PRIMARY PREVENTION

Men As Peacemakers is committed to mending harm, but we also wondered, how could we stop this harm before it happens? What if we lived in a community where violence and oppression was not the norm? What if we lived in communities where women and children lived free from physical and sexual abuse, rather than experiencing it at a rate of 1 in every 3 individuals? What if men stood with women and said enough is enough, and no longer allowed this violence to occur?

With that vision in mind we developed primary prevention programming. This innovative approach recognizes that if we are to end violence against women and children, we must address the roots of the problem. We need to reframe the attitudes, perceptions, and behaviors that drive sexual abuse and domestic violence. We need to tell our younger generations that this violence is NOT OK. That it is NOT NORMAL. We need to shape a new generation of boys that understand the dynamics of healthy relationships and the importance of respecting women and girls as equal human beings. We need to provide a platform of success for young women to flourish and accomplish their goals, whatever those goals may be. We need messaging, mentoring, and dialogue that touches the lives of young people throughout childhood and adolescence to ensure respect and gender equity become foundational elements in their definitions of themselves. MAP is constantly innovating to achieve these goals.