Southwestern Community College music student and Phi Theta Kappa member Samantha Takes and Rural Iowa Crisis Center are organizing a public event, “Join One Billion Rising,” which will be held 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 6:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday in room 180 of SWCC’s instructional center.

The events will be a part of the international social movement, One Billion Rising, organized by the global activist movement, V-day. All One Billion Rising events will recognize and protest the violence against more than one billion women globally who will be raped or beaten in their lifetimes.

V-Day wants the world to see collective strength, numbers and solidarity across borders amoung victims and those who advocate against domestic violence. RICC and TPK invite the public to support the one billion women and those who love them by listening to poetry, live music and a short video. People are welcome to learn a dance to the song “Break the Chain”— a dance millions of others across the world will be doing Thursday. Jen Frakes, Zumba instructor, and Leslie Tyler and Ashley Hartsook of Leslie’s Dance Emporium will be teaching the dance portion of the event.