Craig Wilkinson, CEO and founder of Father A Nation, a non-profit organisation (NPO). Photo: FAN
Men can be healed, inspired and educated to halt gender-based violence (GBV), according to Craig Wilkinson, the CEO and founder of Father A Nation, a non-profit organisation (NPO).
Throughout the course of more than a decade, Wilkinson has taught and inspired boys and men to live with positive, healthy masculinity and to resist all forms of abuse.
He is also a best-selling author and motivational speaker, along with his team at Father A Nation will host hundreds of men at interactive Gender Based Violence (GBV) workshops in hotspots throughout Gauteng and the Western Cape during 16 Days of Activism from November 25 to December 10.
“Many men and women in South Africa grow up without the presence of a father or positive male figure. This often results in paternal wounds and destructive beliefs about masculinity, with young men looking to figures such as gangsters, abusers or absent fathers as role models. This highlights the critical role of a positive male figure in shaping the minds of boys and men in the country,” he said.
It is also reported that the sessions will engage between 30 and 100 men at a time in open and honest conversation and provide training in positive, healthy masculinity.
“Our philosophy at Father A Nation is that if we can heal men, we can heal the world. We focus on working with men to become excellent fathers, mentors, role models and just good men. The solution to GBV is to stop it in its tracks, men are the primary perpetrators of physical and sexual GBV. While it’s critical to create awareness and support victims; ideally, we don’t want victims at all and the way to stop that happening is to stop wounded men from being abusive,“ says Wilkinson.
He adds that GBV can be stopped in its tracks by teaching, inspiring and healing men.
“We work throughout South Africa with boys and men at schools, universities, in communities and organisations in both the public and private sector. We meet these men where they are at, from taverns to corporations and sports fields. More than 300 000 men have gone through our programmes in the past 10 years, either through soccer tournaments, tavern conversations, dialogues or workshops in communities and camps.”
The sessions always produce lively debate and rich, authentic personal stories of struggle and triumph. “The engagements are highly effective in helping men to understand what GBV is, examine their own lives and provide them with the knowledge and motivation to turn their lives around. Healthy masculinity never abuses.”
The Star
anita.nkonki@inl.co.za
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