Last year, V-Day Oliver/Osoyoos was formed by activist Paula Rodriguez de la Vega; joining in with a global movement with the goal of stopping violence against women and girls.  The group staged a number of events, including a ‘One Billion Rising’ Celebration at Medici’s on February the 14th, as well as a production of ‘The Vagina Monologues’.  It was a huge success, with a total of $7406.32 being raised.  $6,665.69 of this went directly to Desert Sun Counselling and Resource Center, and the remaining ten percent went to the global branch of V-Day.

This year, the group is back at it, with Tiffany Beckedorf taking over Paula’s role as lead organizer.  The group has decided to stage a different production, called ‘A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant, and a Prayer’, the proceeds of which will go to benefit men’s counselling programs geared towards stopping violence against women and girls.  The exciting news is that this year it will include the participation of men on stage as well.

“The play is quite powerful, and highlights the fact that gender based violence transcends borders, races, ages, and affects all of us,” said co-director Aimee Grice.  “The inclusion of male readers this time around is also a huge plus, as we all have a role to play in ending violence towards women.”

 “I’m excited once again to be co-directing a dramatic work that draws attention to the need for us, as a collective society, to make a concerted effort to stop violence against women,” says Marji Basso, “The dialogues will provide both insight, darkness, and perhaps more importantly, a voice that demands our immediate attention to become inspired and be part of the societal solution.”

If you would like to get involved, the group will be meeting at the OIB Health Center on December 8th at 2 pm, or you can contact Tiffany at tiffanybeckedorf@gmail.com