The Vagina Monologues are going on until March 8th.

13 Reasons to Eliminate Tuition Fees: Thursday Thirteen #4

This is my Thursday Thirteen in response to the National Day of Action that was held on Wednesday February 7th. Hey hey, ho ho, tuition fees have got go! That’s right, I was a-marching out in full force on Wednesday, joined with students across Canada. Here in St. John’s, we even had the pleasure of Premier Danny Willams presence, who decided to join in and respond to students - citing his “sympathies” and that “he is listening and will be responding” come this next budget. Promising! I’d hope for nothing less in a province that has had a tuition freeze for several years.

Without further adieu, here is my Thursday Thirteen - the first three are my own, but the rest I have to give credit to the Canadian Federation of Students for.

Thirteen Reasons to Eliminate Tuition Fees!!!!

13. Women will end up paying more for their education than men because of student loans, interest, and of coure the wage gap. We take longer to pay it off because of the wage gap - therefore we pay more. How about we just get rid of the middleman and eliminate tuition?

12. Imagine graduating from university with debt of minimum $24,000. That’s the Canadian average. Now lets say - no debt! No tuition!

11. What do we consider our priorities? Lowering taxes… OR - EDUCATION!!!! (Let’s go with Education)

10. Tuition fees are the primary reason students can’t afford university or college.

9. Lower tuition fees = more government funding = higher quality education.

8. We all benefit from an educated society.

7. We can afford it. All that oil money has to be good for something.

6. This province (Newfoundland and Labrador) has one of the highest illiteracy rates in Canada.

5. Free tuition and needs-based grants would eradicate student debt. Imagine graduating debt-free!!

4. No fees mean more people can afford to learn.

3. Since 1990, tuition fees have increased more than three times faster than inflation.

2. It worked for Ireland.

1. Tuition was free when Danny Williams went to university.

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

Missprofe, Jessica the Rock Chick, Kelly, Angela Giles Klocke, Jill, Penny, Ann, … (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here! The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Full Moon Blues

This week I am going a bit crazy.

Typically I have always loved my period. I love the womanliness of my body, I love the reminder that I am a woman, I love knowing that I am fertile, human, lovely, bold. I am alive.

The past several months my cycle has changed significantly, with at least one day a month where my uterus throbs as if someone is wringing it out like a damp cloth. I clench, tense, grit my teeth and cry as my uterus contracts and convulses in pain. This is new. Never before have I had such menstrual cycles.

This month, not only has my uterus being convulsing, but it feels as if my head and heart have been as well. Nausea and dizziness surrounded me for several days before my period, and for the first day of. And just two days before my period, my sad temperament mixed with alcohol caused me to verbally attack a dear friend. My own emotions and issues? Quite possibly? Just my menstrual tensions? Maybe. A bit of both? Most certainly.

But the tension for the rest of the week has not left my body yet, and it takes very little to set my emotions running on high, my stomach to churn and my tension and stress to escalate. Whether its thinking about work (which is very little), feeling pressured by co-workers on campus, or missing friendly outings - I am in a scary roar this week and every minute makes me want to cry or rage.

I am glad the weekend is coming. I need a day of rest. I need to lay down and drink wine and sleep and be cozy with blankets. And yet, I’m scared that if I drink again, that if I talk with anyone, I will blow up at them accidently.

Begone pesky period, begone.