Yoga is tomorrow! Are you going?
I wanted to let everybody know that we will be doing several giveaways for participants at both yoga events. Ann Richmond is generously bringing some little treats for the participants, and we will also be doing a drawing for prizes. The drawings will be held before the sessions start (at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m.), so arrive early if you want your name to be entered into the drawing. You could win:
**A beautiful lotion, soap, or beauty product made by Basa Body and manufactured from sustainably-produced, fair-trade coconut oil from Kenya (donated by Basa).
**One of several copies of the book "Half the Sky" by Nicholas Kristof and Cheryl WuDunn (donated by Lindsay Park).
**In Logan we will also have a Mandarin Board donated by Leslie Judd (www.mandarinboards.etsy.com)
You can arrive up to half an hour before the yoga sessions begin. In addition to getting your name entered into the drawing, during that time you will be able to:
**Peruse and purchase beautiful products that are handmade by refugees from Congo, Sudan, Nepal and other countries (so bring some extra money!)
**Purchase Run for Congo Women t-shirts for just $5 (which will be perfect for you to wear as you train for the June 5K!)
**Take a look at our "book recommendation" library and note down the ones that you're interested in getting for yourself.
**Learn about upcoming advocacy events and share with us your ideas for future events.
See you tomorrow!
Friday, February 25, 2011
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Yoga for Congo Women, and Your Questions:
Yoga's in just over a week, y'all! Saturday, February 26. Details to the right --->.
Be there or be square.
As I've been telling people about the yoga events, I've heard a few questions over and over again. You may be wondering about similar things, so I thought I'd address them here.
FAQs:
Q: How much does it cost?
A: How much do you want it to cost? Please bring a donation (cash or check), and remember that karma loves generosity.
Q: What's the money going to?
A: We've gotten all of our expenses covered by sponsors and donors, so 100% of the donations made at the yoga events will go to Women for Women International. Women for Women offers the opportunity for women in war and post-war areas to enroll in year-long programs where they receive vocational training, rights training, psychosocial support, and financial assistance. All of our donations will go directly to WFW's Congo programs, so that Congolese survivors of violence and rape can be involved with supportive communities and receive assistance in rebuilding whatever has been broken for them.
Q: I've never done yoga before. Can I still come? (What I'm really saying is: Am I going to look stupid?)
A: Yes, you can still come, and no, you are not going to look stupid. If your prior experience with yoga is watching movies where people are all sweaty and competitive and twisted into pretzel-like shapes, then I can assure you that this will NOT be like that. Ours will be an atmosphere of solidarity, supportiveness, warmth, community, and engagement. Ann Richmond, our instructor, will be leading a basic class suitable for both beginners and those with yoga experience.
Q: What should I bring?
A: Yourself. A friend. A spouse. A family member. If you have a yoga mat, please bring it, but if you don't have one, don't worry about it--there will be some donated mats available for you to use.
Q: A spouse? So can men come, too?
A: Of course!
Q: What about kids?
A: Depends on how old they are. Just keep in mind that we will be talking about the conflict in Congo (and a critical component of the conflict is systematic sexual violence), and also keep in mind that we hope to achieve a very peaceful, calm environment. (But we do believe that activism is a family affair, so our June 5K will be outdoors and family-friendly!)
Q: What should I wear?
Something comfortable. Loose-fitting clothing. Be comfortable.
Q: What time should I show up?
A: Yoga will start promptly (at 10 a.m. in Murray; at 7 p.m. in Logan), so we will begin registration 30 minutes before. Please arrive during that half-hour registration period so that we can get started right on time. There will be reading materials, fair-trade items for sale, and a few cool surprises for those who come early. And of course we will keep things quiet so that you can sit on your mat and meditate for awhile (if that's your style) before yoga begins.
Q: Look at me. Do I look like someone who does yoga?
A: Yes. You sure do.
And to get you excited, go look at these photos from last year's Denver event. Namaste, and we'll see you next week!
Be there or be square.
As I've been telling people about the yoga events, I've heard a few questions over and over again. You may be wondering about similar things, so I thought I'd address them here.
FAQs:
Q: How much does it cost?
A: How much do you want it to cost? Please bring a donation (cash or check), and remember that karma loves generosity.
Q: What's the money going to?
A: We've gotten all of our expenses covered by sponsors and donors, so 100% of the donations made at the yoga events will go to Women for Women International. Women for Women offers the opportunity for women in war and post-war areas to enroll in year-long programs where they receive vocational training, rights training, psychosocial support, and financial assistance. All of our donations will go directly to WFW's Congo programs, so that Congolese survivors of violence and rape can be involved with supportive communities and receive assistance in rebuilding whatever has been broken for them.
Q: I've never done yoga before. Can I still come? (What I'm really saying is: Am I going to look stupid?)
A: Yes, you can still come, and no, you are not going to look stupid. If your prior experience with yoga is watching movies where people are all sweaty and competitive and twisted into pretzel-like shapes, then I can assure you that this will NOT be like that. Ours will be an atmosphere of solidarity, supportiveness, warmth, community, and engagement. Ann Richmond, our instructor, will be leading a basic class suitable for both beginners and those with yoga experience.
Q: What should I bring?
A: Yourself. A friend. A spouse. A family member. If you have a yoga mat, please bring it, but if you don't have one, don't worry about it--there will be some donated mats available for you to use.
Q: A spouse? So can men come, too?
A: Of course!
Q: What about kids?
