men

Gender lies at the root of war and peace and it is increasingly being recognized that issues of masculinities need to be addressed in the field of peacebuilding and active nonviolence.  WPP is convinced that in order to transform cultures of war and violence, women peace activists need to work together with male allies on these issues. In light of this analysis, WPP has organized the Training of Trainers Program “Overcoming Violence - Exploring Masculinities, Violence and Peace”.

The first part of the ToT took place from November 30 till December 12, 2009 in The Netherlands, and brought together 19 pioneering activist men, from 17 different countries.

The training focused on gender-sensitive active non-violence, the theory of masculinities and its relation to violence, and participatory and gender-sensitive facilitation.

The rich exchange of strategies and cultural practices related to peacebuilding, active nonviolence and issues related to masculinities and femininities has been an empowering experience for all.  During 2010, the WPP will be intensively working together with the trainees while they are preparing their community projects and follow-up trainings in their home context.  All these activities include working together with female allies for gender-sensitive active nonviolent peacebuilding.  Mid – 2010, the 19 trainees will participate in a second Training of Trainers as to exchange knowledge and experiences, and consolidate the learning into a training manual.

A first powerful outcome of the training is a statement produced by the ToT trainees to affirm their commitment to gender-sensitive peacebuilding:

JOHANNESBURG, 8 October 2009 (PlusNews) - In the context of sub-Saharan Africa's HIV/AIDS epidemic, women have often been characterized as the victims and men as the perpetrators incapable of sticking to one partner or taking responsibility for their sexual health.

But what if men were victims of the social norms that define masculinity as much as women? And what if they were willing to change, and persuade other men to do the same?

Speakers at the MenEngage Africa Symposium in Johannesburg, South Africa, this week have been debating ways to help men achieve this and to become part of the solution to the continent's twin epidemics of gender-based violence and HIV.

"When we talk about a feminized epidemic, we make the mistake of leaving men out of interventions," commented Mandla Ndlovu, programme officer of the recently launched "Brothers for Life" campaign.

The initiative by Johns Hopkins Health and Education in South Africa (JHHESA), USAID and the Sonke Gender Justice Network aims to spark a movement of "good" men to encourage their peers to take more responsibility for their health and that of their partners.

MBABANE, 5 October 2009 (PlusNews) - Swaziland's Ministry of Health and Human Services aims to provide circumcision to 80 percent of men aged 15 to 24 in the next five years, in response to the surging number of men requesting the procedure to reduce their risk of HIV.

Circumcision was widely practiced during the 19th century, but it fell out of favour until evidence in the past few years showed that circumcision could reduce a man's risk of contracting HIV by more than half.

Swaziland has the highest HIV prevalence in the world - 26 percent of adults are infected according to UNAIDS - but health ministry studies have shown that men still reject condoms and engage in unsafe sexual practices such as having multiple partners.

A Long Walk Home

Long Walk Home, Inc. is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization that uses art therapy and the visual and performance arts to document, to educate and to bring about social change.

They use the testimonies, poetry, music, photographs, and videos of and by women and children to provide safe and entertaining forums through which the public learns about healing from trauma.

I mentioned in an earlier post that I have some problems with certain episodes of Law And Order: SVU.  This post is going to largely look at episode ten of season three, so you've been warned for spoilers.

A short synopsis can be found on the episode's IMDB page:

When a young wife is found dead after what appears to have been an auto-erotic encounter, Detectives Benson and Stabler find out that the deceased and a group of her girlfriends had recently been accused of raping a male stripper (Pete Starrett). A.D.A. Cabot prosecutes the sexual assault. The rape leads the Detectives to believe that the woman's death may have been a murder

The episode opens with "Syd"'s boyfriend walking into her apartment, which has "sexual" music playing (to me it sounds like elevator music, but whatever floats your boat), candles lit, flowers strewn about, etc.  Setting the viewer up to believe that Syd is cheating on her boyfriend, I suppose.  Her boyfriend opens the door and sees that she has died from a miscalculated attempt at auto erotic asphyxiation, or so he thinks.  The episode is largely based around the assumption that this was not a suicide or accidental death, but a homicide, and the object of the episode is to find out who.  Detectives finally narrow it down to two of Syd's friends, who, in the process of the murder investigation, also end up being investigated for the rape of a male stripper.

Hand and Semen. Photo by Eric Francis.

It’s difficult to make any universal statement about humanity not restricted to the vital organs (heart, lungs, kidneys), but I have noticed a tendency for men to be uncomfortable around their own semen. For contrast, consider how men expect women to feel about it; it’s supposed to be the most eminently drinkable, absorbable substance in the world. For men, particularly when alone, its destination is generally tissues, an old sock or the toilet.

When they are with a woman, the presumed destination is somewhere in or on her body. For most men the blow job is the ultimate expression of sexual desire or power (which tend to get mixed up). Sometimes this is done with a bit of reverence and gratitude toward his partner; often it’s the normal routine; quite often there is expectation, and a feeling of obligation by the woman.

And as many have noted, and as the porno industry thrives on, there is often a degrading quality to it: a bit of take this, bitch. On behalf of a lot of women who have been taking it, I’m here to take it back.

By Judith Brisson

Ironically, thirty years later, I probably have a more positive bodily self-image than I did then. My skin was a lot thinner in my twenties and careless or cruel comments more easily left their marks. I’m not implying that all is well in that lobe of the mind – my bodily self-consciousness I believe is ineluctably tied into the corporate political economy and the use of the youthful female form as a primary vehicle for promotion in advertising houses.

Yes I’m something of a sell-out: I mask my aging with products chemical and textile, supporting the corresponding aspects of the economy with plenty of my hard-earned dough and endangering my health in the process. Phthalates and poisoned rabbit eyes float around in my guilty un-conscience. I do it to circulate more fluidly – that is less self-consciously - in a youthful world, where I happen to spend a lot of time. Unlike many traditions from around the globe, age can be easily sidelined in our culture.

At least that’s the rationale I mentally employ as I while away my time pursuing the numerous high-maintenance tasks of the middle-aged woman. But the real reason is more insidious than that: my theory is that corporate composite of the female image eats away at my self-esteem, constantly reminding me of my numerous flaws by means of an endless array of mechanisms larger than life, including posting building-sized images of fourteen year-olds in designer pants slung low enough to expose pubic hair (if there were any to be seen).

It’s something of a comparison game that takes place at some sub-conscious level later on when I am alone with my body and contemplating its shortcomings.  In a search to understand my compulsion to focus on body image, I document, alongside collaborator Colette Coughlin, the struggles of men in maintaining a healthy and positive body image in a highly aestheticized world.

The Baby Forumla, a new film from Canada explores the concept of reproduction between two women using only their DNA.  The science is not that far off, really (via stemcells). 

I have not seen the film, but the premise already has me committed to viewing it.  There is a nice commentary on the premise, science and ethics of the film however, by Sheryl Ubelacker at the Globe and Mail.