Healthy Men and Boys Summit 

Building a Network for the Healthy Development of Men and Boys in Western Massachusetts

Monday, June 16, 2014 - 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Holyoke Community College - Kittredge Center Conference Room - Holyoke  

Registration is now OPEN for this FREE event.

Background

For decades, Western Massachusetts has been the home of activist individuals and organizations challenging sexism and violence against women, and supporting women’s empowerment and gender equality. Largely as a result of such activities, the region has also been the home for pioneering work on engaging men as allies to women, challenging men’s violence, and supporting men in developing positive and healthy expressions of masculinities.

For more than three decades, the Men’s Resource Center has been a focal point for much of this work. Now, the MRC is convening a day-long gathering of a diverse cross-section of providers and advocates from across the region to build a network committed to promoting the healthy development of men and boys in Western Massachusetts.

The purpose of the Healthy Men and Boys Summit is to: 

• Highlight and celebrate the work being done in the four counties of Western Mass to support and strengthen expressions of healthy boyhood and manhood
• Deepen the relationships of individuals and organizations working on these issues
• Develop a vision and action plan for a regional Healthy Men and Boys Network.

The work of promoting the healthy development of men and boys inherently crosses many social sectors, meaning the importance of this work is shared by those in diverse fields, including sports coaching, education, domestic violence, faith-based initiatives, GBTQ services, health care, family support, fatherhood, law enforcement, mental health, philanthropy, business, public health, and youth development.

Key Summit activities will include:

• Cross-sector network mapping 
• Celebration of success stories 
• Series of Strategic Dialogues 
• Regional Network Building.

Registration Process

Registration for this event does not guarantee participation. 

In order to ensure diverse representation of individuals and organizations, within space limitations of the venue, event organizers will thoughtfully approve registrations in a way that maximizes diversity according to the following categories:

• Gender
• Geography
• Race
• Sector

Registration will close Wednesday, May 28. A registration notice will be sent to all by Monday, June 2. 

This process reflects a core commitment to maximizing diverse participation in the June 16 Summit and in no way precludes the participation of a broader audience in future network events.

Partnerships

The Healthy Men and Boys Summit is being planned in partnership with the following organizations.

• MOCHA (Men of Color Health Awareness) runs weekly Healthy Manhood Classes at the YMCA in Springfield.
• Men’s Resources International provides consultations and trainings on engaging men as allies with women for violence prevention and positive masculinity.
• Voice Male magazine, begun at the MRC, is now independently published and distributed nationally.
• Phallacies provides leadership development, health education and violence prevention for men through innovative educational theater.
• The Mankind Project hosts weekend New Warrior Training Adventure and facilitates men’s accountability groups.
• Safe Passage, NELCWIT, and Womanshelter/Compañeras, local domestic violence organizations are developing programs to engage men.
• Massachusetts Department of Public Health Rural Domestic Violence Project recently sponsored a community forum “Raising Boys to Become Healthy Men”
• Umoja Now is organizing in Western Massachusetts and Burundi to promote men as allies with women.
• The Northwestern District Attorney’s Office organizes men’s White Ribbon Day pledges in the region.

 

Register Now!