Maggie: One Billion Rising on Valentine's Day, 2016

Some members of AWG, who were at Domaine d’O on February 14^th for Hugh Coltman’s concert of music by Nat King Cole, posed for a photo after the show in order to participate in the annual One Billion Rising campaign to raise awareness regarding gender inequality and violence against women.  This is the third consecutive year of the campaign, and every year thousands of Risings take place in hundreds of countries around the world. Both FOAL and BCA are also represented in the photo, and we were joined by Mme. Monique Petard and her husband.  Mme. Petard was a member of the Conseil Général and was a Vice-President for the environment and sustainable development.  Although Hugh Coltman suggested everyone in the audience rise at the end of the show, it was not, as far as I know, part of the campaign, and since Domaine d’O had not accepted my request to invite members of the audience to rise for a One Billion photo, I behaved myself and kept my camera in my bag until the crowd had thinned.  If you and your friends did a “Rising” elsewhere, please send me a photo, especially if you were dancing, since that is one way to express joy and celebrate the fact that together, violence can be defeated. 

....... And here is a photo taken the morning of February 14^th during a “stage” organized by the RSCDS club in Montpellier. Dancing for joy.  (Editor:  it's only blurred because they're moving!)