Posts tagged Fathers

Welcome to The Pixel Project’s “30 For 30″ Father’s Day Campaign 2015! In honour of Father’s Day, we created this campaign:

• To acknowledge the vital role Dads play in families, cultures and communities worldwide.
• To showcase good men from different walks of life who are fabulous positive non-violent male role models.

Through this campaign, we will be publishing a short interview with a different Dad on each day of the month of June. This campaign is also part of a programme of initiatives held throughout 2015 in support of the Celebrity Male Role Model Pixel Reveal campaign that is in benefit of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence and The Pixel Project. Donate at just US$1 per pixel to reveal the mystery Celebrity Male Role Models and help raise US$1 million for the cause while raising awareness about the important role men and boys play in ending violence against women in their communities worldwide. Donations begin at just US$10 and you can donate via the Pixel Reveal website here or the Pixel Reveal Razoo donation page here.

Our twenty-ninth “30 For 30″ 2015 Dad is Lawrence Loh from Canada and Malaysia.

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The Dad Bio

Lawrence Loh is the father of a beautiful daughter, Jessica, and lives with his wife in midtown Toronto, Canada. When he’s not busy dancing up a storm to Jessica’s favourite songs in the living room or running with her in a running stroller through a nearby park, he works as a public health physician with the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care and volunteers as Director of Programs for The 53^rd Week, a Brooklyn, N.Y. based non-profit that aims to optimise the outcomes and minimize the harm for receiving communities associated with short-term medical volunteering abroad.    

1. What is the best thing about being a dad?

Learning every day and watching Jessica grow! I see her developing her own personality and her curiosity about the world for the first time. I imagine her limitless potential. As a dad, I also strive to improve things about myself so that I can help my daughter build a better future. For example: I’ve decided we’re going to learn to speak Spanish together.

2. A dad is usually the first male role model in a person’s life and fathers do have a significant impact on their sons’ attitude towards women and girls. How has your father influenced the way you see and treat women and girls?

My father has always supported our family and always told me that mom is the boss. I always took it as a little tongue-in-cheek, but I have learned over the years that it really means that we need to honour each other in our relationship. We need to at least be willing to listen and understand the priorities of our partners and respect is the foundation for all of that.

3. Communities and activists worldwide are starting to recognise that violence against women is not a “women’s issue” but a human rights issue and that men play a role in stopping the violence. How do you think fathers and other male role models can help get young men and boys to take an interest in and step up to help prevent and stop violence against women?

Besides being a role model I think it’s important to speak out about things that don’t seem kosher. I think it is important to say when we see our peers or sons or others disrespecting women. I think it’s equally important for us to be seen as safe havens for women who might be experiencing violence. It is past time for us to break the chain and stop violence, especially against women in our society.

Welcome to The Pixel Project’s “30 For 30″ Father’s Day Campaign 2015! In honour of Father’s Day, we created this campaign:

• To acknowledge the vital role Dads play in families, cultures and communities worldwide.
• To showcase good men from different walks of life who are fabulous positive non-violent male role models.

Through this campaign, we will be publishing a short interview with a different Dad on each day of the month of June.

This campaign is also part of a programme of initiatives held throughout 2015 in support of the Celebrity Male Role Model Pixel Reveal campaign that is in benefit of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence and The Pixel Project. Donate at just US$1 per pixel to reveal the mystery Celebrity Male Role Models and help raise US$1 million for the cause while raising awareness about the important role men and boys play in ending violence against women in their communities worldwide. Donations begin at just US$10 and you can donate via the Pixel Reveal website here or the Pixel Reveal Razoo donation page here.

Our twenty-eighth “30 For 30″ 2015 Dad is Joaquim Motaner from Spain.

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The Dad Bio

I’m from Cadiz, Andalusia, Spain. I am 40 years old and have three girls and three boys. Four of my children are from a previous marriage. I was trained in matters relating to education and communication and I am currently working to develop employment policies for the Andalusian government. I am also empowering parents and others to express caring to friends, family, in groups of men, including sports groups and parenting groups. Today I am 40 years old and have been a father for ten years. You can read many of the things I have written at http://joaquimmontaner.net and http://quimosavic.wordpress.com.

