NATIONAL TELEPHONE CONFERENCE TO EXPLORE “ROLE OF FATHERS IN CHILDREN’S EDUCATION” HOSTED BY THE PEOPLES UNIFIED RESOURCE CENTER AND TRI-STATE (USA) INTERNATIONAL MEN’S DAY COORDINATOR REVEREND ANTHONY L. STEVENSON, SR., MFT, ON 19 NOVEMBER 2013

PHILADELPHIA, PA (USA) – 18 November 2013 – In observance of 2013 International Men’s Day, a national telephone conference on Tuesday, 19 November 2013 from 2:00 P.M. (E.D.T.) through 3:30 P.M. (E.D.T.) will bring together Thought Leaders on education, health, Fatherhood, and wealth building from around the nation to explore the “Role of Fathers in Education”. The national telephone conference which is hosted by the Peoples Unified Resource Center (“PURC”) under the leadership of Tri-State (USA) International Men’s Day Coordinator Reverend Anthony L. Stevenson, Sr., MFT, will feature Mr. Kenneth Gamble, an internationally acclaimed songwriter and record producer who co-founded with Mr. Leon Huff, Philadelphia International Records, and transformed the City of Philadelphia into the musical capital of the world, as a guest speaker.

Mr. Gamble is the Founder of Universal Companies and Schools which provides affordable housing along with educational and health resources and is viewed by many as a global model for education and urban revitalization.  He will be joined on the national telephone conference by Reverend Stevenson, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of PURC, a Double-Certified Master Fatherhood Trainer and Facilitator with the National Fatherhood Initiative (“NFI”), a National Partnership for Community Leadership (“NPCL”) Certified Licensor, Founder of All Gods Children Need S.H.O.E.S.(4C.C.C.C.G.Family Empowerment Mall, Four Corners Crusade for Life Community Baptist Church, developer of the universally accepted faith-based Let’s Be About the Fathering Business I.C.A.N program and curriculum, and Peace Ambassador for the World Association of Non-Governmental Organizations (“WANGO”); Mr. Robert D. Johnson, a nationally acclaimed expert on Fatherhood and Family issues who serves as the National Campaign Director of the Fathers In Education Campaign and a member of he National Fatherhood Leadership Group (“NFLG”) where he serves as the organization’s National Mobilization Officer; David Shipon, M.D., FACC, Director of Cardiac Rehabilitation at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and Chief Executive Officer of the Athlete Health Organization (www.athletehealth.org); Dr. Thomas Reid, Chief Executive Officer of Southwest NuStop (www.swnustop.com); Mr. Zachary C. Husser, Sr. of “Save Our Sons”; Mr. Lance Dickson, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of “Committed Fathers Alliance” (www.committedfathers.org);Mr. Tony Nelson of Citizens Institute for People with Criminal Records; Alvin S. Perry, DBA, MBA, founder of Critical Zone (www.criticalzoneinc.com); Mr. Harve Nichols, Director of Programming at PURC; Reverend William Harris of “Godfathers”; Mr. Raheem Stevenson, a Wealth and Family Legacy Building expert; and Ms. Diane Aisha Sears, the United States Coordinator for International Men’s Day, member of the International Men’s Day Coordination Committee where she represents the United States; and Chair of the USA 2012-2022 International Men’s Day Ten Year Plan Committee.            

 

International Men’s Day was inaugurated in 1999 in Trinidad and Tobago by Jerome Teelucksingh, Ph.D., a Gender Issues Thought Leader and faculty member in the History Department at the University of West Indies and celebrates and honors the contributions and sacrifices that Men make to our families, our communities, and our world. It shares a 48-hour partnership with Universal Children’s Day which is observed worldwide on 20 November of each year and is endorsed by the United Nations.         

Individuals, organizations, and institutions interested in participating in the National Telephone Conference on International Men's Day -- Tuesday, 19 November 2013 2:00 P.M. (E.D.T.) through 3:30 P.M. (E.D.T) may call 1-712-432-1500 and provide the access code of 184696#.