A: Depends on how old they are. Just keep in mind that we will be talking about the conflict in Congo (and a critical component of the conflict is systematic sexual violence), and also keep in mind that we hope to achieve a very peaceful, calm environment. (But we do believe that activism is a family affair, so our June 5K will be outdoors and family-friendly!)
Q: What should I wear?
Something comfortable. Loose-fitting clothing. Be comfortable.
Q: What time should I show up?
A: Yoga will start promptly (at 10 a.m. in Murray; at 7 p.m. in Logan), so we will begin registration 30 minutes before. Please arrive during that half-hour registration period so that we can get started right on time. There will be reading materials, fair-trade items for sale, and a few cool surprises for those who come early. And of course we will keep things quiet so that you can sit on your mat and meditate for awhile (if that's your style) before yoga begins.
Q: Look at me. Do I look like someone who does yoga?
A: Yes. You sure do.
And to get you excited, go look at these photos from last year's Denver event. Namaste, and we'll see you next week!
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
And now, a word for our sponsors...
Yoga for Congo Women is really coming together; it is going to be a terrific event. (February 26--it's already on your calendar, right?) I want to let you know about the sponsors who are helping us make it a success.
* Ann Richmond, the organizer of the original Yoga for Congo Women in Denver and yogi extraordinaire, is coming to Utah on her own dime to lead the two yoga classes. Salt Lake in the morning, Logan in the evening, and we can't thank her enough for her dedication.
* Buzz Foto and Basa Body generously donated the venue fees for our Salt Lake and Logan events, respectively.
* Aramark is donating t-shirts with our in-progress Utah for Congo logos on them. We should have enough shirts that everyone who attends Yoga or the 5K will get one for free! (Of course, if you'd like to donate a little extra to Women for Women in exchange for the shirt, we won't complain.)
* The Yoga Center is lending us yoga mats for the Salt Lake event, and Whittier Center Yoga is allowing us to use their mats in Logan.
* I'm also thrilled to announce that Basa Body donated some of their wonderful fair-trade beauty products that are sustainably-produced by Kenyan women. We'll be giving these products away as door prizes, so get up and come do Yoga with us... You might get lucky and go home with some chocolate-scented soap or a stick of coconut balm!
If your business or organization would like to collaborate with us for our Yoga or 5K events, please leave a comment and we will get in touch with you! Thank you!
* Ann Richmond, the organizer of the original Yoga for Congo Women in Denver and yogi extraordinaire, is coming to Utah on her own dime to lead the two yoga classes. Salt Lake in the morning, Logan in the evening, and we can't thank her enough for her dedication.
* Buzz Foto and Basa Body generously donated the venue fees for our Salt Lake and Logan events, respectively.
* Aramark is donating t-shirts with our in-progress Utah for Congo logos on them. We should have enough shirts that everyone who attends Yoga or the 5K will get one for free! (Of course, if you'd like to donate a little extra to Women for Women in exchange for the shirt, we won't complain.)
* The Yoga Center is lending us yoga mats for the Salt Lake event, and Whittier Center Yoga is allowing us to use their mats in Logan.
* I'm also thrilled to announce that Basa Body donated some of their wonderful fair-trade beauty products that are sustainably-produced by Kenyan women. We'll be giving these products away as door prizes, so get up and come do Yoga with us... You might get lucky and go home with some chocolate-scented soap or a stick of coconut balm!
If your business or organization would like to collaborate with us for our Yoga or 5K events, please leave a comment and we will get in touch with you! Thank you!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Excited about Yoga...
These fantastic press releases were designed by Lindsay P. The blue one contains the information about our Salt Lake Yoga for Congo Women event; the orange one has the information for our Logan event. Both events will be on Saturday, February 26. Registration begins at the times noted on the press releases; the classes will begin half an hour later.
We're looking forward to seeing you there! The yoga classes will be facilitated by Ann Richmond, who organized the Yoga for Congo Women event in Denver last summer, and she has planned a class that will be suitable for beginners and those with more yoga experience. Don't be intimidated if you've never done yoga before; you will find a warm and supportive environment focused on generating solidarity and compassion. Don't forget your donation for Women for Women International; we'll be sending all our good vibes out into the universe, but let's send out some practical cash along with them!
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Calling all activists!
Welcome to our new Utah for Congo blog!
Here's why we're mad:
One of the most horrific elements of the conflict is the habitual use of sexual violence and rape to terrorize women and children and destroy communities. The sexual violence is characterized by its unspeakable brutality and by the pain and destruction left in its wake. Figures are hard to come by, but a soon-to-be-released study suggests that the number of people raped over the past decade comes close to 3 million.
What haunts us is the fact that each of us is complicit in the continuation of this conflict. Violent groups are fighting for control of natural resources like gold, tungsten, tin and tantalum: Resources that tech companies use to manufacture the electronics equipment (like computers and cell phones) that Americans use. So every time we use our mobile phones, which are filled with these conflict minerals, we are part of the problem.
So let's be part of the solution.
Right here in Utah, we have several upcoming events to raise awareness about the conflict as well as funds to help survivors. See the sidebar of the blog for information about our upcoming Yoga for Congo Women events in Salt Lake and Logan, and our second-annual Run for Congo Women 5K Walk/Run in Salt Lake. The events are open to the public; all we ask is that you bring a donation and participate with us. If you'd like to assist in planning these events, or if you know a business that would like to help sponsor them, please leave a comment letting us know how we can get in touch with you.
100 percent of event proceeds will go to Women for Women International, an organization that provides psychosocial support, job training, and resources to women who have survived the horrors of rape and war.
Please join us. Let's create a community of Congo activists in Utah; let's make our voices heard.
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