RECONNECTING THE DISCONNECTED

Children born between 1950 and 1970 could very well be the last generation of children raised by the village as we have to come know it. What did it mean to be a child raised by the village? Every adult in your community had rising expectations for you. They reinforced – in no uncertain terms -- the value system, life lessons, and social skills taught to you by your family. Parents, educators, school administrators, religious institutions, community leaders, non-profit organizations, and concerned adults worked as a team to ensure that the children of the village excelled academically and matured into productive and successful adults. If you were a child raised by the village, you were “every one’s child”. There was an implicit agreement among the Fathers and Mothers in the village that all adults had the right to admonish you when you were misbehaving and protect you from harm. A child being raised by the village felt connected, loved, and protected. In the Millennium, the village is a much different place. A number of children growing up in today’s village do not necessarily feel connected to anyone or anything. If anything, they feel “disconnected”. Why? The village does not seem to be protecting its children – its heart and soul. There are approximately 200 million children in our global village today. According to the International Labor Organization (www.ilo.org) in Geneva, Switzerland, it is estimated that children as young as ten years old – approximately 10 million children – work as domestic laborers outside of their family home. Approximately 10% of child laborers in Haiti are under the age of 10, while 70% of children employed in Morocco by other households are under age 12. What if you were 10 or 12 years and had to spend your days working instead of going to school? Would you feel nurtured, protected, and loved as you made your journey from childhood to adulthood? Would you have a positive self-image? What real life options would be available to you? Would you mature into a purpose driven, successful, and productive adult? Clearly, child labor is not a phenomenon of the Millennium. And clearly, 10 million children having to work to support their families is a symptom of a much deeper problem – poverty. If they are working, then they are probably not attending school. And the adults in the village are not necessarily talking to them about rising expectations. Poorly educated and uneducated children mature into adults who have limited or no marketable skills. As a result, they are unable to adequately provide for themselves and their families. The cycle of poverty is perpetuated. We cannot afford to have approximately 10 million children – the village’s heart and soul – and bridge to the future -- mature into adults who are uneducated, unemployable, and emotionally and psychologically “disconnected”. “Disconnectedness” breeds chaos, crime, and hopelessness. It is extremely difficult to be compassionate, maintain a positive sense of self-worth, and empower and strengthen the village in which you live and work when you are emotionally and psychologically “disconnected”. Eradicating the causes of poverty is a critical piece of the puzzle to “reconnecting the disconnected”, sustaining nurturing and efficiently functioning family units, and restoring order in our global village. According to the International Centre for Prison Studies which is located in London in the United Kingdom, at least 10.1 million people throughout our global village are incarcerated. Many of the incarcerated individuals are parents – parents who are disconnected physically and emotionally from their families and communities. In the United States, approximately 2,239,751 individuals are incarcerated; 1,640,000 individuals are incarcerated in China; Russia estimates that 701,900 individuals are incarcerated; approximately 83,999 individuals are incarcerated in the United Kingdom; 113,018 in Vietnam; 217,000 in Iran; and France estimates that 67,255 individuals are imprisoned. The United States has the highest prison population in our global village. And it is estimated that approximately 700,000 incarcerated individuals are released annually in the United States. It is also estimated that at least 1.7 million children in the United States has an incarcerated parent. Key stakeholders throughout our global village are beginning to acknowledge and examine the far reaching psychological and emotional effects of imprisonment upon the incarcerated and their families and loved ones. In the United States, religious leaders, social entrepreneurs, Thought Leaders, Fatherhood Practitioners, educators, law enforcement professionals, formerly incarcerated individuals, and concerned community members are discussing, among other things, how best to reintegrate into society the 700,000 incarcerated individuals who are released annually from prison. This dialogue is creating support for the development and implementation of parenting programs specifically tailored for Incarcerated Fathers who have been or are about to be released from prison. Key stakeholders are also discussing the development and implementation of a two-tiered intense and mandatory “healing” and “humanization” program which helps formerly incarcerated individuals “reconnect” emotionally, spiritually, and psychologically while simultaneously providing family members and loved ones of formerly incarcerated individuals with emotional and psychological tools to help them heal, trust again, love again, and create a future for themselves. \ Yes, the village of the Millennium is a much different place. It has become a place where many think of themselves as self-contained units. The truth of the matter is that we are connected to everyone and everything in the Universe. We are connected to the homeless, the physically disabled and mentally challenged, to the elderly, to children, to the incarcerated, to the fatherless, to the weak, to the strong, to the rich, to the poor, to the just and the unjust. Destiny, love, fate, hope, our dreams, our thoughts, and our frailties are the components of an invisible thread that connects the 7.1 billion people who live and work in the global village we know as Planet Earth. Our inability or failure to see our “connectedness” is plunging our village into chaos and imbalance. If we want the environment in our village to be nurturing, safe, and vibrant than we must go about the business of “reconnecting the disconnected”. When it’s all said and done, “reconnecting the disconnected” is an investment in the future. -->

