Happy New Year

Join the Excitement of Fun and Educational Community Events in Second Life!

 

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Happy New Year, Second Life Residents! If you’re eager to kick off 2024 with a burst of excitement, here are some fun and educational community-driven activities and events lined up throughout the year. Enroll in building classes, attend lively festivals, and immerse yourself in educational conferences throughout the coming year. 

Relay For Life – Unveiling the Power of Unity

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American Cancer Society

The official home of the American Cancer Society in Second Life. Since 2005, cancer patients, caregivers, and volunteers have been able to receive services and support from the ACS in SL without having to leave the virtual world. Visit the island to learn more or to make a donation to fund the world’s largest and most successful cancer research program. More info at relayforlife.com/secondlife

Go on a journey of compassion and support as Relay For Life of Second Life events kick off this year. Mark your calendars as registrations open this month. SL Living Expo, Fantasy Faire, and other event dates have already been announced. Don’t miss out on any details – follow the American Cancer Society Google calendar for all the info! 

Burn2 – Festival of Community, Art, and Fire

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Burn2

Experience BURN2, the festival of community, art, and fire that brings the culture and cool of Burning Man to the metaverse. Learn more at www.burn2.org

Experience the virtual rendition of Burning Man in Second Life with Burn2! With captivating events every quarter, their first event, Winter Burn, starts on January 26th. Explore the details on their website and get more info about their weekly meetings and events in their Google calendar. It’s a virtual festival you won’t want to miss!

VWBPE – Unleashing Educational Innovations

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The Virtual Worlds Best Practice in Education (VWBPE) is a community-based open conference that provides opportunities for participants in all virtual worlds to share current teaching, learning, and research practices in 3D virtual environments. This year’s theme is “Mythic Origins” and it runs from March 14-16, 2024. Join the event for three days of lectures, workshops, discussions, games, and fun! It’s a must-attend event for anyone passionate about the intersection of virtual environments and education. Learn more on their website at vwbpe.org.

VWEC – Igniting Educational Conversations

Continue to elevate your educational journey with the Virtual Worlds Education Consortium (VWEC) Eduverse! If you’re passionate about fostering collaboration among educators and navigating the virtual landscape, this is the destination for you. You can learn more about VWEC from the Spotlight interview of three of their coordinators. Additionally, you can check their website and their Google Calendar to attend their daily events and fireside chats.

Virtual Ability – Empowering Lives in Virtual Worlds

Virtual Ability, a non-profit corporation founded in 2007, is dedicated to enabling individuals with a wide range of disabilities to flourish in online virtual worlds. They have two major events throughout the year, keep an eye on their website for more information coming soon: 

  1. Mental Health Symposium (May): In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, Virtual Ability hosts the annual Mental Health Symposium. This event serves as a platform to share crucial information about mental health and disabilities with the broader population. The cross-disability community within Virtual Ability includes members dealing with various mental health issues. The symposium not only offers a chance for community members to learn from experts they might not encounter otherwise but also opens the doors for the general public to attend a professional conference at no cost.
  2. International Disability Rights Affirmation Conference (October/November): Taking place around October/November each year, this conference is a testament to Virtual Ability’s commitment to advocating for disability rights globally. Join this empowering event that brings together voices from the disability community to discuss, affirm, and advance the rights of individuals with disabilities.

Builder’s Brewery – Crafting Dreams Since 2008

For all aspiring builders out there, Builder’s Brewery is your go-to destination. Established in 2008, it stands as one of Second Life’s oldest hubs for learning. Dive into free training classes covering everything from building to scripting, textures, mesh, animations, and more. Check their schedule of classes on their Google Calendar.

 

Find even more educational destinations and exciting events in the Education, Help & How To, and Featured Events categories on the Destination Guide throughout the year!

But wait, there’s more! Along with these community-driven activities, we here at Linden Lab also have a lot in store for 2024 – including the Valentine Shop & Hop which is about to open on February 1st, and of course our 21st birthday celebrations in June! 

Get ready for a year filled with excitement, creativity, and unforgettable experiences in Second Life. Don’t miss out on the action – stay connected: follow our Featured News blog, sign up for our weekly email newsletter, and connect with us on social media.

Let the adventure begin, happy 2024!

Happy New Year From All Of The Staff At Zoha Islands/Fruit Islands Stay Tuned For Estate Updates and Upgrades.