1. What is the best thing about being a dad?

When I married my wife, I became an instant father to four children. This taught me to prioritise. I have learned many things. Everything is linked to love and care: I learned to love, I learned to clean and cook, I learned to wash, I learned to heal wounds, I learned to organise spaces, I learned to drive with trailers and caravans, I learned to listen more and talk less, I learned to participate in six or seven conversations simultaneously, I learned to keep a home, and I learned that hugs are essential to calm the kids.

And I’m learning every day from them, and with them. I have realised that most of my life has been based on false assumptions and fallacies. I am transforming from a man into a real man.

Caring for others brings out the best in us. I have to stop putting my desires and my instincts first. I have to be extremely patient, to live with illness, to interact with many people with whom I share little or nothing, except being a parent or living in the same space.

2. A dad is usually the first male role model in a person’s life and fathers do have a significant impact on their sons’ attitude towards women and girls. How has your father influenced the way you see and treat women and girls?

Being a father changed me into someone more like my father. He is a respectful, loving, and wise man, and I value his ways more with each passing day. He taught me to allow people to make mistakes as they improve. He showed me the importance of being respectful of other people, be they men or women.

In my father’s generation, men had to be breadwinners. He did it very well, but all the time he wasn’t working was spent with my brothers and me. He provided support and assistance so we could live freely and independently. Today he continues to apply these principles as he takes care of his grandchildren.

I want my male children to be like my father. If they have children, I want them to be active parents. Just as I have done, I want them to offer themselves twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, so their children can see who their parents are and know they are there. My children are internalising good parenting by seeing it in me and my father.

3. Communities and activists worldwide are starting to recognise that violence against women is not a “women’s issue” but a human rights issue and that men play a role in stopping the violence. How do you think fathers and other male role models can help get young men and boys to take an interest in and step up to help prevent and stop violence against women?

I want my boys to realise that girls are their equals. I encourage them to observe and analyse other realities. When they are older, they will care about their homes and who lives there. They will share tasks, including childcare responsibilities. It is often a battle to get them to do the household chores that the girls do.

We face a gender gap that needs to be corrected right now. Men have to care in ways other than breadwinning. Their roles are changing, but the presence of real men who are not afraid to love and to care for others will influence men who want to change.

The behaviour of parents is the strongest direct influence on the behaviour that children will exhibit as adults. Living and cohabitating with pro-feminist parents and other male role models who support equality between men and women will influence children’s adult lives. In later years these children may support the fight against gender violence and work for equality between men and women.

Engaging as many male children as possible will generate changes in relations between men and women exponentially. Relationships will then be based on respect and proper treatment of each other.

Welcome to The Pixel Project’s “30 For 30″ Father’s Day Campaign 2015! In honour of Father’s Day, we created this campaign:

• To acknowledge the vital role Dads play in families, cultures and communities worldwide.
• To showcase good men from different walks of life who are fabulous positive non-violent male role models.

Through this campaign, we will be publishing a short interview with a different Dad on each day of the month of June. This campaign is also part of a programme of initiatives held throughout 2015 in support of the Celebrity Male Role Model Pixel Reveal campaign that is in benefit of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence and The Pixel Project. Donate at just US$1 per pixel to reveal the mystery Celebrity Male Role Models and help raise US$1 million for the cause while raising awareness about the important role men and boys play in ending violence against women in their communities worldwide. Donations begin at just US$10 and you can donate via the Pixel Reveal website here or the Pixel Reveal Razoo donation page here.

Our twenty-seventh “30 For 30″ 2015 Dad is Rob Dyson from the United Kingdom.

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The Dad Bio I am Head of Communications at a disabled children’s charity in the UK. I’m also a founding member, and former trustee, of CharityComms, the professional members’ body for charity communicators. In 2007 I founded the Third Sector PR & Communications Network on Facebook, which is used daily by over 2,200 British and international charity communications professionals. I’ve blogged for The Guardian, contributed articles to Third Sector and PR Week, and I have spoken at conferences, seminars, and tweet-ups on building relationships with journalists and how to use social media to amplify communications. I am also a ‘box fresh’ dad!

