CELEBRATING MEN AND BOYS IN ALL THEIR DIVERSITY: 

2017 INTERNATIONAL MEN’S DAY

Issued by The Global Team 

Approximately  3.6 billion souls of the 7.5 billion souls who occupy this space and place we know as Planet Earth are males – Men and Boys  — Homeless Men and Boys, Incarcerated Men, Married Men, Divorced Men, Single Men, Men who are Fathers, physically and mentally disabled Men and Boys, Men and Boys who live in poverty, Men and Boys who are Christians, Jews, Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus, Buddhists and agnostics, Men and Boys who are poor or rich, educated or uneducated, Men and Boys of diverse ethnicities and Men and Boys who speak different languages – French, Urdu, Spanish, English, Portugese, Swahili, Xhosa, Arabic, Gaelic, German, Chinese, Russian, Japanese, Italian, Hindi, Bengali, and Punjabi/Lahnda. The experiences of Men and Boys are as diverse as their age, levels of education, religion, ethnicity, language, and culture.

Diversity should evoke celebration and understanding.  In an effort to encourage individuals, institutions, and organisations throughout our global village to celebrate the diversity of Men and Boys, 2017 International Men’s Day will be observed under the theme, “Celebrating Men And Boys In All Their Diversity”.

Global and Regional Coordinators for 2017 International Men’s Day are encouraging individuals, organizations, and institutions throughout our global village to engage in solutions-based dialogues that create pathways for designing, implementing, and supporting initiatives which recognize the diversity of Men and Boys – particularly their experiences which are shaped, in part, as an example, by socio-economic status, ethnic and religious bias, language, and culture.    “Celebrating Men And Boys In All Their Diversity” is a “Call To Action” for individuals, institutions, and organizations to innovate the manner in which they design and deliver resources and support services which speak to the unique needs and issues of Men and Boys which addresses their diversity and to refrain from utilizing an “one-size-fits-all” approach to creating tools for Men and Boys that help them empower themselves and strengthen the communities in which they live.

Inaugurated in Trinidad and Tobago on 19 November 1999 by Jerome Teelucksingh, Ph.D., a Gender Issues Thought Leader, humanitarian, faculty member in the History Department of the University of West Indies in Trinidad and Tobago, a prolific author and poet, International Men’s Day celebrates and honors the contributions and sacrifices of Men -_ “everyday men”.  The worldwide observance shares a 48-hour partnership with Universal Children’s Day which is observed on 20^th November of each year and is endorsed by the United Nations.  To date, over 80 nations observe International Men’s Day.

International Men’s Day is a day of observance in which we place our focus on that which unites humanity giving everyone who wants to celebrate International Men’s Day the opportunity to help work towards our shared objectives which we apply equally to men and boys irrespective of their age, ability, social background, ethnicity, sexuality, gender identity, religious belief and relationship status.

Those objectives are:

• To promote positive male role models; not just movie stars and sports men but everyday, working class men who are living decent, honest lives.

• To celebrate men’s positive contributions; to society, community, family, marriage, child care, and to the environment

• To focus on men’s health and wellbeing; social, emotional, physical and spiritual

• To highlight discrimination against males; in areas of social services, social attitudes and expectations, and law

• To improve gender relations and promote gender equality

• To create a safer, better world, where all people can grow and reach their full potential.