The UK’s co-ordinator for International Men’s Day has welcomed the publication of a Diversity & Equality statement which confirms that the day invites all men, women, girls and boys to take part in celebrating men and boys on International Men’s Day of Saturday 19th November 2011.
The theme of this year’s day of international observance is Giving Boys The Best Possible Start In Life. Any UK individual or organisation that wants to mark the day in 2011 should contact the UK co-ordinator Glen Poole of The Men’s Network – at glen@glenpoole.com – or register at the International Men’s Day website.
Glen said:
“We strongly welcome International Men’s Day reaffirming its commitment to include all men and boys. This statement is particularly important in light of current events in Uganda where the gay rights activist, David Kato, has been murdered.
“Violence is just one issue that affects men and boy of all backgrounds with men all over the world twice as likely to die violent deaths as women irrespective of their age, ability, social background, ethnicity, sexuality, gender identity, religious belief and relationship status.”
“We welcome this confirmation of International Men’s Day’s commitment to celebrate the positive contribution to society of all men and boys and to highlight the different kinds of discrimination that men and boys of all backgrounds can experience”.
The Men’s Network has previously highlighted how Equalities Has Failed Men and Boys and we welcome this Diversity and Equality Statement as being in line with Our New Approach To Equality.
The new International Men’s Day Statement is published below:
DIVERSITY AND EQUALITY STATEMENT
We encourage every man, woman, girl and boy in the world to join us in celebrating men and boys in all their diversity on International Men’s Day (November 19th).
We recognize that there are a broad variety of laws, values and viewpoints around the world that affect different men, in different countries in different ways. There is also a diversity of opinions about those laws, values and viewpoints which are held by the many different men, women, girls and boys throughout the world.
As a day of observance we place our focus on that which unites us, giving everyone who wants to celebrate International Men’s Day with us the opportunity to help us work towards our shared objectives which we apply equally to men and boys irrespective of their age, ability, social background, ethnicity, sexuality, gender identity, religious belief and relationship status. Those objectives are:
- To promote positive male role models; not just movie stars and sports men but everyday, working class men who are living decent, honest lives
- To celebrate men’s positive contributions to society, community, family, marriage, child care, and to the environment
- To focus on men’s health and wellbeing; social, emotional, physical and spiritual
- To highlight discrimination against males; in areas of social services, social attitudes and expectations, and law
- To improve gender relations and promote gender equality
- To create a safer, better world; where people can be safe and grow to reach their full potential
Glen Poole is UK co-ordinator for International Men's Day, Director at the consultancy Helping Men and news editor of insideMAN magazine. Follow him on twitter @HelpingMen or find out more about his work at www.helpingmen.co.uk.
Men's News From Brighton & Hove, England 
Great news! So what funds have you put into black, or dual heritage fathers who’s experience and strength need to be heard. And in genaral why do fathers whose children lives half the week and holidays with them get no support from the government nor from ngos or organisations like yours. Is it a case like the story of hip hop where black people have to do it themselves and then others follow. I’m available to get involved in working and volunteering with your group
Thanks Darren – good to hear from you
You are very, very welcome to get involved with us in our work
in terms of funding in Brighton & Hove, there was some analysis done on where funding goes and in the year assessed women’s projects in the city received £1.9m – THIRTEEN HUNDRED TIMES more funding than men’s projects
Projects for the Black and Minority Ethnic Community received nearly £1.8m, almost TWELVE HUNDRED TIMES MORE FUNDING than men’s projects
And men’s projects received £30 a week – and that was for a Black Men’s Project
In 2010 we applied for local funding for a health project for ALL men and were rejected on the grounds that men aren’t a priority group. The funders did give money to a local dad’s group however, because that project focussed on black dads
So the truth is Darren, black men and black dads in Brighton & Hove get far more funding per head than white men and white dads
Should we let that divide us? No!
Does either group get enough funding? No!
Is it like Hip Hop and black men have to do it themselves? Yes!
But that’s because all of us have to do it ourselves. All of us, men of all backgrounds, together.
Why? Because men and boys and dads of all races and religions and abilities and sexualities and social backgrounds have been systematically excluded – all of us.
And as you rightly point out separated dads are shamefully ignored – I’ve been campaigning on that issue for a decade – and The Men’s Network supports a number of separated dads locally in different ways and will continue to do so and will continue to do more.
You have always been very welcome at The Men’s Network Darren and if you’ve ever felt that you weren’t you must tell us because we are not committed to that.
On funding projects for black or dual heritage fathers, we are not a funding organisation. This year we operated on under £10,000 compared with the £1.9m that women’s projects in our city receive – we have no funding to dish out.
And we have a challenge in that it would be easier for us to get funding for projects just for BME dads – and we’d welcome anyone like you leading on funding bids with us – but we need to get funding in place that we can invest in ALL men and ALL boys and ALL dads as a priority.
So we passionate people like you volunteering, fundraising, fighting with us to make a difference and you are very, very, very welcome to join us.
And we are very, very mindful of the BME community locally. This week alone:
* I have been in two conversations with both funders and education partners about Edi Mandala who as you know is a great male role model for your community and does great work with dads
* I was at a meeting on community safety with Bert Williams of Brighton Black History month and discovered he shares our view on the need for more male role models and mentors in communities
* I was at an Equalities meeting with the Brighton Minority Ethnic Community Partnership who acknowledge that they don’t reach as many men as women and would, I am sure, welcome your ideas and energy
So rest assured we are out there waving the flag for all men and boys in our city, week in, week out – all on a voluntary basis and with a tiny budget.
Thanks for getting in touch, please volunteer with us, we’d love that. The largest chunk of the small bit of funding we have is to help us recruit male volunteers, so tell us what you’re up for and you’re in!
Best Regards
Glen Poole, Chair, The Men’s Network