HELPING MEN AND BOYS LIVE LONGER, HAPPIER, HEALTHIER LIVES: 2012 INTERNATIONAL MEN'S DAY

CONTACT:
D.A. Sears
United States Coordinator – 2012 International Men’s Day
Member, International Men’s Day Coordination Committee
E-Mail: insearchoffatherhood@gmail.com

In the run up to International Men’s Day 2012 (Monday 19th November) we’re asking supporters of the day to focus on five key challenges that will help us improve the health and wellbeing of men and boys all over the world.
Some of the universal health issues that men and boys in all countries around the globe face include lower life expectancy, difficulty accessing mental health services, educational disadvantages, lack of male role models and tolerance of violence against men and boys.
To help us focus our collective minds upon helping men and boys live longer, happier, healthier lives, the five key challenges that the International Men’s Day team is inviting men and women all over the world to address are:

1. IMPROVING MEN’S LIFE EXPECTANCY:

From the moment a boy is born he can expect to live a shorter life than his female counterparts in all but four countries on the planet. There is also a huge gap in life expectancy between rich and poor countries with men in Mozambique reaching an average age of 38 while in Iceland, Israel and Switzerland men live twice as long until the age of 80. There are also huge gaps in life expectancy within countries, with men born in the poorest parts of the United Kingdom, for example, dying 10 years sooner than their fellow countrymen in the wealthiest parts of the capital city. Boys are not genetically programmed to die young so our first challenge this International Men’s Day is to ask countries taking part to consider how we can help all men and boys live longer, happier, healthier lives – no matter how poor they are and no matter what country they are born in.

2. HELPING MEN GET HELP:

Every year poor mental health drives over three quarters of a million people to commit suicide – and around two thirds of them are males. Men and boys all over the world can find it more difficult to access help for mental and emotional health problems and most prison populations include a significant number of men with mental health issues. This International Men’s Day we are asking participating countries to consider how we can help more men and boys get the help and support they need and to take action on behalf of the hundreds of thousands of men who will take their own lives this year.

3. IMPROVING BOYS’ EDUCATION:

Poor education is linked to poor health outcomes later in life so improving boys’ education will also help men and boys live longer, happier healthier lives. This International Men’s Day we are asking people to explore why boys in richer countries are underperforming girls and also less likely to be in education, and why tens of millions of boys in poorer countries are still not completing a primary education? How can we address truancy and poor literacy rates which leave boys prone to adult unemployment, substance abuse, obesity, depression and poverty? What action can we take to focus on boys’ education in a way that closes the gap between girls and boys, addresses the gaps between rich boys and poor boys, and helps us to improve the long-term health and wellbeing of all men and boys.

4. TACKLING TOLERANCE OF VIOLENCE AGAINST MEN AND BOYS:

Violence has a major impact on men’s health all over the world. Every year over half a million people die from violence and 83% of them are men and boys (http://www.who.int/healthinfo/global_burden_disease/projections/en/index.html) The same proportion of the global burden of disease (ill-health, disability or early death) from violence is borne by boys and men. Yet while there are now a number of deserved global campaigns to tackle violence against women and girls, there are no such campaigns to help men and boys. Why are we so tolerant of violence and abuse against boys and men and why do we still tolerate a world where we send boys and young men to fight wars on behalf of the adults in power? This International Men’s Day we are asking for actions we can take to help men and boys live in a less violent world and challenge our collective global tolerance of violence against men and boys.

5: PROMOTING FATHERS AND MALE ROLE MODELS

Fathers and male role models play a vital role in helping boys make a healthy, happy and positive transition from boyhood to manhood. How can we give boys a right to family life that gives them an equal opportunity to know and experience both their father and mother and ensure that their role as a future father is equal to girls’ role as future mothers? Giving boys a range of positive life choices in terms of family, work and leisure can help us reduce the number of boys whose choices are limited and end up poor, illiterate, unemployed, homeless, imprisoned and isolated. This International Men’s Day we are asking what actions we can take to give all boys access to a variety of male role models and ensure their country’s laws and practices give them an equal right to fatherhood, with all the support they need to be the best fathers they can be.