1. What is the best thing about being a dad? It’s extremely early days, as my son Ethan is a month old, but the sense of responsibility for raising a boy to be respectful, moral, and happy is already palpable. I am looking forward to being a father in the sense of providing support and guidance and also independence.

2. A dad is usually the first male role model in a person’s life and fathers do have a significant impact on their sons’ attitude towards women and girls. How has your father influenced the way you see and treat women and girls? My father, like me, has friends who are women, and likes women including co-workers, relations, and friends, so growing up I didn’t distinguish between female and male role models, whether they were filmmakers, artists, songwriters, or business owners. When I went to school, I actually leaned towards having more female friends as I found there was no ‘machismo’ and I could talk about what I was feeling and thinking. In early education settings, when young men are typically finding their way, though, my male friends would use team sports to bond, but I had no interest in that.

3. Communities and activists worldwide are starting to recognise that violence against women is not a “women’s issue” but a human rights issue and that men play a role in stopping the violence. How do you think fathers and other male role models can help get young men and boys to take an interest in and step up to help prevent and stop violence against women? I think it’s about setting the scene early. Children have no religion, pre-judgement, nor prejudices. They learn their identity from their parents, wider family networks, and later through peers and social groups. So, like my experience with my own father, if you grow up in an environment which fosters a celebration of talent, achievement, creativity, and individuality, irrespective of gender, little boys will grow into men who respect everyone. Yes, there are daily influences which reinforce stereotypes and negativity, but a song on the radio, a bad movie, or a video game can be distinguished from how to live your life by a good role model. Being present and a positive force in your child’s life, particularly as a father to a son; promoting friendships and role models of both sexes; and having positive women in your life; can help to raise real men with the self-respect not to harm women.

Welcome to The Pixel Project’s “30 For 30″ Father’s Day Campaign 2015! In honour of Father’s Day, we created this campaign:

• To acknowledge the vital role Dads play in families, cultures and communities worldwide.
• To showcase good men from different walks of life who are fabulous positive non-violent male role models.

Through this campaign, we will be publishing a short interview with a different Dad on each day of the month of June.

This campaign is also part of a programme of initiatives held throughout 2015 in support of the Celebrity Male Role Model Pixel Reveal campaign that is in benefit of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence and The Pixel Project. Donate at just US$1 per pixel to reveal the mystery Celebrity Male Role Models and help raise US$1 million for the cause while raising awareness about the important role men and boys play in ending violence against women in their communities worldwide. Donations begin at just US$10 and you can donate via the Pixel Reveal website here or the Pixel Reveal Razoo donation page here.

Our twenty-sixth “30 For 30″ 2015 Dad is Jonathan Horsley from the United Kingdom and Malaysia.

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The Dad Bio

I was born in the UK but have lived in Malaysia for one third of my life. My wife and I meet while at University where I was reading Chemical Engineering and she, a BSC in Psychology. We got married two weeks after graduation but it took me three years to persuade her to have kids. We now have two sons and a daughter, aged 12, 10, and 8. I currently work for an international nursery and baby product supplier while my wife stays home to home-school the kids. 

1. What is the best thing about being a dad?

Holding them as little tiny babies and knowing it is my responsibility to nurture and protect them. Then, watching them grow up into interesting little people with ideas and thoughts of their own. They make coming home extra special. Learning that what they really want is my time and attention, and the more I put in, the more rewarding it is.

2. A dad is usually the first male role model in a person’s life and fathers do have a significant impact on their sons’ attitude towards women and girls. How has your father influenced the way you see and treat women and girls?

I have only one male sibling but watching my father interact with my mother really set the tone for me. I never saw him behave aggressively towards her. The language that he used remained respectful and at no time did I ever feel he used his strength or earning power to gain the upper hand. He valued her staying home to raise us and her contributions to our family.

3. Communities and activists worldwide are starting to recognise that violence against women is not a “women’s issue” but a human rights issue and that men play a role in stopping the violence. How do you think fathers and other male role models can help get young men and boys to take an interest in and step up to help prevent and stop violence against women?

Set a good example for our sons and peers. Don’t be ashamed to appear less macho by speaking up for women. Talk about the issue and make it clear that violence isn’t okay. Challenge those who violate women. Validate and support the victims. It is helpful for them to hear from a man that they do not need to tolerate this kind of behaviour and that violence against women is not the norm.