TRIUMPH OVER ADVERSITY: CARRY GREAVES

Do you believe that if you were to look inwardly, you can discover the power to construct an improved position in life for yourself? Well, it may surprise you, but the answer is “Yes”. So many of us believe that in order to have a healthy, successful position in life, we need to have some kind of approval by someone else. And this is far from the truth. 

The first thing we must do in order for us to grow into that space that is healthy and progressive, is to restructure the way we view ourselves. When we view ourselves in a negative light, we will more than likely see things and people in a negative way, When we are able to identify through self-awareness the attitudes that we hold that can thrust us forward or hold us back, we are on the right track to create that space in our lives that will be fruitful as well as healthy, We have to take charge of our lives as opposed to allowing others to dictate or control us in a way that will be detrimental to our all around growth and development. Therefore, we must neither be discouraged nor afraid to take the time to look within ourselves to remove the impediments that is causing so many of us to regard ourselves as less than great, beautiful, intelligent, and creative. But the process of searching out for those impediments may take some time to do, and this alone may require a lot of patience and commitment. 

The fact is, we have to be honest with ourselves about the issues that are troubling us and keeping us from becoming the person that we want to become. Additionally, we can’t continue to blame anyone for what we’ve become and if we refuse to accept the assistance that is available to us, then we have to bear the responsibility for what we’ve created in our lives. When we hear of a tragedy or are faced with a crisis, we have to find that quiet space to reflect and make a decision as to what direction we want to take. If we allow such a crisis to take control over our lives, we will not be able to function properly on a day to day basis. This is why it’s important that we wholeheartedly believe in ourselves and create that necessary space in our lives that will be conductive to promoting wellness.

The vast majority of us waste a lot of precious time on matters that are insignificant to our growth. Our focus should be on developing a better relationship with ourselves. When self-determined people are moved to make a change and not waste time blaming others for the condition the world is in, they will have a better opportunity at developing ideas that can be put into manifestation to neutralize any crisis. And this is because that self-determined person had a clear aim and purpose about what they wanted to accomplish. So as we grow into that positive space in our lives, and gain more awareness and knowledge, we will begin to think and do things differently. When we attain more awareness, it will enable us to ascend above the issues and crisis and then we will be able to take full control of our lives. Our future. 

No matter how negative or positive the situation is, it should always be a learning experience. But we also have to bear in mind that we are not a product of our environment, but of the choices that we make. So no matter what comes our way, we should always remain steadfast in our discipline, patience, and commitment to being triumphant over any adversity.

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Mr. Carry Greaves is the National Chair, International Men's Day "Healing And Repatriation" Initiative and facilitates the observance of International Men's Day in American correctional facilities by developing and implementing mentoring sessions, atonement programs, and solutions-based workshops and discussion forums which explore, among other things, eradicating many of the key challenges which marginalize the communities incarcerated souls will return to upon their release.  Mr. Greaves is a published free-lance journalist; poet; and a Senior Contributing Editor to IN SEARCH OF FATHERHOOD(R), an international quarterly Fatherhood and Men's Issues journal published in the United States and distributed on a subscriber basis in the United States, Europe, and Africa.

THOUGHT LEADER, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIST AND MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONAL MR. JIM SMITH ENERGIZES NATIONAL CONVERSATION ON EDUCATION

 LARGO, MD (USA) – 6 April 2013 -- While many parents, educators, school administrators, and businesses, are alarmed about the glaring flaws in the American education system, Jim Smith, is energizing the national conversation on education and transforming America’s schools.

The Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development’s (“OECD) Programme for International Student Assessment (“PISA”), headquartered in Paris, issues a report every three years assessing the reading, mathematics, and science skills of the world’s 15 year olds in 70 countries. The PISA Report indicated that, in 2009, the United States had an overall ranking of 14th out of 34 OECD countries for reading skills, 17th for science skills, and a below-average 25th ranking for mathematics.  The 2012 PISA Report will provide a ranking for the United States will be released in December 2013.

