I am writing for two reasons. The first is to give you an update on MRI’s recent activities. The second is to ask you to make a donation that can potentially resolve a difficult situation that is immediate, personal, and will have an important impact for one African man, refugee and youth communities in Springfield, and Men’s Resources International.

This is a rare circumstance in which a finite amount of money can actually solve a problem. Not just make a difference, or work towards a solution — but actually fix it. Plus, due to a matching grant and a training in early January, your money can do triple duty. Here’s the situation…

As a young man, I will use my voice to bring change.

Meet Pascal

A Burundian colleague of Men’s Resources International, Pascal Akimana has been a refugee from his country since he was 12 years old. (He’s now 28.) As a child, Pascal witnessed and experienced severe family and political violence. You may read a first hand account of his story here.

Click here to listen to a recent interview with Pascal or try the audio player below.

All of his adult life, Pascal has been working with men and boys to end gender-based violence. He has worked with EngenderHealth and Sonke Gender Justice Network in South Africa, as well as with MRI and the International Rescue Committee in Cote D’Ivoire. He is smart, skilled, articulate (in four languages!), and committed.

Pascal is now in the Springfield area seeking asylum in the United States and a means to support himself.

Help Pascal finally find peace and security in the U.S. Your donation will provide basic living expenses while he works with MRI to bring gender equality and positive masculinity to men and boys locally and globally. Give now.

This presents an incredible opportunity to bring Pascal’s experience and skill to men’s work in our area. MRI connected Pascal with a lawyer who has agreed to help him (pro bono) apply for a 2-year training visa, with MRI serving as his organizational sponsor.

Some of us have already personally contributed money and clothes for Pascal, but we are now fundraising to offer Pascal an official internship with a stipend and health insurance.

There are two significant roles for Pascal to play in the weeks ahead.

1. Working with men and boys in the Burundian refugee community in Springfield. James and I connected Pascal with the coordinators for refugee services at Jewish Family Services and Catholic Charities in Springfield, who both recognize the value of someone with Pascal’s experiences and skills. Father Bill at Catholic Charities has already enlisted Pascal to work as a volunteer with Burundian men and boys in Springfield.

2. Helping to facilitate MRI's Youth Leadership Institute (YMLI) beginning this January. The YMLI will be an opportunity for young men and young women from the Mason Square area of Springfield, MA to receive training and coaching to become violence prevention advocates and role models for gender equality. Men’s Resources International is partnering with New North Educational Services (NES), the Urban League, Dunbar Community Center, and the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center. Each organization will recommend 6 – 8 youth with leadership potential and 1 – 2 staff to participate in the YMLI.

Please consider making a donation to help Pascal and MRI continue this important work in Western Massachusetts and in Africa. Money raised will directly support Pascal's internship and his role in MRI's Youth Leadership Institute and local refugee communities. Plus, if we meet our fundraising goals, your contribution will be matched — doubling the impact!

Ways to give:

1. Make a one-time or recurring donation on our secure web form.
2. Mail a gift to: Men's Resources International, 1695 Main Street, Springfield, MA 01103.
3. Call us at +1.413.214.6797 to discuss stock/bond transfers, matching gifts, or other ways of supporting our mission.

Your donation will:

• Provide safety and basic living expenses for Pascal.
• Bring Pascal's unique skills and experience to local refugee communities.
• Provide 6-months of leadership and sensitivity training and support for Springfield youth.
• Help MRI win matching grants to continue these programs.

Please take a moment to scroll down through MRI's accomplishments over this past year. Know that Men’s Resources International is playing a significant role in a global movement, and that your donation will make an immediate and meaningful impact.

In the spirit of hope,
Steven

Steven Botkin, Executive Director
James Arana, Associate Director

Men’s Resources International 2009 highlights include…

March | Steven presents at the 53^rd session of the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women in New York.

March/April | Steven presents at the Global Symposium on Engaging Men and Boys in Gender Equality in Brazil attended by 430 men and women from 80 countries. More here and here...

May | MRI provides training and consultation to the International Rescue Committee in Côte d’Ivoire for the development of their Male Involvement Project. More...

June | MRI conducts its 3^rd annual Springfield training on “Men as Allies: Promoting Positive Masculinity.”

June | MRI participates in the World Bank forum on Engaging Men in Conflict/Post-Conflict Sub-Saharan Africa in Washington D.C.

June | James and Steven teach a week-long course on “Women and Men as Partners in Peacebuilding” at the School for International Training CONTACT (Conflict Transformation Across Cultures) Program in Vermont.

June/July | On our third trip to Rwanda, MRI conducts training with men and women from another coffee cooperative and offers consultations to the Rwanda Men’s Resource Centre. More...

August/September | As a member of the steering/advisory committee MRI participates in a Global MenEngage Alliance strategic planning retreat in Sweden.

September | Steven is an invited participant in an expert consultation meeting with the International Gender Working Group on Addressing Gender Equality from a Relational Perspective in Washington DC.

October | James attends the Africa MenEngage Symposium in Johannesburg, South Africa. Read a blog entry from James Arana. Download Working with Men and Boys: Emerging strategies from across Africa to address Gender-based Violence and HIV/AIDS (PDF file.)

November/ December | Steven co-facilitates a first ever two week training for male peacemakers - "Overcoming Violence - Exploring Masculinities, Violence and Peace" – organized by the Women’s Peacemakers Program of the International Fellowship of Reconciliation. More...