Second in the series of posts on the amazing people planning amazing things for this year’s CSTS season is the Susquehanna Valley Brigade from Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Amber and Tim are planning a screening of Serenity and an after party at a local restaurant, with live music, raffles, silent auctions and giveaways.
When asked why they had got involved in CSTS, Amber replied “Tim and I started our own business this year. Inspired by the movie that brought us together in the first place and it’s many great quotes, of course, “If you can’t do something smart, do something right”, we knew the right things was for our company to be able to give back to our community, and to be able to sponsor and donate to local charities.… Read more…
Last May Vancouver Organizer Samatwitch wrote about why Vancouver holds CSTS events each year. Thanks to her for giving us permission to reprint this from their website.
Why do we do this? Why do organisers spend so much time and money for each event? Why do people volunteer, paying for their own tickets to do so? Why do Browncoats – and others – keep coming out to CSTS events?
Partly of course, because the events are fun. Each city is different and has ideas and plans that work for them. A lot of people come out to see Serenity on the big screen or to sing along to Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog. Some people come to spend an afternoon or day with their friends at a fun event – or to bid on an auction item they can’t find anywhere else, especially handmade items.
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We often get asked “What is the point of Can’t Stop the Serenity? I can watch my DVD/Blu-ray of Serenity anytime at home. Why should I support a local event?” We’d like to share our answer with you. By supporting a local Can’t Stop the Serenity event, you are helping to change the world. Now, that might seem like a pretty big claim, but here’s where it’s true. The money which you hand over at a local event for a few hours of entertainment, some merchandise, a few raffle tickets or perhaps to win something cool in an auction goes to support the vital work of Equality Now. And what does Equality Now do with it? They make positive change happen. Often, that change is in places far from your home such preventing child marriage in the Middle East, and protecting the rights of women in Africa and Asia.… Read more…
As we launch into another season of Can’t Stop the Serenity, you may find yourself being asked why you attend these events and what your support means. You may even be asking this of yourself. Can’t Stop the Serenity is not just about watching Serenity on the big screen, enjoying the company of Browncoats, and winning prizes is raffles, contests and auctions. It’s much bigger than that.
Being part of Can’t Stop the Serenity – as an organizer, a sponsor or an attendee – means that you are helping to put a stop to violence and discrimination. By using your voice and opening your wallet, you are helping to change the world for the better. For each friend you tell about the work of Equality Now, you are adding a voice to the chorus for change.… Read more…
Twelve is a magical age, where life is poised to leave childhood behind while reaching out toward the mysteries of women. Dolls sit on shelves but remain dear friends and babysitting becomes something to strive for, to feed the blossoming feminine need to nurture as well as to earn money for little dreams. Yet on September 11th, for Fawziya Abdullah Youssef (a 12-year-old who should have been a flower girl instead of a child-bride) life ended – awash in pain and blood.
Fawziya bled to death after three days of hard labor, a child forced to become a mother before her time. For most WOMEN it is a traumatic experience (pain of any kind for anyone is debilitating) but to force a CHILD to suffer through it for THREE days is a devastating commentary of sadness and disbelief.… Read more…
This week’s Why We Are Here is a special one. It is dedicated to all of the caring fathers out there in the world. Equality moves both ways, and we need to remember that when walking and working with our male counterparts in humanity’s symphony. There are plenty of wonderful courageous men who work hard for equality right alongside the womenfolk and who practice doing the right thing. At the same time, there are many who have dedicated themselves to learning how to do the right thing, in spite of thousands of years of cultural influence. It is because of the education and other programs backed by Equality Now (and other worthy institutions) that these seekers of truth and equality have the chance to change the imbalance.… Read more…
In the past few weeks, I’ve shared some stories about the cold, cruel and unbalanced world around us and the need to keep the signal going. But what happens when you do speak out? Do things change? The answer is yes – they do. Some change faster than others but action and speaking out do make a difference.
That’s why today’s “Why We Are Here,” is about the positive side of working to make the world a better and more equal place. There are two stories I am going to reference today, where Equality Now has helped justice prevail and the winds of change sweep far and wide.
Our first story deals with Zambia and the horrific rape of school girls by their teachers. Not for the first time, Edson Hakasenke raped one of his students by luring her to his house on the premise of collecting schoolwork. … Read more…
“ . . . Because it’s no longer enough to be a decent person.” – JW
This week’s, “Why We Are Here” marks the anniversary of the post which changed my life. On May 20, 2007, Joss Whedon wrote his impassioned poignant plea on Whedonesque entitled “Let’s Watch a Girl Get Beaten to Death.”
“ . . . I look and I see the earth in flames. Her face was nothing but red.” – JW
For 30 minutes, Du’a Khalil Aswad was stoned to death by more than 20 men (while 2,000 or more looked on) some of them family and friends. Her own family lured her back, promising all was forgiven, all was well. Some participants threw rocks with one hand and captured it all on their cell phones with the other. … Read more…
Freda Adler, a US author, educator and theorist states: “Rape is the only crime in which the victim becomes the accused.” Aisha Ibrahim Duhulow of Kismayo, Somalia learned this lesson the hard way – a way that ended in her death.
Imagine you’ve been raped by three men on the way to visit your grandmother, and that you are brave enough to report it. It is hard to put yourself in Aisha’s place isn’t it? Because rape is a disgusting, uncivilized sickness – one, we don’t like to talk about. The courage it takes to come forward is almost inconceivable. Even if the rapist is caught and brought to justice, his victims who survive suffer for the rest of their lives.
Aisha and her family came forward seeking help and healing. … Read more…
Mother’s Day – we celebrate it on different days around the globe, but it means the same thing. It is a day when children of all ages say thank you; a day we can tell our moms how special they are and how much we love them.
Yet in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, many mothers will only receive meaningless silence and painful tears, instead of flowers and family hugs. They will not be celebrating with their daughters this year.
And indeed for some, ever again.
Just across the border from El Paso, Texas, Death struts about performing his horrible magic tricks. Countless women disappear. Some have never returned. Those that do are only recovered as mutilated pieces. It is as if Death owns the town – and maybe he does. … Read more…
The answer to this question varies. Many of us participate in CSTS events and other Browncoat related activities for a number of reasons. We join together to make a difference in the world because we’ve been rallied by Joss’s words to do something, anything. We meet up so that we can share our love of the Serenity/Firefly/Whedonverse, and because we are like-minded folk who want to share other aspects of our lives with our fellow Fireflyians. These are just a few of the reasons we come together in this fellowship
And they are all, very good reasons.
The main focus of Can’t Stop the Serenity has always been to help Equality Now keep the signal going. EN seeks to let the voices of abused women the world over, cry out and be heard.… Read more…
The Global Sci-Fi Charity Event | Worldwide Charity Screenings for Equality Now
