"EMBRACING OUR SONS...ERADICATING MARGINALIZATION"--2018 INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER FOR MEN AND BOYS

CONTACT:

D.A. Sears

USA Coordinator - International Men's Day
267-581-3963

E-Mail: insearchoffatherhood@gmail.com

Jerome Teelucksingh, Ph.D.

Founder, International Men's Day

E-Mail: j_teelucksingh@yahoo.com 

Of the 7,616,313,758 billion souls with whom we share Planet Earth, 3,841,726,340 are males. And of these 3,841,726,304 males, approximately 1,004,638,355 of these souls are 15 years of age and younger. When these souls emerged from the womb, they emerged as bright-eyed and spiritually, emotionally, and psychologically vibrant souls endowed with an insatiable curiosity, a powerful intellect, and boundless energy. As they make their journey from childhood to adulthood, many of these souls – Our Sons – are being marginalized. Economic turpitude, violence, Fatherlessness, an unlevel academic “playing field,” lack of positive male role models, homelessness, inadequate or lack of access to mental and physical health resources, xenophobia, religious and ethnic intolerance, and spiritually, psychologically, and emotionally toxic communities are marginalizing boys and males youths – Our Sons. Without intervention, at least 1,004,538,355 marginalized boys and male youths will mature into marginalized Men – marginalized Men who will become husbands, fathers, our co-workers, and our neighbors. Clearly, we must – with all deliberate speed – embrace Our Sons. And eradicating marginalization is a key “piece of the puzzle” to embracing Our Sons – boys and male youths throughout our global village -- whose souls have become broken by economic turpitude, violence, Fatherlessness, an inadequate education, poverty, lack of access to positive male role models and real-life options, homelessness, inadequate or lack of access to mental and physical health resources, religious and ethnic intolerance, and growing up in spiritually, psychologically, and emotionally toxic communities.

Churches, mosques, synagogues and temples have always been – and continue to be -- the center of the universe of communities throughout our global village. These religious institutions have not only attended to the spiritual needs of their congregation and the communities they inhabit, but also have addressed – and continue to address – poverty, homelessness, xenophobia, and other issues which contribute to the “brokenness” and marginalization of boys and male youths – Our Sons. The International Day of Prayer for Men and Boys is a vehicle through which Christians, Jews, Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus, Buddhists and all “souls of faith” embark upon a collaborative journey to “embrace our sons” and “eradicate marginalization” by implementing, establishing, and supporting initiatives which address and help to resolve the myriad of key challenges that confront boys and male youths – Our Sons – and contribute to their “brokenness” and marginalization.

The International Day of Prayer for Men and Boys will be observed on Sunday,4 November 2018 under the theme, “Embracing Our Sons . . . Eradicating Marginalization” throughout our global village. Inaugurated on Sunday, 14 November 2014, the International Day of Prayer for Men and Boys is a call for peace. It is a unifying call which brings Christians, Jews, Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus, Buddhists and all “souls of faith” to the “Table Of Humanity” to collectively heal the spiritually, psychologically, and emotionally wounded souls among us. The International Day of Prayer for Men and Boys is a call to fill an existing vacuum of compassionate and solutions-based leadership and to create certainty in a world that is immersed in paralyzing uncertainty.