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FOR A CAUSE
A
GREATER
GOOD
WORDS LINDA READ PHOTO ANASTASIA KARIOFYLLIDIS
WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS of
a good man?
It’s a question that requires careful consideration, especially for
the generation of boys – and girls – on the cusp of adulthood.
SunnyKids – a charity that provides support services and
education programs for children and families on the Sunshine
Coast – believes that defining and promoting healthy versions
of masculinity will go a long way to preventing the scourge of
domestic violence that continues to pervade our communities.
Which is exactly why the service has produced The Good Man
Project – an aspirational book and educational resource about
what makes a good man. The book, aimed at upper-primary
school children, has been distributed to every primary school in
Australia along with its companion Teaching Guide. The guide,
prepared by Sunshine Coast Grammar School and designed to
fit with the national curriculum, helps teachers easily integrate
the concepts from the book into their classrooms.
So far, the book (released in May this year) has been received
brilliantly, with 100 schools taking it into their curriculums.
SunnyKids CEO Chris Turner says the positive response
shows that The Good Man Project is meeting a need in the
community.
“One of the biggest enabling factors around domestic violence
is the antiquated concept of masculinity,” says Chris. “We still
have this idea and we’re still promoting this idea that men ought
to be self-sufficient, physically and emotionally tough, in control
at all times. We see this portrayed in the media, in the movies,
in television and in popular culture. We’re still promoting what
I would call a stifled version of masculinity.
“What I wanted to do with The Good Man Project is to show a
new way of being strong.”
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