We at Joyful Heart are thrilled to be a part of NO MORE Day, happening tomorrow, March 13. This day marks the public launch of NO MORE, the nation’s first unifying awareness symbol to end domestic violence and sexual assault.

It’s been nearly a week sincethe President signed the Violence Against Women Act into law, the nation’s cornerstone response to domestic violence and sexual assault. Yet it was over 400 days since it had expired, leaving the resources that protect victims and organizations that prevent violence and abuse in limbo from October 2011 to February of this year.

It marks four days since people across the globe celebrated International Women’s Day and a century since this celebration first began. Yet one in three women across the world experience violence in their lifetimes—rape, assault or abuse, including those who live right here in the United States.

Today, in communities across the country, advocates will join forces to address the need to end domestic violence and sexual assault by launching NO MORE, the first overarching symbol that is bringing together all people in our society to end domestic violence and sexual assault.

We invite you to join us—from wherever you are in the country—to help launch NO MORE and participate in one of the most concerted and collaborative efforts to end domestic violence and sexual assault.

Regardless of where you are located, you can follow along with NO MORE Day activities and updates at our online liveblog here: www.scribblelive.com/Event/NO_MORE_Day.

We’ll be using the NO MORE symbol, helping to release critical research on bystanding and tweeting along with @NOMOREorg, actress and advocate @Mariska and many, many more of our partners. Please join us.

What is NO MORE?

You’ve likely seen the pink breast cancer ribbon or the red AIDS ribbon. NO MORE is a groundbreaking new symbol designed to transform our response to domestic violence and sexual assault, end the stigma, shame and isolation, galvanize millions into action and radically increase the awareness of domestic violence and sexual assault everywhere.

What is NO MORE Day?

On March 13, NO MORE Day, thousands of advocates and supporters across the country will unite to officially launch NO MORE.

Why NO MORE?

Domestic violence and sexual assault are not easy to talk about, although they impact millions of men, women and children every year. Because of the stigma and shame, these issues often remain hidden in our society. NO MORE seeks to bring domestic violence and sexual assault into the national spotlight to generate more attention, more resources and more action to prevent them. NO MORE aims to empower bystanders of domestic violence and sexual assault in every community to break the silence around these issues and get involved.

Ways to take action

• KNOW MORE. Learn the signs of domestic violence and listen without judgment to victims/survivors of sexual assault. Get the facts and know the resources available.
• Say NO MORE. Break the silence. Speak out. Seek help when you see this problem or harassment of any kind in your family, your community, your workplace or school.
• Share NO MORE. Share the NO MORE symbol with everyone you know. Facebook it. Tweet it. Pin it. Instagram it. Email it. Wear it. Help to increase awareness about the extent of domestic violence and sexual assault. Visit the NO MORE Shop at nomore.org.
• Ensure NO MORE. Get involved. Volunteer in your community, or donate to a local, state or national domestic violence or sexual assault organization.

To help elevate this conversation even more, we invite you to participate in the NO MORE Day Thunderclap, a social media tool that allows everyone who signs up to share a tweet or a Facebook post all at once. By lending your voice today—and 140 characters—to our Thunderclap, you can help make sure our message of ending domestic violence and sexual assault gets heard loud and clear on March 13.

On Wednesday at 3pm ET, NO MORE will host a special Twitter chat about NO MORE, these issues and the many ways you can take action. We’ll be tweeting along during this chat too, along with Mariska. No matter where you are, we welcome you to join by following us and the #NOMOREday hashtag.

Other things to do on NO MORE Day

• Request the NO MORE Toolkit at nomore.org to get the symbol and start using it.
• Start following NO MORE on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
• Take a picture of how you’re using NO MORE in your community, or tell us why you say NO  MORE. Share photos on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook using the hashtag #NOMOREday
• Share this with five friends!

Events will be taking place nationwide in celebration of NO MORE Day, including:

• Washington Wizards Game (open to the public) – Come support NO MORE, get free products and see the debut of our new PSA (Purchase tickets, here. Promo code: nomore)
• Invisible War Screenings (open to the public) – Find one near you.
• A National Press Club Luncheon Hosted by Founder and President of the Joyful Heart Foundation, Actress Mariska Hargitay in Washington D.C. (sold out, but you can watch it live on press.org at 12:30pm EST.
• Congressional Briefing on Capitol Hill, Washington D.C. (Dirksen Senate Office Building, Room 538 at 9 am EST. Please RSVP with your name and number of guests) – Results of the new Avon Foundation-funded NO MORE Study: Teens and Young Adults on Dating Violence and Sexual Assault, to be presented by Ashley Greene, actress and ambassador for Avon.