Men, Violence and Social Crisis?, Training in Popular Education and Masculinities second workshop, 11th and 12th May 1995, Managua

The workshop on 'Men, Violence and Social Crisis' is part of a course on masculinities held by CANTERA, a Nicaraguan non-governmental organisation working to end gender-based violence through popular education workshops (see Networking and Contact Details section). The objective of the workshop is to analyse the roots of men's violence and assess the effects that it has on them, their families, and the community. This document presents the proceedings of the workshop and some of the tools used. Children's games were analysed to determine how much violence is built into them and to see how this influences the way that ideas about masculinity are constructed among children. The document also looks at how violence is differently experienced by men and women. Some new non-violent practices are proposed, including at the personal, family, social and political levels and in the workplace. At the personal level, for instance, it is important to be self-reflective in order to change violent attitudes and behaviour towards other people and to accept that other people are entitled to having different views from one's own. At the family level, recommendations emphasise the importance of building new loving relationships with partners and children, and learning to listen and be more democratic.