Addressing each of these challenges will help us to help men and boys all over the world to live longer, happier, healthier lives, which is why we are inviting supporters of International Men’s Day to join us in taking on one of more of these five key challenges in 2012.

THE SILENT MAJORITY: JEROME TEELUCKSINGH, Ph.D.

There are many men and boys who are proper role models but are not involved or unaware of International Men’s Day. They comprise the silent majority who ensure that there is happiness, stability in a family and democracy in a country. This silent majority are enriching lives, bringing smiles to sad face, defending countries, upholding justice and protecting the weak and voiceless. However, this silent majority are rarely in the media because unfortunately bad news sells! But the silence is not real. Their voices are constantly heard in the schools, homes, workplace, religious institutions and the streets. The silent majority are aware of their power and are always careful not to abuse this power. They will continue to shape our society and direct the future.


Yes, the silent majority are quiet and almost invisible to the public but their contributions are invaluable. This silent majority do not care for cheap fame and honour. They are genuinely concerned that their input can make a real difference in the world. They are humble and do not seek any media publicity. It is this silent majority that IMD wants the world to know and emulate.

We need more men and women who are rational, responsible, truthful, supportive and respectful. We should try to convince everyone that such values and qualities are needed. Nobody is perfect but we must strive to attain excellence. We must always continue improving ourselves. International Men’s Day has become part of the social fabric in many countries. Yes, IMD will continue working with the silent majority at all levels of society.

AN UNOPENED GIFT: JEROME TEELUCKSINGH, Ph.D.

International Men’s Day recognizes the importance of human life. Supporters and observers of IMD are interested in seeking help and providing advice to those persons who are considering suicide as an option.

Your life is important and you have an important purpose on this Earth. Thus, you must not allow anyone or any event discourage you. Maybe you have been bullied, insulted or mocked. Probably you are in jail for a crime you did not commit. Probably your reputation or family name has been damaged. Maybe your parents or guardians do not approve of a relationship or career choice. The trauma of divorce, separation, injury or sickness can make you feel sad, depressed and suicidal. However, there is no need to believe that your death will solve the problem.

In addition to the family of International Men’s Day, there are trained and qualified professionals who can provide counselling to ensure you are again on the track in life. There are support groups and telephone hotlines for you to hear caring voices. Imagine strangers are aware of the value and importance of your life! Certainly you must also be aware of the beauty and value of your life. We want you to overcome your problems so you can be that pillar of strength for others who are facing similar challenges. Learn from your mistakes and move on.

Every moment of your life is valuable. Enjoy each second, each hour and each day. You must treasure your contributions to this world. The world will suffer a loss when you are no longer here. Your presence will be missed by friends, co-workers and relatives. IMD celebrates life. IMD celebrates your presence at this moment. Life is too short for you to decide to make it shorter. You have life and feel it is useless. Do you realize that there are many sick and dying persons who wish they had the chance to live another day!

Life is a treasure that we all are given. Don’t bury this treasure, share it with others. The gift of life is for you to enjoy. Don’t keep this gift unopened and forgotten. Open it and enjoy.

LEARNING TO SPEAK YOUR NAME: MARK S. CLADIS, PH.D.

Learning to speak your name and to discover your place—that is, to know who you are, where you are, and why you are—are central to our maturation. It requires much in the way of learning and revelation. Gautama the Buddha had to sit still and meditate under the Bodhi tree for 49 days, enduring bolts of lighting, high winds, heavy rains, and flaming rocks. In my case, I had to chase my daughter all day and get up with her in the middle of the night for well over 49 days, wrestling with diaper rash, fevers, projectile vomit, and the constant fear, will-she-die-in-her-crib-tonight? But you have to accept learning and revelation from wherever they come. Much of our maturation comes from seeing and hearing something new in the familiar, from finding some revelation in the everyday. I once went into the desert in search of extraordinary insights. I wanted to return home with a suitably packaged revelation that I could then unpack for the rest of my life. It’s all so innocent. And some places, no doubt, do seem to offer uncommon gifts. But if we think of newness and revelation as the exclusive property of the desert or some other exotic travel destination, then we restrict our opportunities for growth. We risk becoming blind to grace closer to home.