 Reports like this one are why Jim Smith, after graduating from the Wharton School of Business in 2007, has devoted his life and his business acumen to designing and implementing innovative programs geared to help American children mature into highly skilled, productive adults in the 21st century global workplace. His recipe for success is utilizing high-technology in the educational process, while creating strategic alliances with key stakeholders in the business and tech business sector, who have a vested interest in an educated and highly-trained workforce.

So, who is Jim Smith? A Certified Project Management Professional (PMP), Mr. Smith is Managing Partner at Digital Network Group -- an Information Technology and Management Consulting firm – and President of Kinetic Potential, Inc., a mentoring and life development organization (www.kpscholars.com). Mr. Smith holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business where finance and entrepreneurship were his areas of concentration. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Physics from Occidental College and a Master of Science degree in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research from the University of Massachusetts. During his career, Smith has helped numerous corporations, government agencies, and non-profit organizations in the areas of strategic planning, outsourcing, global product development, system integration and program turnarounds, including AT&T, Verizon, GEICO, Bank of America, the Commonwealth of Virginia, the United States Social Security Administration, and the Republic of Liberia. Viewed by many as a game changer, Smith sees the work that he does transforming the American educational system as an investment in the future.

When reached for comment, Mr. Smith offered the following:

“Today’s youth face a growing number of social crises that make navigating adolescence difficult and impede the path to success. Over 1.23 million high school students failed to graduate on time, while more than 32 million young people under 18 were under juvenile court jurisdiction. These statistics are startling, and illustrate the measurable effects of failed education policies, unstable home units, and increased crime. And there are economic consequences behind these statistics. Juvenile crime, teenage pregnancies, and high school dropouts cost taxpayers billions of dollars a year and weaken the American labor pool. So, what’s the answer? Structured, after-school and youth development programs traditionally provide after school services, enriching the 2000 hours children spend outside of the classroom and decreasing the chance a child will engage in negative behavior. However, the Kinetic Potential (KP) Scholars Program takes these solutions a step further by integrating traditional youth development programs into a dynamic network of service providers that support not just youth development but life development of individuals from childhood through adulthood. This type of educational intervention is integral to the country’s economic future. A reality recognized by our partners in the global corporate community who we’ve partnered with to create the next generation of great minds.”

The Kinetic Potential (KP) Scholars Program is positively transforming educational systems, helping to create real-life career options for children and young adolescents, empowering educators, school administrators, parents, and stabilizing communities. For further information about the empowering work of Mr. Jim Smith and, visit http://www.kpscholars.com or send an e-mail to: ses@kpscholars.com or call 301-883-8256.

INTERNATIONAL MEN'S DAY HEALING AND REPATRIATION PROJECT

Inaugurated in 1999 in Trinidad and Tobago by Jerome Teelucksingh, Ph.D., a Thought Leader on Gender Issues and a faculty member in the History Department of the University of West Indies, International Men’s Day is observed in over 70 nations on 19 November of each year. Since 2008, the United States has observed International Men’s Day. In 2012, for the first time, International Men’s Day was observed in a correctional facility when an individual residing in the Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, New York accepted an invitation to assume a leadership role for 2012 International Men’s Day as its Empowerment Coordinator. The individual in question donned the mantle of Empowerment Coordinator for 2012 International Men’s Day and coordinated an event in alignment with that year’s theme, “Helping Men and Boys Live Longer, Happier, Healthier Lives”. 2013 International Men’s Day will be observed at the Clinton Correctional Facility under the theme, “Keeping Men And Boys Safe” and under the leadership of its International Men’s Day Empowerment Coordinator. 

The success of the inaugural observance of International Men’s Day at the Clinton Correctional Facility has spawned the creation of the “International Men’s Day Healing and Repatriation Project”. This project promotes the observance of International Men’s Day in correctional facilities throughout the United States. The observances can take the form of workshops and discussions about issues that are in alignment with the theme of International Men’s Day. Engaging incarcerated individuals – intellectually and psychologically – in an event which is observed worldwide – an event which provides them with an opportunity to engage in critical thinking about issues that affect them, their families and loved ones, and the communities in which they lived and will return to, will help them see themselves as “part of a whole”. Providing incarcerated individuals with the opportunity to share ideas, create solutions, engage in critical thinking, and see themselves as a “part of a whole” is a first step toward helping them successfully reintegrate into society upon their release. 

For further information about the International Men’s Day Healing and Repatriation Project, contact the United States Coordinator for International Men’s Day at: insearchoffatherhood@gmail.com.

