Group Education Manual - Peace Corps Wiki

more active as a bystander trying to stop men’s violence (see the Example inHandout 11).6. Pass out Handout 12. Divide the participants into smaller groups and assigneach group a scenario from Handout 12, to prepare as a short role-play. Eachrole-play illustrates a conversation between a reluctant bystander and a friendwho persuades him to become active and take action.7. Run the role-plays and then debrief, using these questions:? In the role-plays, what worked well and what didn’t work so well when itcame to persuading the person to become an active bystander?? How can we persuade more people to become active bystanders?? What stops men from being more active bystanders?? What is needed to help men become more active bystanders?8. Ask participants to get back into their small groups and give each group one ofthe scenarios to discuss for 15 minutes.9. Bring the groups back to share the highlights from their discussion and theiranswers to the questions.10. Summarize the discussion by highlighting the need for men to become moreactive bystanders, what kind of action those men can take, and the support menmight need to do so.ClosingViolence occurs every day, but many people prefer to ignore it or deny it,especially men’s violence against women. An active bystander is someone whochooses not to stand by and let the violence continue, but takes some form ofaction to help stop the violence. Reducing the level of violence in society willrequire many more men to step up as active bystanders. Most violence iscommitted by men, and many men are more likely to listen to another man thanthey are to a woman. These two facts make it essential that more men getinvolved as active bystanders intervening to stop other men from being violent..It is also important to mobilize mobilize men with power, includinggovernment, community, and business leaders, as well as policy-makers, to thinkof themselves as active bystanders in the effort to end violence” ) Taking stepsas an active bystander is often not easy, especially for men who are taking actionto stop other men’s violence. It is important for men to identify ways they cansupport each other in their efforts to be more active bystanders.Sexist gender norms expect men to be the protectors of women. One danger inthe active bystander approach is that some men will think that their role as anactive bystander is to protect women. But the male protector role only ends upreinforcing women’s disempowerment, which is the goal of men’s violence inthe first place. A core principle of the active bystander approach is that it muststrengthen rather than weaken the empowerment of those who are targeted byviolence.79