Welcome to The Pixel Project’s “30 For 30″ Father’s Day Campaign 2015! In honour of Father’s Day, we created this campaign:

• To acknowledge the vital role Dads play in families, cultures and communities worldwide.
• To showcase good men from different walks of life who are fabulous positive non-violent male role models.

Through this campaign, we will be publishing a short interview with a different Dad on each day of the month of June.

This campaign is also part of a programme of initiatives held throughout 2015 in support of the Celebrity Male Role Model Pixel Reveal campaign that is in benefit of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence and The Pixel Project. Donate at just US$1 per pixel to reveal the mystery Celebrity Male Role Models and help raise US$1 million for the cause while raising awareness about the important role men and boys play in ending violence against women in their communities worldwide. Donations begin at just US$10 and you can donate via the Pixel Reveal website here or the Pixel Reveal Razoo donation page here.

Our twenty-fifth “30 For 30″ 2015 Dad is Bala Sasetu from Nigeria.

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The Dad Bio

My name is Bala Sasetu. I am a lawyer by training and a public servant by profession. I am a Christian. I am happily married and the union is blessed with two sweet daughters; Kayla, aged 3 years, 7 months, and Viela, aged 9 months.  I am a family focused person, a persona that drove right to the doors of Family Worship Centre, Abuja, where I worship and serve as a Home Cell (Care Group) leader.  My hobbies include but are not limited to travelling, watching TV, and listening to good music. 

1. What is the best thing about being a dad?

The best thing about being a dad is the fact that I see not only a replica of myself but an opportunity to make a better me.  Nothing prepared me for the experience of being a dad so from the moment I set eyes on my child, the avalanche of emotions that came upon me from that moment onward were just awesome.  The responsibilities are challenging sometimes but I would not trade being a dad today for anything on earth. It also makes me understand how God feels about me as His child.

2. A dad is usually the first male role model in a person’s life and fathers do have a significant impact on their sons’ attitude towards women and girls. How has your father influenced the way you see and treat women and girls?

My father, like every other person, was not perfect when I was growing up but he was a man, indeed, he still is.  He adored our mother and tried to express it the best he could.  He knew how to handle affairs in his home and how to take up the challenges of fatherhood whilst not interfering in my mother’s need to be a mother.

He was not bossy and a terror around the house, and understood the place of dialogue. My father only needed to mention something once and it stuck.  Such is his influence on me.

3. Communities and activists worldwide are starting to recognise that violence against women is not a “women’s issue” but a human rights issue and that men play a role in stopping the violence. How do you think fathers and other male role models can help get young men and boys to take an interest in and step up to help prevent and stop violence against women?

I believe that charity as they say begins at home. The way fathers treat mothers at home will go a long way in determining the premium boys will place on women in their lives. If they grow up seeing their mothers treated like property, they will eventually see women as objects for ownership.  If their mothers were abused, their wives more often than not would be abused, too.

I agree that there could be cases of reverse reaction where children who saw their mothers suffering violence developed compassion towards women and treated them with respect, but such cases are extremely rare.

Fathers owe it to society to treat their wives with respect so that their children do not carry on the trend of violence. Fatherhood is not just being a father, but also teaching boys to be gentlemen and responsible fathers.

Welcome to The Pixel Project’s “30 For 30″ Father’s Day Campaign 2015! In honour of Father’s Day, we created this campaign:

• To acknowledge the vital role Dads play in families, cultures and communities worldwide.
• To showcase good men from different walks of life who are fabulous positive non-violent male role models.

Through this campaign, we will be publishing a short interview with a different Dad on each day of the month of June.

This campaign is also part of a programme of initiatives held throughout 2015 in support of the Celebrity Male Role Model Pixel Reveal campaign that is in benefit of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence and The Pixel Project. Donate at just US$1 per pixel to reveal the mystery Celebrity Male Role Models and help raise US$1 million for the cause while raising awareness about the important role men and boys play in ending violence against women in their communities worldwide. Donations begin at just US$10 and you can donate via the Pixel Reveal website here or the Pixel Reveal Razoo donation page here.