HEALING AND HUMANIZATION: AN INVESTMENT IN THE FUTURE

According to the International Centre for Prison Studies which is located in London in the United Kingdom, at least 10.1 million people throughout our global village are incarcerated. Many of the incarcerated individuals are parents – parents who are disconnected physically and emotionally from their families and communities. In the United States, at least approximately 2,239,751 individuals are incarcerated and at least approximately 1.7 million children in the United States have a parent who is incarcerated. It is estimated that on an annual basis, nearly 600,000 individuals are released annually. We are talking about 600,000 souls every year returning to our communities who need healing and humanization.

 In the Spring of 2012, I discussed with Douglass Capogrossi, Ph.D., the President of Akamai University (www.akamaiuniversity.us) a concept for an intensive and mandatory psychological debriefing for individuals who are being released or have been released from correctional facilities throughout our nation. After some thought, I have concluded that a need exists for the design and implementation of a two-tiered “healing” and “humanization” mandatory program. The first tier of the program will provide mandatory and intensive psychological debriefing for a minimum of six (6) months to one (1) year for all individuals who have been incarcerated, but particularly for Men. At the same time, the second tier of the program will provide for mandatory and intensive sessions with loved ones and family members of individuals who have been incarcerated. This second tier will provide the loved ones and family members with the necessary psychological and emotional tools they will need to help those they love who have been incarcerated heal spiritually, psychologically, and emotionally; trust again; love again; create a future for themselves; and empower and strengthen the communities where they now live and work. The second tier is necessary to create positive reinforcement for the formerly incarcerated and transform the environment to which they  have returned.

Why is this so important? Because we are connected by an invisible thread to the 600,000 souls who are released annually from correctional facilities across the United States and to the approximately 2,239,751 souls who are currently incarcerated. We are connected to each of them, their families, and their loved ones. Think of it as an investment in the future – your future, the future of your family, the community in which you live and work, and in the future of your nation.

AUTHOR AND EDUCATIONAL MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONAL FRANK C KLOCK TAPPED FOR LEADERSHIP ROLE IN 2013 INTERNATIONAL MEN'S DAY

NAPERVILLE, IL (USA) – 30 March 2013 – Award-winning short story author, editor, poet, novelist, Educational Management Consultant for Gryphon & Phoenix, Ltd, and Contributing Editor to IN SEARCH OF FATHERHOOD®, a quarterly international Fatherhood and Men’s Issues journal, FRANK C KLOCK has been selected to serve as the Illinois (USA) Regional Co-Coordinator for the 2013 International Men’s Day (https://sites.google.com/a/imd-global.org/international-mens-day/).  MR. KLOCK joins MR. JOHN D. EVANS who serves as the lead Illinois Regional Co-Coordinator for 2013 International Men’s Day in a leadership role for this worldwide event which will be celebrated on 19 November 2013 under the theme “Keeping Men And Boys Safe”. 

MR. KLOCK is also a Member of the Knights of Columbus, 4th Degree (8365/209); Committee Member, Troop Chaplain, and Merit Badge / Religious Awards Counselor for Boy Scout Troop 199 at St. Alexander Parish in Villa Park, Illinois; Knight, Grand Commander and Coligréari of the Ancient Order of the Red Squirrel (a writing group); and volunteers at his local library bringing books to the home bound.

 International Men’s Day is observed in over 70 nations around the world. Inaugurated in 1999 by Jerome Teelucksingh, Ph.D.; a ‘Thought Leader’ on Gender Issues, faculty member in the History Department at the University of West Indies in Trinidad and Tobago, author, and poet; International Men’s Day celebrates and honors the contributions and selfless sacrifices that Men make to our families, communities and our world. It shares a 48 hour partnership with Universal Children’s Day which is celebrated annually on 20 November, and both are endorsed by the United Nations. 

GROUNDBREAKING WORK OF INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED FATHERHOOD AND MEN'S ISSUES THOUGHT LEADER J. STEVEN SVOBODA, M.S., J.D. EXPLORED BY IN SEARCH OF FATHERHOOD(R)

 