For further information about International Men's Day, visit its official website at https://sites.google.com/a/imd-global.org/international-mens-day. # # #

USA 2O12-2022 INTERNATIONAL MEN'S DAY TEN YEAR PLAN

1.   Creation of White House Council on Boys and Men 

-  The Commission on the White House Council on Boys and Men created in 2010 by globally acclaimed Thought Leader on Fatherhood and Men's Issues Warren Farrell, Ph.D. is calling for the creation of a White House Council on Boys and Men which would move to the national stage for resolution, the key challenges that Boys struggle with which prevent them from reaching their full potential and maturing into purpose driven, productive and successful adults.  These challenges are education, emotional health, Father involvement, physical health, and work. 

 

2. Education

 

- Reduce school drop out rate for boys and young adolescent males by 50%.

- Increase literacy rate for boys and young adolescent males by 80%

- Explore existing models that effectively address school dropout and literacy issues to determine if they can be implemented nationally

- Design and implementation of tutoring and mentoring programs

 

 

 

3.  Mass Incarceration, Re-Entry, and Reintegration

 

- Mass Incarceration:  Identify causative factors attributing to rising number of boys, young adolescent males, and Men being incarcerated (e.g., poverty, lack of positive male role models, lack of mentoring, lack of education, dysfunctional families, etc.)

- Mass Incarceration:  Explore existing models that eradicate causative factors attributable to placing boys, young adolescent males, and Men on the path to prison

- Re-Entry/Reintegration:  Mandatory one (1) year minimum two-tiered "psychological debriefing program" for formerly incarcerated and their families and loved ones to (a) provide formerly incarcerated with psychological and emotional tools needed to resolve self-esteem, anger management, and decision making issues; and (b) provide family members and loved with emotional and psychological tools to help formerly incarcerated individuals successfully navigate the arduous journey to healing, redemption, and reintegration.

- Re-Entry/Reintegration:  Mandatory Mentoring Program which matches up a newly released incarcerated individual with a formerly incarcerated individual who has a track record of successfully reintegrating into society and family life for one-on-one mentoring.

- Re-Entry/Reintegration:  Paid Apprenticeship Programs in all industries which lead, after completion of apprenticeship,  to full-time employment at companies offering the apprentice programs to formerly incarcerated individuals.

 

 

 

4.  Fatherhood

- Male Parenting Programs that educate boys and young adolescent males who are not Fathers as well as expectant fathers on their parental roles and responsibilities (e.g., changing diapers, feeding, what infants and children need -- e.g., nurturing, mentoring, bonding, etc., types of effective discipline based on age of child, etc.).

- Passage and enactment of Federal Equal Custody Act which would provide, among other things,  (a) courts with a mandate in child custody cases to grant Fathers full and physical joint custody of a child: (b) parenting time credit which would work to reduce the amount of child support a Father pays according to the additional amount of time he spends with his child; and (c) paternity leave to all Fathers.

 

 

 

5.  Health

 

- Passage and enactment of Men's Health legislation which would, among other things, create an Office of Men's Health which would advocate for research and research funding for prostate cancer, colon cancer, diabetes, etc. and do for Men's Health what the Office of Women's Health (established in 1991) has done and continues to do for Women's Health.

- Reduction by at least 50%, the rising mortality rate for prostate cancer, colon cancer, and heart disease

- Reduction by at least 50%, the rising incidence of diabetes and Alzheimer's Disease

- Reduction by at least 50%, the rising incidence of suicide among boys, adolescent young males, and Men

 

 

6,  Violence

 

- The design and implementation of mandatory conflicts resolution and anger management training for grades K through 12.

- The reduction by 80% of physical, emotional, and "cyber" bullying

 

 

7.  Military In Transition
- Reduce by 50%, homelessness among veterans/military personnel

- Reduce by 50%, suicide rate among veterans/military personnel

- Reduce by 50%, unemployment rate among veterans/military personnel

- Reduce by 50%, Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome among veterans/military personnel

"WHAT IF HE CRIES?"

“What if he cries? What do I do if my husband cries?” she asked me. Her husband had just experienced the sudden death of a close family member. The days ahead for this young couple – particularly the husband – would be emotionally and mentally challenging. A funeral and a burial would take place in a few days

 It was obvious to me that this young newlywed was deeply concerned about her husband’s emotional and mental well-being. Without hesitation, I told her what to do: 

 “If he cries, without hesitation, run to him . . . hold him . . . comfort him. Tell him that you are here for him and that you love. Let him know that he can shed tears in front of you and that it will, in no way, in your eyes, diminish his manliness. He needs to know that you view his expression of his emotions . . . his sharing with you of his deepest feelings – a sacred act. He needs to know that he can trust you enough to be vulnerable and bare his soul.”

