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THE LINK
A
Project of the TAASA Mobilizing Men Task Force
May 2009 Volume
1 Issue 3
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This is the third issue of "THE LINK", which
is intended to provide you and your organization with "links"
to on-line information, articles, resources, book reviews, and a list of
men's non-violence trainings/conferences/events around the state of Texas
and country. We hope that you find this issue useful and will
share it with individuals and organizations that are working with boys
and men on a variety of issues. Please consider writing an article, book
review, or sharing a resource for future issues by contacting Emiliano
Diaz de Leon at ediazdeleon@taasa.org.
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Article of
the Month
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*
Minimizing the Damage - Male
Accountability in Stopping Men's Violence Against Women
By Ben Atherton-Zeman
I have been working to end men's violence against women for almost 20
years and I am doing this work largely because of the inspiration,
teachings, and welcome of powerful, smart, feminist women. We men (myself
included) owe it to these women, and to ourselves, to practice true
accountability.
More and more men
are (finally) joining the movement to end men's violence against women.
This is partly because of the efforts of a growing, multiracial movement
of men, but it is mostly because of the efforts of women. The domestic
violence movement has always invited and urged men to become involved -
my gender is a bit slow to respond, but it seems as if we finally are
responding.
*
Orginally published in The Voice, Spring 2009
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Book Review of the
Month
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By
Jared J. Selly
It can be hard to find a positive voice as a man when so
many people may be up against you, especially other men and even some
women when discussing issues of sexual and domestic violence. The book,
"Men Speak Out: Views on Gender, Sex, and Power," provides an
outlet for men to have their voices heard on topics including;
masculinity and identity, sexuality, feminism, points and perspectives,
and taking action and making change. Shira Tarrant is the editor of the
book and she provides dialogue between each section of the book. Her
discussions give the reader a sense of where these men come from and what
they will want to share about their own stories of involvement on issues
of sexual violence. Involvement of men in the movement towards more
awareness of these issues is what the book aims to demonstrate to its
readers.
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YouTube Video of
the Month
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Written by
Mariella Zavala, Pharr, Texas
Rob is a young man
who grows up watching his father abuse his mother. When jealousy brings
Rob face to face with his own violent tendencies toward women, he
confronts his father's behavior so he can learn how to be un hombre
verdadero.
Consider creating your own discussion questions, or use these to start:
1. Does anyone want to share their thoughts about the film or the
characters in the film?
2. Do you recognize the conversation between Rob and his friends about
miniskirts from things you've heard at school?
3. To what extent
do Rob and his father have the same attitudes about masculinity?
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Blog of the Month
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Responsible Men
I began developing
Responsible Men in 2007 after I left teaching to work at SafePlace in
Austin, Texas. It didn't take long to realize that not many men
(relatively speaking) were involved in preventing domestic violence
and sexual assault. In an agency of over 100 staff members, I was one of
6 men working in either prevention or direct services. It seemed logical
to me that since men are largely responsible for a long history of
domestic violence and sexual assault, then men should be responsible for
ending it as well (thus the name Responsible Men). I wanted to organize
men and charge them with the task of repairing the long history of damage
already done and challenge them to teach their sons to have compassion,
love, and respect for themselves and for the women in their lives.
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Conference/Training
of the Month
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Across the
country, groups of male students are making their voices heard! More and
more men are finding the courage to say "no" to ideas of manhood
and relations between the sexes that aren't good for women or men.
They're speaking out against date rape and violence against women, and
they support gender equality. Some of these men work through residence
life or student activities offices, while others do the work through
women's centers and counseling programs. At campuses
nationwide, there are even branches of national organizations like MVP,
White Ribbon, Men Can Stop Rape, 1 in 4, and V-Men.
These men face
common problems: How can they have an impact? How
do they find positive ways to get their message to other campus
men? How do they deal with backlash, work in partnership with
women's groups, or recruit and sustain their groups?
For the first
time, campus-based pro-feminist men's groups from across the country are
meeting together to share resources, trade their best ideas, discuss
strategies, and simply find out what's happening on other campuses.
November 6-7, 2009
Collegeville,
Minnesota
Registration: $10 students. $50 other.
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Texas Event of the
Month
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CONSUMING KIDS
throws desperately needed light on the practices of a relentless
multi-billion dollar marketing machine that now sells kids and their
parents everything from junk food and violent video games to bogus
educational products and the family car. Drawing on the insights of
health care professionals, children's advocates, and industry insiders, the
film focuses on the explosive growth of child marketing in the wake of
deregulation, showing how youth marketers have used the latest advances
in psychology, anthropology, and neuroscience to transform American
children into one of the most powerful and profitable consumer
demographics in the world. CONSUMING KIDS pushes back against the
wholesale commercialization of childhood, raising urgent questions about
the ethics of children's marketing and its impact on the health and
well-being of kids.
WHEN: Saturday,
June 27, 2009 2:00 PM
TICKET PRICE:
FREE, RSVP required
HOSTED BY: Houston
Family Coalition
WHERE: Freed-Montrose Library (Houston Public Library) 4100
Montrose Blvd Houston, Texas 77006
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Monthly Mobilizng
Men Task Force Meeting
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Saturday, June 27,
2009 9am-3pm
TAASA's Mobilizing
Men Task Force includes various individuals/organizations who work with
boys and men around a variety of issues. This task force meets every
fourth Saturday of the month and provides participants an opportunity to
connect with others around the state, share resources/information, and
more importantly, support each other's efforts. For more information
about the activities of the task force or to participate in the upcoming
meetings, please contact Emiliano Diaz de Leon at ediazdeleon@taasa.org.
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