Most of my growth and learning as an adult have been in the home with my daughter, Sabine. This whirlwind of incarnate grace--of chaos and power and beauty in motion—has blown into my life, irreversibly changed its course, and taught me my name. My name is father.

I once traveled through a dark night—it lasted for many years. Amid that darkness I searched for a course that would steady my life and return joy to it. I was haunted by ghosts from my past, profound pain, and persistent questions about the meaning of my life. What chased off the ghosts? What remedy cured the aches and wounds? What enlightened answers addressed my abiding existential questions? In the presence of a face, the ghosts scurried away, the pain receded, and the profound questions dissolved. I had found my course—well, actually, it found me. It was a face—the face of my daughter.

That face taught me who I am. That face taught me why I am here. My journey—a journey shared with the woman who became my wife—has led me through and beyond my ghosts, pain, and questions. And while I do not rule out the possibility of their return, they have presently quieted in the midst of a seemingly endless succession of professional and family tasks—teaching that new course, advising those students, writing that over-due article, attending the next meeting, wiping up that milk, picking up this duck, crouching for hide-'n-seek behind the chair, reading Curious George again and again as if caught in Nietzsche’s eternal recurrence, knowing that I cannot rest, cannot stop but must push on, for this Formidable Presence, my daughter, does not pause except for those occasional intervals of sleep. In the midst of this relentless cyclone a line from Thomas Hardy comes to me, “My ponies are tired,

and I have further to go.” In that moment I pause and smile, for my toil has been given a name and I know that my life is overflowing with meaning. I know that this is my life and that a journey of unspeakable grace has swept me up and bathed me and my aching questions in a love and beauty that now have a face and a name.

I have always sensed a nameless presence in my life. It seems right to say that the nameless presence and its ways have surrounded me with a grace that comes with names I can speak and faces I can touch. Does this sound sentimental—a man saved by the love of wife and child? I assure you: there

is little that is romantic about my life or the lives of people like me. The challenges of daily life do not

permit it. I have aimed for honesty here. For if I get it right, others will see themselves—and not only me— in these words. So here is an honest statement: in the midst of daily life, when I am utterly exhausted and sleep deprived, I will on occasion step back, look at my life and its considerable encumbrance, and, while taking stock of this swirling chaos, I delight in this life, and I know where I am, who I am, and that I would not choose to be anyone or anywhere else. My journey is no longer in the distant desert. It is the daily trek within my home.

Have I sold out? Traded creative angst for domestic comfort? Emerson wrote, “People wish to be settled; only as far as they are unsettled is there any hope for them.” Have I settled for settled? Early in our courtship—on its second day!—I sent that Emerson quotation to the woman who would become my wife. I knew our courtship would introduce much chaos and discomfort into our lives, and I was probably hoping that Emerson would assure her that chaos can be necessary. But what happens when, having made it through the chaotic and turbulent days of the courtship, you marry, have children, and acquire some solidity? Have I shut out any hope for growth and change? It’s a fair question, but one I almost never ask myself, because I am unsettled daily. You want to see a life turned upside down? You want to see chaos and uncertainty? My daughter alone recreates my world, sometimes hourly. Foucault writes brilliantly of the power of social institutions to discipline the self. But he missed a significant source of power: the power of infants and toddlers to command and reorganize the world around them, especially the world of their caregivers. Children unsettle our lives and therein lies our hope. I do not claim that children alone offer such hope of growth, only that they are one of the best avenues to it. We often want to run from the encumbered life—from all those responsibilities and commitments that inhibit our freedom. In fatherhood, however, one discovers a different kind of freedom—the freedom of belonging and of caring; the freedom of being at home in yourself, because you finally know who you are. You are father. 

