2015 2Lei Festival

Prim Perfect and One Billion Rising are organizing the 2Lei in Second Life Festival for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women which will end on 26th November, 2015.

2Lei are planning several events (which will include the opening of the second phase of the OBR installation at LEA1) [ Details covered in next part ]

Press Release:

It is with the same passion and energy that we reach the 6th Edition of the Festival of 2Lei in Second Life for the "International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women", with the support of those who follow and support us, believing with us in this project and in the common message of solidarity to the women victims of violence, that our events launch from this virtual world through art, culture and information.

Where did we leave off? The theme of the previous edition was the ability of women to be reborn from their pain, with the help of institutions and the support of those close to them. Explosions of light, color and music had greeted a woman still wounded in body and soul, lost and insecure but facing a different future, full of dreams and hopes, because no longer alone. Now, we find that woman taking the next step, the growth and transformation to rebirth. She stands tall and although not yet fully on stable legs, her body is smooth and the wounds are healed, she is regaining strength, courage, joy, to start over. That tunnel that held her silence is already far, helping hands have accompanied her on the journey to a new life, finally free, independent and fully aware of her value and dignity, that no one will ever again hurt; she now knows that love between a couple in a relationship is above all respect, trust, complicity and does not ever include domain, control, violence. This woman has regained a strong, extraordinary resilience.

In Italy, the latest statistical data relating to gender based violence, shows signs of improvement compared to previous years, thanks to the interventions of the institutions, the work of organizations and listening centers for women, greater information, such a social climate more conducive to condemn violence, but above all to improved women;s ability to prevent and combat the phenomenon. These first positive signals should be taken as a boost to move forward in the fight against violence and against everything that helps to nurture it, to underestimate it, to take it for granted. There are still many, many women in the world who do not have the ability or the possibility to break the chains and be reborn. Too many women are still discriminated, subdues, exploited, abused, killed. We cannot ignore them and leave them in a corner.

We know that there is still much to be changed and that the journey will not be easy, but we also know that if women and men travel together and combat injustice and discrimination, claiming the necessary attention of institutions, if they work together, through comparison, dialogue, communication, to modify the different patterns in couples, between parents and children, in social life, our children will receive examples and teaching based on new values of equality and respect for differences and be able to build the necessary and desired social cultural transformation, which would mark a victory for our entire society.