You may already know about the online community termed the “Manosphere”.
White Ribbon’s campaigns “Algorithm Sickness” and “My Friend, Max Hate” expose how these toxic personalities prey on young men’s insecurities—fuelling hatred and violence when they’re most vulnerable.
A Call to End Gender-Based Violence
In 1989, the horrific tragedy at Montréal’s École Polytechnique claimed the lives of 14 women and sparked a national reckoning on male violence against women. In response, a group of men in Toronto launched the White Ribbon Campaign in 1991, pledging to end gender-based violence and promote equality.
What started as a symbol of allyship has grown into a global movement fostering healthy masculinities through education, empathy, and accountability, empowering men and boys to be champions of change.
It’s been more than a year coming, but our transition planning is finally complete!
MERGE for Equality has a new home!!
We are very proud to announce that White Ribbon, a long established organization working to engage men and boys in gender equality across Canada and the globe, has agreed to take and operate the MERGE for Equality, Developing Healthy Boys Training program. We are all very excited for the possibilities.
What this means for our training program
Developing Healthy Boys is close to the heart of the White Ribbon organization, having already developed programs and materials for supporting boys’ development (see raisingboys.ca).
This transition will grow the audience for the Developing Healthy Boys Training. White Ribbon is a founding member of the International MenEngage Alliance [LINK], and regularly supports male allyship activities across the world.
While it will take a few months to transfer our resources, very little else will change for our US audience. White Ribbon is committed to delivering the training program in the US as we always have. If you are interested, please contact us.
In the coming months, you will hear more from White Ribbon, and be given the opportunity to learn more and to receive their news.
MERGE for Equality was honored with an invitation this past season to offer the keynote address for the annual conference of the Vermont Association for the Education of Young Children, VTAEYC.
Being asked to offer the keynote to a banquet hall full of Vermont early childhood educators, administrators, and several national luminaries in the field was a great opportunity to share widely our passion for “Developing Healthy Boys”.
The two day conference took place in Stowe, VT at the Stoweflake Resort and Conference Center. Our talk was scheduled for the first morning and each of us took a component of the training to explain and explore. We followed the keynote with a workshop focusing on our core curriculum.
Three of our senior trainers, who have years of experience training folks in our approach to transforming masculinity and gender as well as reflecting on the essential role of early childhood workers, were eager to engage the audience with the essential elements.
I personally opened with a welcome and provided the history and the reasons for our work. We highlighted that, along with training participants, we are seeking to foster a new humane masculinity that both builds on the healthiest aspects of existing masculinity and fosters and celebrates access to a wider range of self-awareness, emotions, nurturing, compassion, relationships, and gender expression. We then moved into a brief description of our offerings from the workshop to coaching in both English and Spanish followed by a brief description of the co-constructive reading approach and our gender affirming books.
Next James Arana, our most senior trainer, presented the Man Box and the “Story of the Boy” to dramatize the ways in which aspects of traditional masculinity can stifle healthy gender development in boys. He somehow managed to involve the audience as he always does so movingly in the workshop setting even though there were at least 400 people in attendance! That’s the power of the story and James’ delivery.
Finally, our third senior leader, Keira Durrett, an early childhood expert, brought her experience as a childcare provider and director into the presentation and shared her perspective on what the training offers those in the field. She highlighted the awareness she and colleagues gain from the approach taken by “Developing Healthy Boys” and ended the presentation interviewing me about the nature and value of our coaching component.
It was a stirring keynote with great responses from the gathered multitude and we would love to have the opportunity to offer another.
MERGE remains interested in offering creative workshops customized for centers and communities focusing on the needs of boys, fathers and male caregivers.
MERGE for Equality Awarded $5,000 Grant from The Irene E. and George A. Davis Foundation
Boston, MA – October, 18 2023 – MERGE for Equality, a program of The North American MenEngage Network (NAMEN), a leading nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting gender equality, is thrilled to announce that it has been awarded a generous grant of $5,000 from The Irene E. and George A. Davis Foundation. These funds will be instrumental in advancing the Spanish language and cultural adaptation of the MERGE Training for Early Childhood Educators, making this crucial program more accessible and inclusive.
The MERGE Training for Early Childhood Educators, Developing Healthy Boys, is a pioneering program that empowers educators to foster an equitable learning environment from the very start of a child’s educational journey. By training educators to address issues related to gender, power, and socialization, the program helps create a foundation for a more just and equal society.
This grant from The Irene E. and George A. Davis Foundation will be used to facilitate the implementation of a cultural adaptation of the program’s materials into Spanish, allowing a wider group of educators, particularly in Spanish-speaking communities, to engage with and benefit from this valuable training. In addition, it will support the development of resources that are sensitive to the cultural nuances and specific needs of these communities.
