In conjunction with the White Ribbon Campaign to end gender-based violence, the Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable presents a series of events to examine what it means to be a “good man.”
These events will culminate in a March 14 summit, “Tough Guys and Gentle Men: Healthy Men in the Age of #MeToo,” featuring special guest speakers and discussions.
The Domestic Violence Roundtable invites men and boys of Sudbury, Wayland and Lincoln to come together and discuss the definition of manhood in 2020, to examine characteristics traditionally associated with masculinity, and to consider the societal pressures that affect the social-emotional development of boys and men.
The events will kick off in February with a series of small group discussions on the subject of “What Does it Mean to be a Man?” The small groups of men and/or boys will meet to discuss issues such as how to raise boys to be healthy and respectful men, and then will be invited to the summit. These groups will be led by male members of the local White Ribbon Campaign planning committee. Both the small groups and summit will conclude by asking for commitments to action.
The small group events include faith-, student- and senior-based discussions. For more information on time and location of the small group discussions, email infodvrt@gmail.com.
The White Ribbon campaign started in Canada in 1991 and has grown to an international movement of bringing men together to be part of the solution to help end gender-based violence. In Massachusetts, the state coalition has been hosting events since 2007, with the Domestic Violence Roundtable holding community events for about 10 years.
“This campaign is important because we are on the cusp of a widespread transformation. We can awaken together from the harmful and often invisible cultural forces and messages that shape males toward control and violence toward girls, women, other genders and one another,” said Malcolm Astley, a member of the Roundtable’s White Ribbon Committee.
“We have a chance to free our boys and men from value based on shame, domination and violence, and instead base self-value on caring and justice for all. What a remarkable liberation is at hand if we join in this work to exchange anger and control for growth and inclusivity!”
More details about the summit will be released soon.
For more information, call Roundtable president Sue Rushfirth at 508-265-8748 or email infodvrt@gmail.com.