I wanted to help this young woman “get it right” about what her husband would need and want from her – emotionally and mentally. Many of us have it “all wrong” when it comes to what Men need – emotionally and mentally – from the Women in their lives. It is important that Women “get it right” about the emotional and mental needs of Men. Why? Because we are connected to each other. Our belief system about the emotional, spiritual, and psychological needs of Men is shaped during our journey from childhood to adulthood by our parents and family members, society, and to some degree, the images and stereotypes of men depicted in film, television, and music videos. As a result, many of us feel that Men have different emotional, psychological, and spiritual needs. The truth of the matter is that we were all endowed with the same range of emotions when we emerged from the womb and entered this space and place we know as Planet Earth. Men and Women ask the same question: “Do you see me? Do you hear me? Do I matter?” Men are not emotionless automatons. Men laugh, love, hurt, and experience joy and pain. And yes, Men cry. There is nothing wrong with a man shedding tears. It does not diminish his “manliness” nor is it a reason to call his manhood into question. 

 For Women, supporting the emotional and mental well-being of our husbands, sons, fiancées, brothers, uncles, fathers, grandfathers, nephews, and cousins will require us to examine everything we have been taught about Men and to weigh whether it is true or not. We cannot begin to help and support Men if we cling to false and stereotypical beliefs about them. Our conscious and subconscious beliefs about Men drive our behavior towards them. Women with open minds and open hearts can create a “safe harbor” for the Men in their lives -- a place where Men can bare their souls and lay down their emotional baggage. The “safe harbor” is a place that is “drama free” – a place where unconditional love, respect and trust abides. If a Man feels and knows that you respect him, he will trust you and allow himself to be vulnerable. He will bare his soul. It will happen without warning. It will be the responsibility of the Woman in his life to instinctively recognize that he is pouring out his heart and soul to her and to respond accordingly. When Men bare their souls, it is a sacred act and the Women in their lives must honor it. 

 On International Men's Day -- and every day -- let's support the emotional and mental well-being of the Men  in our lives --and tell them through words and deeds --that they are worthy . . . that we hear them . . . see them . . . love them . . . that they matter.

RAISING GREAT MEN (TM) AND THE STYLE GENT PARTNER WITH INTERNATIONAL MEN'S DAY TO LAUNCH CALL TO ACTION FOR WOMEN TO SUPPORT MEN'S EMOTIONAL AND MENTAL WELL-BEING

This month, The Style Gent and I are partnering with International Men's Day U.S Coordinator, Ms. Diane Sears to launch a call to action for women to support the emotional and mental well-being of the males in their lives. 

This year's International Men's Day theme is " keeping men and boys safe." Through this call to action, we want boys and men to feel safe to share their thoughts and feelings. We don't want them to suffer alone.  

We're asking moms, wives, daughters, aunts, girlfriends, stepmoms, grandmothers, etc to take the pledge to create a safe space for boys and men to talk and share.  

This initiative is personal to me as I am supporting my husband (a 3 time Iraqi war veteran) through his struggles with PTSD. 

I'm reaching out to you to share this initiative, as well as any resources you may have to support boys and men.

Thank you!

What Kind of Man Do You Want To Be?

Twitter: @raisinggreatmen
Raising Great Men- Real talk about raising boys to become men of character.

Raising Boys in the City Meetup Group-NYC

Associate Editor, The Good Men Project

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EMOTIONAL BAGGAGE AND CHAOS IN OUR COMMUNITIES

Our communities have become spiritually and psychologically toxic environments.   How did our communities get this way?  Chaos abounds.  Why?  Emotional baggage!