“We are immensely grateful to The Irene E. and George A. Davis Foundation for their generous support,” said Craig Norberg-Bohm, Operations Manager at MERGE for Equality. “This grant will enable us to expand our reach and impact, ensuring that our training reaches a more diverse group of educators and, by extension, the children under their care.”
The grant aligns perfectly with the core mission of NAMEN, which is committed to addressing issues of gender and equality across various demographics. By making the MERGE Training for Early Childhood Educators available in Spanish and culturally adapted, the organization takes a significant step towards fostering equitable environments and values from an early age.
The Irene E. and George A. Davis Foundation has a longstanding commitment to supporting initiatives that promote education, health, and wellness in the community. Their partnership with MERGE for Equality underscores their dedication to making a positive impact on the lives of children and educators in the region.
About MERGE for Equality:
MERGE for Equality is a non-profit organization that advocates for gender equality through transformative education and training programs. By working with schools, organizations, and communities, MERGE for Equality seeks to create a more equitable world by improving the understanding of boys, where every individual can thrive.
For more information, visit www.mergeforequality.org
About The Irene E. and George A. Davis Foundation:
The Irene E. and George A. Davis Foundation is a philanthropic organization committed to improving the quality of life for residents in the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts. They support initiatives in the areas of education, health, and wellness to strengthen communities and create a brighter future.
For more information, visit www.davisfdn.org.
###
For media inquiries, please contact Craig Norberg-Bohm at 413-586-3734
or craig@mergeforequality.org.
MERGE operates with two levels of trainers, Senior and Associate Trainers. Most programs are conducted with two trainers presenting the materials, one Senior Trainer and One Associate Trainer. MERGE for Equality offers Developing Healthy Boys Training for Early Childhood Educators, and we seek to add new Associate Trainers to our team.
A Counseling resource approaching helping boys and men to become free of the traditional masculine constraints and barriers to health.
For Immediate Release
MERGE for Equality to Join North America MenEngage Network
Two gender equality organizations with the specific focus on masculinities and engaging men and boys are joining forces, leaders of MERGE for Equality and the North American MenEngage Network recently announced. MERGE for Equality, a Massachusetts nonprofit noted for its innovative training promoting the emotional and social development of boys, is set to become a program of the North American MenEngage Network (NAMEN), a U.S.-Canadian network of educators, advocates and activists, and regional member of the Global MenEngage Alliance.
“We are delighted for MERGE to become a program offered through NAMEN,” said Shane Joseph, Co-Chair of NAMEN’s Steering Committee. “Its core program—training early childhood educators about issues related to boys’ socialization—is completely in line with our mission – working with men and boys to achieve gender equality, end violence, and promote health for men, women and children.” James Arana, MERGE Senior Consultant, concurs, “When boys are equipped with the tools to cultivate their emotional intelligence, they thrive personally, socially and academically, and grow to become caring, engaged and accountable men.”
With the program now becoming a part of NAMEN, MERGE founder John Engel is stepping down as executive director. “I can’t think of a more fitting organization for MERGE to join than the North American MenEngage Network,” Engel said. “It has the expertise, commitment and focus to direct not just our early childhood initiative but also our children’s book campaign that promotes positive images of emotionally sensitive boys,” Engel said.
“In addition to beneficial program impacts, joining the two organizations brings administrative and financial benefits,” said Craig Norberg-Bohm, NAMEN’s Administrative Coordinator. “NAMEN becomes a tax exempt nonprofit corporation and can now formally apply for funding to build its operational and programmatic capacity. Sharing administrative tasks will enable all of us to maximize resources available to focus on the shared mission – gender equality.”
As a program of NAMEN, MERGE’s early childhood initiative will continue without significant change, according to Steven Botkin, Co-Chair of NAMEN’s Steering Committee and MERGE Senior Consultant. “MERGE itself carries the legacies of the Men’s Resource Center of Western Massachusetts and Men’s Resources International,” Botkin said. “Joining MERGE and NAMEN together is the perfect next chapter in our evolution.”
For more information, contact
Craig Norberg-Bohm, MERGE Administrative Coordinator
MERGE for Equality
info@mergeforequality.org
Shane Joseph, NAMEN Co-Chair
Steven Botkin, NAMEN Co-Chair
North American MenEngage Network
-end-
The third State of the World’s Fathers report reveals new research on men’s caregiving from 11 countries, with additional cross-country analysis of data from over 30 countries. It calls for men’s uptake of their full share of the world’s childcare and domestic work – across all societies and relationships – to advance gender equality.