One Billion Rising 2015 — Preview

As a member of the press corps, I was able to get onto the One Billion Rising sims (there are four connected sims) and preview them. It was great to be able to wander around and look at everything without all the lag that comes with lots of avatars on the sims. I took lots of pictures and will post them here. The exhibits are amazingly beautiful and creative, and all bring awareness to the fact that we need to end violence against women and girls all over the world. I think my favorite exhibit was an interactive art exhibit, where you can actually sit and be part of the art!

Here are some photos. You can click to enlarge them. And don’t forget to visit the One Billion Rising sims all day tomorrow!

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The first interactive exhibit. I chose this one first because I LOVE books in RL. :)

The first interactive exhibit. I chose this one first because I LOVE books in RL. 🙂


This one is so joyful! You can't see it here, but this exhibit moves. I am actually dancing around in this field! Fun!

This one is so joyful! You can’t see it here, but this exhibit moves. I am actually dancing around in this field!


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There are free One Billion Rising t-shirts for men and women.

There are free One Billion Rising t-shirts for men and women.


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I remain respectfully yours,
~ Suzanne Piers, ZI Social Media

One Billion Rising Event in SL coming this Saturday, Feb. 14th

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In January, I blogged about the annual One Billion Rising event that was coming to SL in February, and the time is nearly here! I am honored to be part of the press corp for this event, and will be invited to preview the sims tomorrow morning. I am looking forward to touring them.

Meanwhile, please plan on attending this meaningful and worthwhile event this Saturday! One Billion Rising in Second Life will run for twenty four hours – from midnight to midnight SLT on Saturday, February 14th.

The regions will open at 11pm SLT on February 13th to allow you to make your way to the event in good time for the opening. There are landing points on all fours regions. If it is difficult to get into one region, try another.

Here are the SLurls: (These are clickable links)

One Billion Rising in SL 2015 — OBR Change
One Billion Rising in SL 2015 — OBR Dance
One Billion Rising in SL 2015 — OBR Drum
One Billion Rising in SL 2015 — OBR Rise

Here is a map of the event:

Map of the OBR regions

Map of the OBR regions

There is a central stage where there will be music and dance balls available throughout the day. In addition, there is a poetry and performance stage on OBR Dance, where there will be special dance performances, poetry readings and a poetry workshop. There will also be a media center in the Sculpture Garden on OBR Change where several TV and radio shows are being recorded and/or broadcast over the course of the weekend.

Check the event schedule page on the website to find out more. Click on the following link: One Billion Rising Event Schedule

The music will continue till 11:59 p.m. SLT. The regions will be open for a further 24 hours (until midnight on Sunday, February 15th) to allow people to explore the art installations at a quieter time.

What is One Billion Rising?
One Billion Rising began in RL as a call to action based on the staggering statistic that 1 in 3 women on the planet will be beaten or raped during her lifetime. With the world population at 7 billion, this adds up to more than one billion women and girls. This calls for a radical shift to end the global epidemic of abuse that women face worldwide.

With the tagline “Drum, Dance & Rise,” women, men and youth will plan, lead, and participate in actions, dance, political and artistic events, and rallies — or Risings — in hundreds of countries on (and around) the date of February 14th to highlight, spark, and mobilize artistic and community-based initiatives to bring in the new revolutionary world of equality, dignity, and freedom for all women and girls.

One Billion Rising in Second Life 2015
The Second Life event will feature a four-region stage where 200 people can come together to dance, surrounded by an area of art installations, an arena for poetry and dramatic productions, and informational exhibits. A variety of performers will play over the 24-hour period and poetry and dramatic events will be held at different times, enabling people all over the world to attend this virtual event no matter their timezone. The regions will have a General maturity rating to allow all residents an opportunity to participate. Pictures are welcome on the event’s Flickr group.

The objective of the event is to raise awareness, not to raise funds; however, information about real-world organizations will be available for those wishing to donate. If you’d like to join the group, search for OBR’s Second Life Group: One Billion Rising.

Here are some clickable links:

OBR’s Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/pages/One-Billion-Rising/493344827375934
OBR’s Twitter Stream
OBR’s Flickr Group
Main One Billion Rising for Justice page

OBR 2015 in SL Artistic Uprising

OBR 2015 in SL Music events

OBR 2015 in SL Poetry and Performance

I hope you will come out and support this worthwhile cause. See you there!

I remain respectfully yours,
~ Suzanne Piers, ZI Social Media

One Billion Rising — Revolution for Change

I received a note card inworld about One Billion Rising — an event that started in Second Life in 2013 and continues today. February 14th is the day chosen for Second Life’s One Billion Rising events.