Let's go back to the day that you were born.  When you emerged from the womb and entered the space and place we know as Planet Earth -- our global village -- your soul and your spirit were pure . . . intact . . . You were a whole person.  You were a sensitive, trusting, compassionate and loving soul.  You were curious about the new world you found yourself in.  You gurgled with joy and laughter when you were happy and amused.  You cried when you were hungry, angry or lonely in the hopes of getting the attention of the adults who were in your world so that you could get what you needed for your intellectual, physical, and emotional development.  As time progressed, you developed a vocabulary.  You began to speak -- first in words -- then in full sentences.  You reached a point where you could clearly articulate what you needed and wanted.  You learned these words and sentences from the adults in your immediate environment and from other children.  You asked questions about everything you saw, heard, and did not understand.  Your eyes sparkled with delight as you made new discoveries about the world inside and outside of your immediate environment.  You sang when you were happy.  You were resilient, enthusiastic, spontaneous, energetic, and so very imaginative. 

And then somewhere during your journey from childhood to adulthood something happened.  Maybe it was something that someone you trusted said to you.  Maybe he or she told you that you weren't smart or talented or worthy or pretty or handsome.  Perhaps when you shared your dreams -- dreams of your future -- with this person, he or she told you that you were not capable of accomplishing what you dreamed about because you weren't smart enough, worthy enough, pretty or handsome enough.  What you heard hurt you . . . crushed your spirit and and shook your soul to its core.  The pain was too great.  You were too young to learn how to effectively and correctly deal with emotional and psychological pain, disappointment, rejection, and humiliation.  No one provided you with the correct "coping tools" that you needed which would have helped you deal with your emotional and psychological pain.  So, for your own sanity and survival, you found a way to numb the pain.  You kept your ambitions and dreams to yourself.  You hid your real emotions.  You had to protect yourself.  You were not going to "put yourself out there" ever again and get smacked around.  You pretended to yourself that you didn't feel the pain of ridicule, rejection, disappointment and humiliation.  You silently told yourself, "I don't feel this pain -- this disappointment -- this humiliation -- this rejection."  And on the conscious level, perhaps you were able to numb the pain. But you can never fool your soul and your spirit.  So, what happened to the pain?  It made its way to the floor of your soul.  Throughout your journey from childhood to adulthood, every disappointment, every rejection, every humiliation made its way to the floor of your soul.  The floor of your soul is cluttered with layers upon layers of pain from disappointments, rejections, scorn, and humiliation. These layers of pain are "clutter".  And the "clutter" that resides on the floor of your soul that is choking the life out of your spirit is "emotional baggage".  This emotional baggage drives every decision that you make.

You cannot separate yourself from your emotional baggage.  You drag it to work, to school, into your marriage or your relationship with your significant other, into your parenting, into your children's lives, and into the lives of your friends and neighbors.  Everywhere you go, your emotional baggage follows.  It is the reason you are unhappy, unmotivated, unproductive, unsuccessful, angry, and violent.  It is the reason that you feel abandoned, unloved, and unworthy.  It is the reason that you are a bully or an abuser.  It is the reason that you allow yourself to be abused or bullied.  It is the reason you allow the wrong people to enter and share your most intimate and sacred place.  It is the reason that you are unable to and cannot fulfill your destiny and do the work that you were here on Earth to do. It is the reason you do not understand that you have an obligation to overcome the environment that you were born into.  It is the reason that you are self-medicating with alcohol, drugs, food, or sex.  It is the reason why you are in a prison cell.

Emotional baggage distorts your reality. Having said that, is there any wonder why there is so much chaos and drama in our communities? While "emotional baggage' may act as a cushion for pain, it prevents you from being the joyful, unconditionally loving, compassionate, and trusting person that you were when you emerged from the womb. 

No one may have given the emotional and psychological tools that you needed  to resolve in a healthy manner the pain, disappointments, humiliation, and rejection that one experiences in life when you were a child. It may have been because no one had these tools to give or teach you.  But that was the past.  Let's look at the present and the future.  You are an adult and can make decisions for yourself.  You can get the emotional and psychological tools that you need to remove the layers of "clutter" on the floor of your soul.  It is safe to give yourself permission to lay your burden down.  Think of it as an investment in yourself, your family, your community, and the world.

