2012 marks our 7th Annual CSTS season and we are looking forward to welcoming back our fellow Browncoats, veterans of the cause, mentors and new organizers alike! We’re continually grateful and excited that folks interested in holding your own CSTS events to raise money for Equality Now.

Registration is open now, so you’ve got plenty of time to start planning a Can’t Stop the Serenity event for 2012. All the information you need to get you started can be found in the Events section on the menu above.

Most CSTS events are known as “Screening Events” where Joss Whedon’s “Serenity” is shown on the big screen in conjunction with auctions, raffles, contests, merchandise sales and other multimedia (pending licensing arrangements). If you’re unable to organize a Screening Event (due to funds, location or proximity to other Browncoats), an Affiliate event may be the answer. This can be any kind of event, such as a BBQ, dance party, or trivia night. The choice is yours!

Once you’ve decided, you can begin planning at once. Take advantage of Event Resources to help you and your team with the planning process.

Next, you need to tell the Global Team about your plans so that you can become an official event. This year, there is a two step registration process – Pre-Registration and Registration.

Being an official CSTS Event means that you become part of the wonderful CSTS community which comes with some amazing perks. We’ll help you raise money for Equality Now by providing access to official CSTS merchandise and items from our wonderful sponsors to use as auction/raffle/contest prizes, assist you with promotion, give you access to our forums to talk with other organizers who have come before and continue to triumph and your event’s charitable donation will be added to the 2012 Global Donation Total. Plus you’ll get the support of other shiny people who are traveling this journey with you! In other words, you get a lot.

But most importantly, you’ll be helping raise awareness and money for Equality Now so that they can continue their work to end violence and discrimination against women and girls around the world. 2012 marks Equality Now’s 20th year, and we hope that you will all join with us as we help celebrate Equality Now’s achievements and continue to push for change.

“There are two ways to fight a battle like ours. One is to whisper in the ear of the masses, try subtlely and gradually to change the gender expectations and mythic structures of our culture. That’s me. The other is to step up and confront the thousands of atrocities that are taking place around the world on an immediate, one-by-one basis. That’s a great deal harder, and that’s Equality Now. It’s not about politics; it’s about basic human decency” – Joss Whedon