We all have more than one name, of course. In addition to father, I am husband, colleague, friend, citizen, human, and Child of God. All these names and the roles that accompany them are significant. In our culture, however, father is the name that is the least spoken of. Yet, when spoken by our children, it is the name that most stirs and transforms our hearts. In our search for a course, we may, if we are lucky, be found and rescued by hearing and learning our name. I know I have been found—over and over again. I hear my name, again and again, and not only spoken by my five-year-old daughter, Sabine, but by my still younger twins, Luke and Olive. And in the hearing, I learn to speak my name and become myself.

THE POWER OF WORDS

Words evoke images and emotions. Words have energy and power. They fire up our imagination and have the capacity to shatter our souls and break our spirits. That is why we should choose our words carefully.

So, why am I talking about words?

A few years ago, one evening,  after completing an 11-hour day at the office, I jumped on a bus and headed for a dinner meeting. A woman, in her early 20s, and her son, who appeared to be a little over a year old sat next to me. The little boy looked up at me with curious eyes and gently tugged the sleeve of my coat with his small hands. I smiled and greeted him with a warm “Hello”. His mother admonished him for bothering me. I  smiled again, this time at his mother, and said “It’s okay.”   Squirming in his mother’s lap, again the young soul gently tugged at the  sleeve of my coat.

“Your son is adorable,” I commented to his mother.        

She glanced down at her son, and then informed me: “He likes to fight.  He fights all the time”.

Was she issuing a warning or simply making an observation?

“He does? Really?” I responded.

The little boy’s mother remarked: “Yes. He’s evil!”

She was not joking when she dropped that interesting piece of information on me!  For a moment, I was stunned. If she was describing her son as “evil” to me – a stranger –and in public, what was she saying to him behind closed doors? When I looked at her son, I saw a little boy who was curious, highly intelligent, playful, and keenly intuitive.               

Although her remark seemed innocent on the surface, the young mother did not understand that by uttering the word “evil” to describe her son – especially, in his presence – she was inadvertently programming  her son for failure. More importantly, her words will subconsciously determine how she nurtures and shapes his mind and soul. Yes, what she says about her son also affects her, too!

If you are describing your child to a perfect stranger as “evil,” just how much unconditional positive nurturing can you give to someone whom you feel is “evil”? Now, I am not judging this woman.  I am sure she loves her son. But certain questions do come to mind. Does she understand the power of her words? Does she understand that her son desperately needs positive affirmation and that she is her son’s first female role model? Is there a direct connection between the little boy’s propensity to fight and his mother’s constant description of him as being “evil”? The woman’s son decided to get my attention again. He stretched out his hands in my direction and looked at me.

Just for the record, I did not call out the young mother on her parenting skills. I smiled, looked directly into her son’s chocolate brown eyes, and in a warm and soft voice told him: “You are a good little boy, aren’t you? You are going to be a good little boy, aren’t you? You are going to be a good little boy for your Mother, aren’t you?”

I was quickly approaching my destination. As I rose from my seat, excused myself, and exited the bus, I wondered if the power of my words had subliminally provided the little boy with the positive affirmation he so desperately needs. Did he understand that I was really telling him that he is not “evil”? Had I illustrated to his mother how she can utilize the power of her words to program her son for success?

We must use the “power of our words” to build bridges of understanding, heal broken spirits and shattered souls, inspire the uninspired, and strengthen and empower our families and our communities. Let’s resolve to use the “power of our words” to positively shape the minds and souls of our children – our babies – the Emerging Keepers of the Planet. Our children – our babies –are our future – our bridge to the future.

With each day, through the “power of our words," are we building a bridge to the future that promotes peace or traumatic chaos?

Think about it! 

HONORING THE PAST...EMBRACING THE PRESENT... MOVING FORWARD TO THE FUTURE: HOUSE OF UMOJA, INC.