Our twenty-fourth “30 For 30″ 2015 Dad is Romaine Martin from the USA.

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The Dad Bio

My name is Romaine Martin and I have wanted to be a father as long as I can remember. I was born in New Jersey and grew up in a family with my mother, father, and older sister. I moved to Virginia during middle school and continued through university. I have one son, Romaine III, and a beautiful daughter, Lauren. I am married to the love of my life, Judy, and we have been together over twenty years. I have worked at the same company for the past eighteen years and currently serve as a training coordinator.  My favourite hobby is to travel and discover new places with my family!   

1. What is the best thing about being a dad?

The best thing about being a dad is gaining the knowledge that my parents were not really crazy while I was growing up!  In other words I have developed an appreciation for what my sister and I put them through.

Being a parent is the most rewarding experience I can imagine.  You have such responsibility to a blank slate of a person, a person who really only wants to love you with no questions asked.  I have found myself echoing my parents’ warnings and exclamations on more than one occasion. That kind of makes me smile inside and realise how much of a circle life really is.

2. A dad is usually the first male role model in a person’s life and fathers do have a significant impact on their sons’ attitude towards women and girls. How has your father influenced the way you see and treat women and girls?

The first thing I remember my dad specifically telling me about women is that ‘a real man will never hit a woman’.  I heard that at the age of five or so probably because of fights with my big sister.  My mother worked outside the home during much of my childhood. I remember my dad would often work two jobs and sometimes take me along for the ride.  He would always stress that a man must do whatever it takes to take care of his family and carry the load.

I don’t think I ever saw him cry and he would hold his feelings inside and even developed an ulcer when I was a kid.  I think I have done the same to a degree and tend to internalize issues instead of sharing them openly with my spouse. I have had an ulcer as well. My wife says I am getting better with sharing the load.

3. Communities and activists worldwide are starting to recognise that violence against women is not a “women’s issue” but a human rights issue and that men play a role in stopping the violence. How do you think fathers and other male role models can help get young men and boys to take an interest in and step up to help prevent and stop violence against women?

I think it all begins with respect. I feel now more than ever that women are depicted as less than full human beings on the internet, in movies, video games, and TV.  How can we expect boys to treat an image as real?

Men need to explain the difference between fantasy and reality to their sons.  The real proof is in the doing. You have to walk the talk and let your son be exposed to real love and life and model an environment of mutual respect.  You also have to show that arguments and disagreements do occur, but it’s how you use communication skills to work your way through it that counts.

Welcome to The Pixel Project’s “30 For 30″ Father’s Day Campaign 2015! In honour of Father’s Day, we created this campaign:

• To acknowledge the vital role Dads play in families, cultures and communities worldwide.
• To showcase good men from different walks of life who are fabulous positive non-violent male role models.

Through this campaign, we will be publishing a short interview with a different Dad on each day of the month of June.

This campaign is also part of a programme of initiatives held throughout 2015 in support of the Celebrity Male Role Model Pixel Reveal campaign that is in benefit of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence and The Pixel Project. Donate at just US$1 per pixel to reveal the mystery Celebrity Male Role Models and help raise US$1 million for the cause while raising awareness about the important role men and boys play in ending violence against women in their communities worldwide. Donations begin at just US$10 and you can donate via the Pixel Reveal website here or the Pixel Reveal Razoo donation page here.

Our twenty-third “30 For 30″ 2015 Dad is Pau Almuni from Spain.

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The Dad Bio

I am the dad of one, and we’re expecting another. I am in love with my wife – she’s too awesome for words! I am an entrepreneur in many places, and also in business. I manage and pushed to create fatherhood groups in Barcelona. I always thought I wanted to be a dad, but I never thought it would be so amazing, creepy, and scary at the same time! I don’t understand dads who don’t act like real men, and see their kids as noisy and problems. I don’t like people that call dads ‘heroes’, because we’re just doing what we want, need, and have to. 

1. What is the best thing about being a dad?

The best part of being a dad is looking into my kid’s eyes when he calls me dad, when he plays, when he laughs, when he runs. It’s seeing him learn something new every day. It’s being conscious that I am participating in growing a new life, and everything that I can learn on that journey.

