We have contacted you to make you aware of a new media campaign we are creating to redefine what it is to be a man, when the stakes for the planet are so high.
When we look at the dark events in the news, in a world run -- rightly or wrongly -- primarily by men, we don't see republican or democrat, black or white, gay or straight, Muslim or Christian, we see fully empowered men helping to heal themselves and society, and men, whatever age, who are still very much in the adolescent stage of manhood, and who are forces, knowingly or unknowingly, for harm.
We also see a media and global culture that promotes the idea of manhood as equated with violence, strength as attack and control as power. What we do not see are images and stories promoting what we believe is the true essence of being a man: the peacemaker, the caretaker, the builder, the defender, the mentor, the teacher, the guide.
We would like to try and offer a different view of what a man is and should be, firstly through an Internet video campaign called "This Is A Man," where we feature still photos of men in their full power as a musician, an artist, a teacher, a healer, a husband, a father, an athlete, a politician, an Everyman. Juxtaposed with these images will be still photos of what we believe are not the true representations of adult men: the brutalizer, the bully, the attacker, the destroyer.
One goal is to make being a true man -- a strong though gentle man, a man of character and integrity, who places other's well being before his own, even, often, at the sacrifice of his life -- as "sexy" and "cool" and "hip" to a new generation of boys. We want boys and young men to admire and emulate the peacemaker and not the adolescent aggressor. And we believe that adolescent aggressor can be 40 years old in a successful career overseeing a nation. It is not the age, or status, or education, or clout, but the authenticity and the actions by which we define the true man.
And we don't want to attack, but encourage, which is what a real man does.
We have attached a link below to a video of the general idea of the campaign. We are seeking ten men for the initial campaign video, men from all fields of endeavor, of all ethnic and spiritual backgrounds, strong men (which has nothing to do with physical size), celebrities in sports, entertainment, music and global politics, to those not in the public eye, to be depicted holding in their hands or arms a symbol of their expression of healthy manhood: a paint brush, a new born baby, a hammer and piece of lumber, a written peace treaty, etc.
We are not looking for saints, but authentic men, some of whom from recent history are Gandhi, Mandela, Martin Luther King, Jr. and the countless unheralded men who saw courage in love and peace and weakness in war and violence. And who saw forgiveness as the ultimate masculine strength.
We are also looking for men who may have embraced mismanaged masculine choices such as violence early in their life, but who now fully renounce such choices and work to promote true masculine behavior for the greater good.
Another aspect of the campaign will be to educate people about these unsung heroes. Above all else, we want to redefine what a hero is, what strength and power and courage really is free of politics, culture, religion and nationalism.
We hope to create an exclusive This Is A Man List, like the Fortune 500, where men are selected and honored for their contribution to positive images of healthy manhood, a list that we hope might become so attractive that men actively alter career and life choices in order to be included among the impressive gallery of extraordinary men from around the world.
Eventually, there may be an annual concert and awards ceremony honoring men from around the planet who have had a positive impact on society through healthy masculine choices and actions.
We also invite women to become involved in the campaign, as it is, unfortunately, women (aside from the planet), who most often suffer at the hands of mismanaged masculinity.
We plan to create a European, Middle Eastern, East Indian, Latin American as well as an American campaign, using artists and men from those regions.
We plan to create a European, Middle Eastern, East Indian, Latin American as well as an American campaign, using artists and men from those regions.
We invite your feedback and help, in particular by forwarding this email to others if our campaign strikes you as something worth pursuing. We invite you to become a part of that campaign. As we are not professional photographers or videographers, we welcome any suggestions of others who might be able to give this campaign the visual sophistication it requires. At this point this campaign is also a completely voluntary undertaking for all involved.