CONTACT:

Queen Mother Falaka Fattah
Founder – HOUSE OF UMOJA, INC.
(215) 473-5893
E-Mail: falakafattah@aol.com


PHILADELPHIA, PA (USA) --- 27 December 2011 -- On Wednesday, 28 December 2011 – the third day of Kwanzaa, Ujima – Collective Work and Responsibility --, the City of Philadelphia will celebrate the 80th birthday of House of Umoja, Inc. Founder of the House of Umoja, Inc. – QUEEN MOTHER FALAKA FATTAH. Hosted by Philadelphia City Councilman The Honorable Curtis Jones, Jr., the 80th birthday celebration for Queen Mother Falaka Fattah will take place between 3:00 P.M. and 6:00 P.M. in the Mayor’s Reception Room at City Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The gala event which includes a Kwanzaa Program, entertainment, and a “Legacy Speakout” which will allow guests to express their views on what they feel the legacy of the House of Umoja, Inc. is about honoring the House of Umoja, Inc.’s rich history; embracing its contributions to the City of Philadelphia and the world and the current global model it has created for economic and community development, holistic living, and peace – the Think Green Peace Campaign; and moving forward to the future.

It is not by accident that the observance of Kwanzaa is a component of the 80th birthday celebration for Queen Mother Falaka Fattah. The House of Umoja, Inc. was among a small group of organizations that pioneered the celebration of Kwanzaa in the City of Philadelphia.

“Kwanzaa was created in 1966 by Dr. Maulena Karenga. The House of Umoja, Inc. was among a small group of organizations in the City of Philadelphia to promote Kwanzaa which begins on 26 December and ends on 1 January. Today, in 2011, more than 26 million people in every continent around the world celebrate Kwanza,” observed Queen Mother Falaka Fattah.

Founded in 1968 by QUEEN MOTHER FALAKA FATTAH, for 43 years, the House of Umoja, Inc. has positively transformed the lives of over 3,000 at-risk male youths in the City of Philadelphia. The internationally acclaimed organization, in 1974, brought to an end years of bloody and deadly gang violence which had plagued the City of Philadelphia for years through the Imani Peace Pact -- authored by MR. DAVID FATTAH -- which gang leaders throughout the City of Philadelphia signed. In 2006, the House of Umoja, Inc. launched its Faith of Our Fathers Peace Campaign through the 2006 Stay Alive IMANI Youth Anti-Violence Conference which was a Kwanzaa celebration and a forum where barriers of peace were discussed. The Faith of Our Fathers Peace Campaign continues to move a new generation of children and youth to commit to nonviolence by signing the Imani Peace Pledge ™ which is based on the Imani Peace Pact.

“The 2006 Stay Alive IMANI Youth Anti-Violence Conference was a Kwanzaa celebration and a forum where barriers to peace, among other things, were discussed. It was a component of an intense strategic effort to compel our children and youth to commit to peace by not engaging in acts of violence. The conference provided the youth and children in our city with an opportunity to freely talk to the adults about issues that concerned them and offer ideas and suggestions about what should be done to stop the violence in their schools and neighborhoods. Our children and our youth told us – the adults – what they needed and wanted from us. Now, at the same time, our children and youth could clearly see that we – the adults -- were genuinely listening to what they had to say and serious about taking action to reduce violence in their schools and neighborhoods,” Queen Mother Falaka Fattah remarked.

By the end of the first quarter of Calendar Year 2006, Queen Mother Falaka Fattah and her husband Mr. David Fattah had established a Steering Committee for the House Of Umoja, Inc.’s Faith Of Our Fathers Peace Campaign. They brought together individuals with diverse talents who, as members of the Faith Of Our Fathers Peace Campaign Steering Committee, helped the House Of Umoja, Inc. created and implemented initiatives designed to move children in the City of Philadelphia to commit to peace. The House Of Umoja, Inc. established “Partnerships For Peace” with the Free Library of Philadelphia, the Atwater-Kent Museum, Keepers of the Culture Storytellers, and the print and electronic media which included Radio Station WXPN. Major Philadelphia newspapers – The Philadelphia Daily News, The Philadelphia Tribune, The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Philadelphia Weekly -- published an article and the full text of the IMANI Pledge ™ during the week of 10-14 April 2006 which was the Spring vacation for the School District of Philadelphia and a time during which students in Philadelphia’s schools would have access to and read the newspapers – particularly the article concerning the Faith Of Our Fathers Peace Campaign and the full text of the Imani Pledge™. Why have the full text of the Imani Peace Pledge™ published in the newspapers?