Being a Dad has given me a new perspective on so many things: How I live my life, how I act at work, my relationship with my own dad and mom. Expecting a daughter is also opening my eyes even more to gender issues.

2. A dad is usually the first male role model in a person’s life and fathers do have a significant impact on their sons’ attitude towards women and girls. How has your father influenced the way you see and treat women and girls?

My father has been a great example. He never treated my older or younger sister any differently from me. We all had to help at home, do our tasks, and we all could play with whatever we wanted.

He respected and treated my mom right, and was a modern father. He even stayed at home for a while when we were children. Now he is also very supportive and active with my son, his grandson. I’ve never thought about treating men and women differently. I suppose that’s because when I was young I didn’t see any difference in how parents treated my sisters and I.

3. Communities and activists worldwide are starting to recognise that violence against women is not a “women’s issue” but a human rights issue and that men play a role in stopping the violence. How do you think fathers and other male role models can help get young men and boys to take an interest in and step up to help prevent and stop violence against women?

Men can raise their voices when they see any act of violence, even micro-violence. They can publicly show their feelings. They can organise and attend fatherhood groups, where fathers can talk about fatherhood and be conscious of how it can affect their kids’ lives. They can support men’s roles as caregivers, and empower women as a way to shift the balance between genders.

Welcome to The Pixel Project’s “30 For 30″ Father’s Day Campaign 2015! In honour of Father’s Day, we created this campaign:

• To acknowledge the vital role Dads play in families, cultures and communities worldwide.
• To showcase good men from different walks of life who are fabulous positive non-violent male role models.

Through this campaign, we will be publishing a short interview with a different Dad on each day of the month of June.

This campaign is also part of a programme of initiatives held throughout 2015 in support of the Celebrity Male Role Model Pixel Reveal campaign that is in benefit of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence and The Pixel Project. Donate at just US$1 per pixel to reveal the mystery Celebrity Male Role Models and help raise US$1 million for the cause while raising awareness about the important role men and boys play in ending violence against women in their communities worldwide. Donations begin at just US$10 and you can donate via the Pixel Reveal website here or the Pixel Reveal Razoo donation page here.

Our eighteenth “30 For 30″ 2015 Dad is Matt Hellman from the USA.

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The Dad Bio

Matt Hellman has been an attorney for 15 years, having previously worked for the Ohio Attorney General’s Office and the U.S. Department of Justice. He is now the Executive Director of New Directions, the Domestic Abuse Shelter and Rape Crisis Center of Knox County, Ohio (http://newdirectionsshelter.org/). Along with his wife, Jill, who is the Director of Residential Life and Assistant Dean at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, he is the parent to three young children: a daughter (12), son (8), and daughter (4). They also have a dog who thinks that she is the fourth child. 

1. What is the best thing about being a dad?

Bedtime stories, hearing the same joke many times over, family-night movies, zoo trips, Christmas morning, catching fireflies, lost teeth, artwork on the refrigerator, calming thunderstorm fears, smiley-face pancakes, leaf-pile jumping, snowman building. Being a dad, or a mom, is one of the hardest things someone can do, but it can also be the most rewarding.

2. A dad is usually the first male role model in a person’s life and fathers do have a significant impact on their sons’ attitude towards women and girls. How has your father influenced the way you see and treat women and girls?

My father and mother have been married for over 40 years. Having been married for over 15 years, I can appreciate what that means; the good, fun, and happy times are sometimes intermixed with low points that are tough and sad. But my father, along with my mother, was willing to work through those challenges because they valued each other and the family unit.

3. Communities and activists worldwide are starting to recognise that violence against women is not a “women’s issue” but a human rights issue and that men play a role in stopping the violence. How do you think fathers and other male role models can help get young men and boys to take an interest in and step up to help prevent and stop violence against women?

It is not enough for fathers and other men to simply not commit violence against women. Instead, one must look to the model being urged on college campuses of active bystanders. We need to use our knowledge, influence, and positions to ensure that we work to stop the violence that is being committed as well as advocate for the prevention of future violence so that persons of all genders, sexual orientations, races, religions, and socioeconomic statuses can lead violence-free lives.