International Men’s Day New Zealand
IMDNZ is a group of like-minded people who want to improve the wellbeing of men, their family/whanau, and communities by promoting International Men’s Day.
What is International Men’s Day?
The current form of IMD was started in Trinidad and Tobago by Dr Jerome Teelucksingh to promote good male role models and promote unity. Since 2009 IMD has been based on the ‘six pillars’:
- To promote positive male role models
- To celebrate men’s positive contributions to society
- To focus on men’s health and wellbeing
- To highlight discrimination against males
- To improve gender relations and promote gender equality.
- To create a safer, better world
See more in the Wikipedia Article
Mission Statement
IMDNZ’s mission is to create a stronger sense of unity and community for everybody by creating a positive space to encourage, support and celebrate men and to discuss men’s issues in a positive and affirming way. IMD provides a focal point that amplifies everyone’s individual efforts.
Vision
IMDNZ’s vision is a society where men know they are appreciated, where they are encouraged to thrive, and where they have and feel the support of their communities.
Who is involved in IMDNZ
Iain Fergusson is a human rights advocate whose interest in men’s wellbeing began when working with young people in the 1990s. More recently he has been working to increase the visibility of men’s human rights issues in our human rights framework, including making submissions to the UN Human Rights Council about men’s human rights as part of the Universal Periodic Review.
Donald Pettitt is the CEO of the Canterbury Men’s Centre. He has been involved in men’s work for 25 years, starting in the personal growth arena until he started (with the support of many others) the Canterbury Men’s Centre in 2007. He is supporting International Men’s Day because he genuinely likes men and it seems a healthy thing to do for himself and the community.