“Publishing the full text of the Imani Peace Pledge™ in the newspapers that the children and youth would not only read, but also sign, would give the youth and children in the City of Philadelphia an opportunity to take an active role in bringing peace to their schools, neighborhoods, and their city. Thousands upon thousands of children and youth who lived and attended schools in the Greater Philadelphia area and had read the newspapers during the week of 10-14 April 2006, signed the IMANI Peace Pledge™and mailed their signed Pledges to the House Of Umoja, Inc. The strategy developed by the House Of Umoja, Inc. under the umbrella of the Faith Of Our Fathers Peace Campaign works! The key element and central focus of the Faith Of Our Fathers Peace Campaign was and continues to be the IMANI Peace Pledge™ which is a contractual agreement signed by children and youth of the City of Philadelphia that they will not engage in acts of violence in and outside of school. In signing the Pledge, the youth and children acknowledge that their forefathers brought peace to the City of Philadelphia as youths, and that they too, can do the same. The Pledge ends with the commitment statement ‘Let my word be my bond’ and the House of Umoja is perpetuating the theme ‘I come in peace’ along with the IMANI PledgeTM. During the first quarter of 2006, the House Of Umoja went into schools in its area and directly engaged students – the leaders-to-be ---, beginning with the ninth graders, in a strategy to change the violent culture,” explained Queen Mother Falaka Fattah.

In 2007, the House of Umoja, Inc. was selected to lead and organize the National Million Father March in the City of Philadelphia by PHILIP JACKSON, the Founder of the National Million Father March and Founder and Executive Director of the Black Star Project, a Chicago, Illinois-based organization (www.blackstarproject.org). The House of Umoja, Inc. continues to lead and organize the National Million Father March which is facilitated in over 600 cities throughout the United States on the first day of each academic year and encourages Fathers to escort their children to school and assume a proactive role in their child’s education. The House Of Umoja, Inc.is moving Fathers throughout the City of Philadelphia to redefine their parental roles and responsibilities by “stepping up and out” and escorting their children to school, obtaining a copy of their child’s roster and the academic Calendar of Events at their child’s schools; meeting with their child’s teachers and the principal of the school; and making sure that their child signs the Imani Peace Pledge ™. The House Of Umoja, Inc.’s leadership and organizing role for the National Million Father March in the City of Philadelphia has not only empowered Fathers, it has also captured the imagination of a city, energized the City of Philadelphia’s school system, and rekindled community spirit. As a result the House of Umoja, Inc. has become an energizing voice in the Global Dialogue on Fatherhood and a key player in the International Fatherhood Community.

In 2008, the House of Umoja, Inc. launched a multi-tiered Think Green Peace Campaign which is viewed by many as a global model for economic and community development, health and wellness, holistic living, and peace. The first-tier of the Think Green Peace Campaign came in the form of the First Philadelphia Collard Greens and Cultural Festival which occurred on 25 July 2008 through 27 July 2008. This event is based on The Collard Greens Cultural Festival which originated in Palo Alto, California and was brought to the attention of the House of Umoja, Inc. by Mr. Hakim Starkey, who is a member of the House of Umoja, Inc.’s Faith of Our Fathers Peace Campaign Steering Committee. The next tiers of the Think Green Peace Campaign came in the form of a “Peace Garden” and the transformation of vacant lots into gardens which produce 30 varieties of vegetables. Within the garden, a hole is formed. Members of the community are asked to write down their grievances on a piece of paper; bring the paper on which their grievance is written; and place the grievance in hole in the ground.