PHILADELPHIA, PA (USA) – 20 March 2013 -- Internationally acclaimed Thought Leader on Fatherhood and Men’s Issues and Harvard Law School alumnus Human rights attorney J. Steven Svoboda, M.S., J.D. and pediatrician Robert S. Van Howe, M.D. have published a new article in one of the world’s leading journals on medical ethics arguing that the American Academy of Pediatrics’ (AAP’s) position regarding male circumcision lacks credible support. The article, titled, “Out of step: fatal flaws in the latest AAP policy report on neonatal circumcision,” was being published online on Monday, 18 March 2013, leading off the latest issue of the Journal of Medical Ethics (JME). The issue also includes a second article by Mr. Svoboda detailing why male circumcision violates universal human rights principles and agreements. The US’ premier organization of pediatricians has already arranged for the JME to publish its response in an ill-fated attempt to justify the medically and ethically flawed arguments in its policy statement and technical report. This past Saturday, ARC released a list of more than fifty legal settlements and judgments awarded due to harm caused by male circumcision and totaling over $80 million (www.arclaw.org/resources/settlements). Svoboda also just recently completed for publication in an upcoming book from Springer an article about problems with applying informed consent to male circumcision, titled, "Tortured Bodies, Tortured Doctrines: Informed Consent As a Legal Fiction Inapplicable to Neonatal Male Circumcision." 

In 2001, Mr. Svoboda transformed male circumcision into an international human rights issue when he traveled to Geneva, consulted with the United Nations’ Sub-Commission for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, and made oral and written submissions. Mr. Svoboda’s submissions became part of the official United Nations record and the first document ever accepted by the United Nations on male circumcision. It was an act that has catapulted Mr. Svoboda into the world’s history books. 

So, why has male circumcision become an international human rights issue? Any why is Mr. Svoboda helping to move male circumcision into the Global Dialogue on Fatherhood and Men’s Issues? You’ll find the answers in the Winter 2013 issue of IN SEARCH OF FATHERHOOD®, a quarterly Fatherhood Men’s Issues journal which is reprinting with permission, “The Limits of the Law: Comparative Analysis of Legal and Extralegal Methods to Control Child Body Mutilation Practices” – a chapter authored by Mr. Svoboda published in "Understanding Circumcision" (ISBN 978-0-306-46701-1). “Understanding Circumcision” was published in 2001 by Springer Science + Business Media LLC (New York). 

"Mr. Svoboda is a truth seeker. He is not afraid to go where angels fear to tread. Circumcision is a subject that is rarely discussed publicly or privately and Mr. Svoboda is helping to move this subject squarely into the center of the Global Dialogue on Fatherhood and Men’s Issues. The body of work that Mr. Svoboda has produced on circumcision provides the reader with a greater understanding of other cultures and an enhanced level of compassion. It will change the reader’s view of the world and move the reader to think and to question. We are honored that Mr. Svoboda has entrusted IN SEARCH OF FATHERHOOD® with the privilege of sharing his groundbreaking work with our readers,” remarked Diane A. Sears, the Managing Editor of IN SEARCH OF FATHERHOOD®.

In 1997, Mr. Svoboda established Attorneys for the Rights of the Child (“ARC”) (www.arclaw.org), a federally and state-certified nonprofit corporation. Svoboda graduated summa cum laude from the University of California at Los Angeles in 1983. He holds a Master’s degree in Physics from the University of California at Berkeley. In 1991, he graduated cum laude from Harvard Law School. A patent lawyer in a well-known Chicago intellectual property law firm, Svoboda also practices human rights law in Berkeley, California. Over the course of the past several years and with the assistance of volunteer lawyers, ARC has released a compilation of worldwide legal decisions and settlements upholding the rights of individuals who were circumcised. ARC leverages its work to protect both male and female genital integrity through cooperation with other organizations. The International Symposium on Human Rights and Modern Society bestowed the Human Rights Award upon Mr. Svoboda in 2002. He has utilized his legal expertise in the representation of plaintiffs in several state and federal lawsuits to protect genital integrity. Svoboda coauthored with Dr. Warren Farrell and Dr. James Sterba, “Does Feminism Discriminate Against Men? A Debate”, a beset-selling gender studies textbook which Oxford University Press published in 2008.   Svoboda is also the publisher of over 175 reviews of books which explore masculinity and men’s rights; Public Relations Director and a Board member of the National Coalition for Men, the world’s largest and oldest Men’s Rights organization; long standing columnist for GRIP Magazine which has published over 40 installments of his columns entitled, “Gender, Law, and Fatherhood”; and an expert tournament chess player. 

For further information about Mr. Svoboda’s groundbreaking work on male circumcision, visit the website of Attorneys for the Rights of the Child at www.arclaw.org.

The Winter 2013 issue of IN SEARCH OF FATHERHOOD® which features Mr. Svoboda’s thought provoking work on circumcision was released for distribution on 18 March 2013. www.arclaw.org