RAISING GREAT MEN(TM) ISSUES "CALL TO ACTION TO WOMEN" TO SUPPORT BOYS' AND MEN'S EMOTIONAL AND MENTAL WELL-BEING IN OBSERVANCE OF 2013 INTERNATIONAL MEN'S DAY

P R E S S   R E L E A S E

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:

Ms. Marie Roker-Jones

Founder, Raising Great Men (TM)

E-Mail: mroker@raisinggreatmen.com

RAISING GREAT MEN (TM) ISSUES "CALL TO ACTION TO WOMEN" TO SUPPORT BOYS AND MEN'S EMOTIONAL AND MENTAL WELL-BEING IN OBSERVANCE OF 2013 INTERNATIONAL MEN'S DAY

          NEW YORK, NY (USA) – 16 October 2013 – In observance of 2013 International Men’s Day which will be celebrated in over 70 nations throughout our global village under the theme, “Keeping Men And Boys Safe”, Raising Great Men™ has issued a “Call To Action To Women” to support the emotional and mental well-being of the boys and men in their lives.

          The emotional and mental health of boys and men has been identified by the International Men’s Day Global Team as one of the challenges to keeping them safe.  The “Call To Action” for Women launched by Raising Great Men™ under the leadership of its founder, Ms. Marie Roker-Jones represents the first tier of a two-tiered initiative launched in observance of  2013 International Men’s Day.

           The announcement of the launch of a “Call To Action To Women” to support boys and men’s emotional well being comes on the heels of the announcement by Raising Great Men ™ of its hosting a “safe space” for men on 2013 International Men’s Day – the second tier o the two-tiered initiative designed by the New York City-based organization.  This online space will provide men, particularly fathers with an opportunity to address how they want to be role models for the next generation of men.

          We also want these men to talk about the support they need from the women in their lives to be healthy, whole men.

          For more information about the initiative, please visit “What Kind Of Man Do You Want To Be”  at the following link:  http://whatkindofman.tumblr.com.

A LOOK AT LITERARY WORK PENNED BY GENDER ISSUES THOUGHT LEADER AND INTERNATIONAL MEN'S DAY FOUNDER JEROME TEELUCKSINGH, Ph.D.

ACHIEVING PEACE, EQUALITY, AND A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT

Author:  Jerome Teelucksingh, Ph.D.

Publisher:  Author House ™

ISBN:  978-1-4634-4218-7

Website:  www.amazon.com

How is that individuals from over 70 nations who speak different languages and worship differently are able to “check their egos at the door” and work together with a compassionate spirit to create a better and safer world? Gender Issues Thought Leader, author, poet, humanitarian and faculty member in the History Department at the University of Trinidad and Tobago offers some profound answers through his latest literary work, “Achieving Peace, Equality, And A Healthy Environment”.  In 1999, Dr. Teelucksingh stepped out on faith and inaugurated International Men’s Day on 19 November in Trinidad and Tobago.  He selected 19 November as the date for the observance of International Men’s Day because it is his Father’s birthday. 

Dr. Teelucksingh is a man who constantly asks, “What if?”  In 1999, he asked, “What if the invaluable contributions and selfless sacrifices that Men make to our families, our communities, and our world were celebrated on a particular day every year?  What if on this day and throughout the year, we could bring together people from different cultures, religions and nationalities together to make the world a better and safer place by honoring and improving the lives of Men everywhere?  What if we could build bridges of friendship and trust that transcended the boundaries of geography, ethnicity, language, religion, politics, economics, class, and culture?”

“Achieving Peace, Equality, And A Healthy Environment” explores how International Men’s Day has become the vehicle for transforming the “What ifs” posed by Dr. Teelucksingh into powerful realities.  “Achieving Peace, Equality, And A Healthy Environment” is a masterfully crafted literary work penned by the one of the 21^st Century’s greatest humanitarian – Dr. Jerome Teelucksingh.  It is powerful tutorial on how one can become a Global Citizen and connects the dots between global citizenship, International Men’s Day, and creating a compassionate, nurturing, and safe environment in communities throughout our global village.

Is it possible to create a world without poverty, injustice, sadness, racism, or pollution?  How do we reconnect the disconnected souls in our families, communities, and our world?  How do we heal broken spirits and shattered souls?  How do we transform spiritually and psychologically toxic communities into an oasis of hope?  Dr. Teelucksingh provides answers in “Achieving Peace, Equality, And A Healthy Environment”.

“Achieving Peace, Equality, And A Healthy Environment” is recommended reading for change agents, social entrepreneurs, educators, religious leaders, legislators, legal professionals, law enforcement professionals, health care professionals and providers, social services professionals and providers, Fatherhood Practitioners, and Men’s Issues advocates.