“The ‘Think Green Peace' Campaign is engaging our children in learning about our environment and getting them to connect the dots about the importance of the earth, how food is grown, how they can become self-sufficient and how they can beautify the neighborhoods in which they live. Through our 'Think Green Peace' Campaign, a coalition has emerged consisting of our youth, business community, social entrepreneurs, religious institutions, legislators, grassroots community organizations, and elder members of our communities that is working to beautify the communities in which we live and work, save our environment, and create options for 'self-sufficiency'. The Think Green Peace Campaign serves yet another very important purpose. It provides members of the community with a positive outlet for their anger and grievances. It allows them to unburden themselves of negative energy," Queen Mother Falaka Fattah explained.

So, what’s next for the House of Umoja, Inc.? How will it be moving forward in the 2012 and throughout the Millennium? Queen Mother Falaka Fattah will provide the answers on Wednesday, 28 December 2011 at her gala 80th birthday celebration.

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FOUNDER OF INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED HOUSE OF UMOJA, INC. TO CELEBRATE 80TH BIRTHDAY AT MAYOR'S RECEPTION ROOM IN CITY HALL, PHILADELPHIA, PA (USA)

CONTACT:

Queen Mother Falaka Fattah
Founder, House of Umoja, Inc.
Website: www.houseofumoja.org
Telephone: (215) 473-5893
Fax: (215) 879-5340
E-Mail: falakafattah@aol.com


PHILADELPHIA, PA (USA) -- Mark your calendar! Between 3 and 6 pm on Wednesday, December 28, 2011, House of Umoja's founder Queen Mother Falaka Fattah will celebrate her 80th Birthday in the Mayor’s Reception Room 202 City Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the United States of America.

This is a commemoration of a rich history, multitude of accomplishments and human services. Under her visionary leadership,Queen Mother Falaka Fattah chose to dedicate the balance of her life to rebuilding young high-risk boys trapped in gangs. Captured as prisoners of love, the Fattah Family embraced this mission with tireless commitment, compassionate caring and tenacious advocacy. Little did they realize that their vision of peace and increasing the life chances: of youth would eventually evolve into a unique program.

Without any funding, the UMOJA’S founder pursued this Herculean task during the early days by sacrificing meager personal assets and sharing her home with fifteen gang members. Today, this “random act of kindness: has successfully grown into a non-traditional safety net, 501©3 youth agency and sanctuary with a diverse mix of community partners and donors who believe in peace, civility and self-reliance. Thus, House of UMOJA has successfully embarked on training neighborhood peace-makers, the stewards of earth and formidable ambassadors of non-violence before it was fashionable or politically correct.

Since 1968, due to the tremendous experiences of the HOUSE OF UMOJA, it has made a paradigm shift in approach, programmatic emphases and focus on service-delivery. Initially, the unit of analyses has been
improving the individual youth’s internal survival skills and mental/attitude adjustment behaviors. Over the decades, UMOJA has evolved its curricula, reshaped its programs and services to foster positive individual as well as group coping skills to promote social responsibility and productive skills for shaping a better world. This paradigm shift establishes the groundwork for the evolution of UMOJA’s embarking on emphasizing ownership of green peace in neighborhood, advocating for inter-group harmony and rebuilding green spaces on earth.

WHAT WILL BE UMOJA’S LEGACY?

For over forty-three years, the HOUSE OF UMOJA has successfully refined its unique formula for transforming lives of high-risk youth and families through direct interventions as well as teaching a positive work ethic, fostering life-management skills while building self-esteem. It is impossible to calculate the total legacy of UMOJA’s
impact in investing thousands of troubled youths and navigating them through hardships, burdens and challenges towards the productive life of responsible citizenship. In perspective, the UMOJA legacy can be partially measured in terms of the increased well-being permeating throughout Philadelphia neighborhoods. This was done by embracing
principles of self-reliance, education, civility and family values taught by a broad cross-sector of committed mentors. Youth received a second chance and tools necessary to overcome poverty and are now men.


These alumni represent a myriad of trades/professions and have their own families.

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