SENDING A MESSAGE

Men, Fathers, Men's Groups, Fatherhood Practitioners, and Fatherhood organizations in nations throughout our Global Village that included Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Australia, India, the United States, Singapore, the United Kingdom, Malta, South Africa, Georgia, Moldova, Germany, Holland, Italy, and Brazil participated in a worldwide observance of International Men's Day on Thursday, 19 November 2009. And what was the theme for 2009 International Men's Day? Positive Male Role Models! On 30 March 2009, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the First Global Symposium On Engaging Men And Boys On Achieving Gender Equality was held.

Why is there such an outcry for "positive male role models" and "gender equality"?

Our Fathers, Uncles, Grandfathers, Brothers, Husbands, and Sons are sending us a message!

One of the most comprehensive and unique Fatherhood and Men's Studies Programs is offered at Akamai University in Hilo, Hawaii. Under the innovative leadership of Akamai University's President Douglass Capogrossi, Ph.D., the academic institution offers courses which explore, among other things, male psychology, Men's and Father's Rights, masculine spirituality, models and roles of masculinity, contemporary issues facing men, new roles for fathers, the modern family, gender and power, gender and politics, and new models of male leadership.

In June 2009, Canada's University of Winnipeg announced plans to offer its first Men's Studies course entitled, "Boys, Men, And Popular Culture: Filmed Genders" in 2010. The proposed course will examine myths about images of boys and men that shape how they are perceived and represented in popular culture and how this perception and representation shapes, in part, their view of themselves.

Shouldn't we be just a little curious about what may be going on in the lives of Men throughout our global village that is driving the need for and creation of Fatherhood and Men's Studies programs in colleges and universities?

Our Fathers, Uncles, Grandfathers, Husbands, Sons, and Brothers are sending us a message!

In July 2009, an Equal Parenting Bill (C-422) was introduced into the Canadian Parliament which, if and when enacted into law, will change Canada's Divorce Act by requiring both parents -- Mom and Dad -- to create a parenting plan with a Judge or a mediator. The proposed legislation will require the awarding of equal custody to both divorcing/divorced parents -- Mom and Dad --. In other words, children of divorcing/divorced parents in Canada would spend 50% of their time with their Dads and 50% of their time with their Moms and have equal access to both Mom and Dad.

Our Fathers, Uncles, Grandfathers, Husbands, Sons, and Brothers are sending us a message about their need for gender equality, the creation of "father-friendly" legislation and public policy, positive male role models, and the creation of and greater access to resources and support services that adequately address their unique health and parenting issues.

Our Fathers, Uncles, Grandfathers, Husbands, Sons, and Brothers are key "pieces of the puzzle" to creating and sustaining efficiently family units which are responsible for positively shaping the minds and souls of our children -- our future -- our bridge to the future and moving our children -- our future -- our bridge to the future to "do more, want more, and be more".

And, after all, isn't it really about the children?