The One Billion Rising website (that’s a clickable link) describes it’s beginnings and the objective of the event:

“ONE BILLION RISING began as a call to action based on the staggering statistic that 1 in 3 women on the planet will be beaten or raped during her lifetime. With the world population at 7 billion, this adds up to more than ONE BILLION WOMEN AND GIRLS. On February 14, 2013, men and women in Second Life will join activists, writers, thinkers, celebrities, and people across the world to Walk, Dance, and Rise as a show of unity, individual strength, and the need for change.

The Second Life event will feature a four-region stage where 200 people can dance together, surrounded by an area of art installations and informational exhibits. A variety of performers will play over the 24-hour period, enabling people all over the world to attend this virtual event no matter their timezone. The regions will have a General maturity rating to allow all residents an opportunity to participate. Pictures are welcome on the event’s Flickr group.

The objective of the event is to raise awareness, not to raise funds; however, information about real-world organisations will be available for those wishing to donate.

One Billion Rising in Second Life is sponsored by: Alchemy Immortalis; Bits and Bobs Animations; Cheeky Pea; The Domineaux Effect; Dutchie; Galland Homes; Garden of Dreams; Gos Boutique; Gwen Carillon Designs/Serenite; Heart Garden Centre; Kaerri; MadPea; Maven Homes; Meshworx; Prime; and Spargel and Shine. In-kind sponsors are: caLLie cLine; Fruit Islands; L’aize Dayz; KittyCatS!; and Prim Perfect Publications.”

This is the information on the note card I was given:

“On February 14th 2013, one billion people in 207 countries rose and danced to demand an end to violence against women and girls.

On February 14th 2014, we escalated our efforts, calling on women and men everywhere to Rise, Release, Dance, and demand Justice!

Now, on February 14th 2015, we are calling for a revolution for change.

Change can happen if grassroots movements and marginalized communities are in the lead.

Change can happen if we demand accountability – making sure our justice calls last year are realized. We are going to continue to demand justice, and will continue to highlight the issues surrounding the social injustices inflicted on women, and to keep highlighting where these issues connect. We will continue to challenge institutions, governments, policies, laws – and make these systems, which are responsible for creating situations of poverty and violence, accountable.

Change can happen if we harness our creativity and energy. We will highlight, create and envision new, brave and radical artistic initiatives to bring in the new revolutionary world of equality, dignity and freedom for all women and girls. There is nothing more powerful than art as a tool for transformation.

Change can happen if…WE ACT NOW. AND WE ACT TOGETHER.Change can happen if…WE ACT NOW. AND WE ACT TOGETHER.

One Billion Rising in Second Life 2015
In Second Life, we will be marking the occasion (as we did last year) with a twenty-four hour one day event that will allow women and men to gather. There will be music, there will be art installations and exhibitions, there will be poetry sessions, there will be storytelling events, there will be live dramatic performances, there will be dancing – and there will be information kiosks that will share information about organizations devoted to promoting justice for women across the globe, and stories of events that will be happening around the world.

The Second Life event will feature a four-region stage where 200 people can dance together, surrounded by an area of art installations and informational exhibits. A variety of performers will play over the 24-hour period, enabling people all over the world to attend this virtual event no matter their timezone. The regions will have a General maturity rating to allow all residents an opportunity to participate. Pictures are welcome on the event’s Flickr group.

This is not an event to raise money – although you will find information about organizations that need funding. But our primary goals are to draw people together and to raise awareness.

What can you do?
You can attend the event!

You can send us information about groups known to you that we can add to the informational kiosks. How can you do this? You can write to 1billionrisinginsecondlife@gmail.com or post on our Facebook page (that’s a clickable link).

You can spread the word about One Billion Rising in Second Life amongst your friends, your communities and through social media.

You can volunteer to help us organize the event – by completing this form by clicking here: How Can I Join In?

We need greeters, security, stage managers, media liaison and information processors, who will help build the information that will go into our displays.

You can add your reasons for rising to our special Why I’m Rising page by clicking here: Why I’m Rising

If you would like to be a sponsor for the event, contact Samantha Ohrberg in-world.

If you would like to be part of our special Press Day, you can complete this form by clicking here: Information for the Press

Change can happen if…WE ACT NOW. AND WE ACT TOGETHER.”

I remain respectfully yours,
~ Suzanne Piers, ZI Social Media