"Objectives of International Men's Day include a focus on men's and boy's health, improving gender relations, promoting gender equality, and highlighting positive male role models. It is an occasion for men to celebrate their achievements and contributions, in particular their contributions to community, family, marriage, and child care while highlighting the discrimination against them.
The theme for 2017 is Celebrate Men and Boys."

http://www.internationalmensday.com/

This was Malcolm Turnbull, Bill Shorten, Chloe and ors at the Parliamentary Breakfast for International Women's Day,
http://www.malcolmturnbull.com.au/media/remarks-to-2016-international-womens-day-parliamentary-breakfast

Will there be a similar event for men and boys. Will be there any recognition at all?

Do men really want 'recognition' and the bullshite some young women seem to crave? My generation has never had this man/woman problem that younger people seem to have. And, as Henry Kissinger is supposed to have said, "No-one will ever win the battle of the sexes because there is too much fraternisation". Of course, there is the problem of man-hating lesbians these days, but let them worry about their problems. I sure as bell don't.

I sense that male/female comparisons are appropriate, not as part of some competition, nor to say that women are doing well, because in some important dimensions they may not be, but to spur us to consider what gives us angst and to start the thinking process about options for support and change.

As a product of a country upbringing that always focussed on independence and bearing the loads and pains of life and nature, I do stoicism very well indeed. And I am strongly analytical, focussed on the head to interpret the world and solve problems. I can and do 'tough it out' and 'suck it up' with the best and go beyond that. In all of my male roles, son, husband, father, friend to name some, I am dutiful to a fault, and that fault usually is lack of attention to self care. There are many men like that and many women too.

But I would have to say that reflecting on life, those claimed positive qualities, instilled in me along with the self-discipline to reinforce it in place, work well in some situations but are NOT always appropriate nor helpful to my wellness and quality of life, or to those I love.

I see the purpose of this international day as one where all men, but especially youth can take stock, look for role models and nudge themselves into some small steps that can improve their lives. We only get three score and ten and for many, life becomes intolerable well before that either through depression or lifestyle diseases that are preventable.

Just some quick thoughts to ponder. And yes, it is rather galling that the PM and other federal big pins have better things to do than to concern themselves with such trifles as the high incidence of male suicide in Australia.

"Ten reasons we should be celebrating International Men's Day'

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/thinking-man/10-reasons-we-should-be-celebrating-international-mens-day/

LJ

Let's begin with boy problems, which eventually extrapolate into men's problems.

As a yard-stick of comparison, consider boys with no problems. There are none of course, but all suffer from some degree of imbalance during childhood.

After reading Charlie Verons autobiography recently, I think his life reflects well, the need for balance in a boys life. Verons life reflected the typical unfocused male ego driver.
As luck would have it, Verons contribution to marine biology, was his boundless enthusiasm for discovery of nature, and cataloging GBR corals, which eventually expanded into research of global coral reef systems.

But Charlie was totally unfocused as a child, and outside the square. Over adventurous, and a bad academic achiever. He failed to matriculate, but was offered a scholarship to university, based on a different set of test criteria. That which tested for ability.

A nonconformist, but certainly not rebellious. Eventually a great achiever, but not always.

Life is a lottery as they say!

So will they make a law that women must celebrate international men.
Footie games have girl cheer leaders and a street march by boys with girls waving flags and throwing testosterone pills will sort out the men.

"It is an occasion for men to celebrate their achievements while highlighting the discrimination against them. 99% of combat deaths are men."
This must stop , it's unfair and senseless . Women-only armies will adjust centuries of men abusing men.

diver dan,

Charlie Vernon was born in 1945. Different times, think of the technology revolution, where changes have vastly outpaced our ability to deal effectively with it, humans don't change so easily as you imply and the essential qualities that make us human, the brain in particular, stay the same.

We should add the other biggies such as globalisation and corporatisation and the list grows from there, into the loss of jobs and casualisation of the workplace.

So yes, there are those essential qualities that make us human and what is good boys and yes again, those factors are rarely in consideration, if at all, in the formation of public policy and that is the worse for boys, and young men. Yes too, the world has changed dramatically since 1945. In fact one could easily break that up and clump the period into say 1945 to the early Sixties, Sixties to Eighties and Eighties to 2000 and 2000 on, with huge leaps forward with different challenges each period and the change becoming far more rapid and devastating compared with what went before.

Maybe if the older men here could reflect on how prepared they are for now and for the immediate future. Gerontology hasn't been popular and no, it isn't up to date and governments are struggling, playing catch-up, eg Ireland and its Healthy and Positive Ageing Initiative.

We might also think of the bellwethers of needed change, such awful stats of self-harming and suicide among men and the failure of boys in education. From OLO,
'The grim future awaiting our boys' By Peter West, published 31/10/2017
http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=19383

On International Men's Day let us remember
the good things about men and boys.

Here is a poem dedicated to a male teacher:

"I cannot write poetry, yet how else
can I tell.
How tell of this man among men -
not tall, not fair;
Bringing no gifts, speaking no harsh
words.
How tell of the miracle he wrought;
the loosening of the cords binding
my soul, the cutting of the
strings which draw tight the
shutters of my mind.
How else can I tell you of his
listening heart."

Happy Men's Day!

I must say I'm beginning to feel very sorry for today's men.
The attempt to emotionally emasculate them, the constant denigration of male behaviour, the denial of the simple drives of biology that have created this race of humans.
With the current obsession of trying to prove women and men are interchangeable as parents and that women can compete with men on every level, despite obvious physical differences means many young men will be left wondering exactly what their role in this society is.
The rate of suicide in young males grows every year and unless we, as a society can effect a change that gives men back their sense of purpose and feeling of worth, then we shall see many more premature deaths.

The search goes on for the Australian politician who is interested in International Men's Day 2017..

Qld, where campaigning is underway for a State election, a blank sheet, nil,
http://qorf.org.au/whats-on/international-mens-day/

LeoJ

I don't think for a minute, the positive life of Charlie Veron can be dismissed as a dated aberration. Verons life is a timeless example of “mind over matter”, and his successful life and similar others) can and should be highlighted as an example of what a MAN can achieve.
We, all of us with a brain, can discern accurately, as we do, the huge problems created by the gender-bender fraternity. But one positive from the recent ssm survey was, the gender diluting support, is primarily by the young themselves.

One could simply say, you will reap what you sow; best of British, and dismiss the male of the species as a lost cause.

I'm personally very happy with my own achievements, having lived the equivalent of ten lives, like the proverbial cat; (and Charlie Veron). I don't understand why excuses for “men” want to buckle under the psychosis of gender bending. I have absolutely no understanding of this phase of our pathetic and gutless society. And the Chinese just simply march in and take us over, without a shot being fired! Gutless!

There are two evils I refuse to countenance, Chinese and homosexuals! Maybe take my attitude of a “man” as another example. Till then, they can keep on killing themselves in increasing numbers, good riddance to the gutless generation of “quasi” men!

After that International Transgender Day 2017

Then International Gay and Lesbian Day 2017

Followed by a multitude of new classifications.

PC

Philip S,

Yes, the federal pollies from PM down will be out to celebrate that 'diversity'.

diver dan, "I don't think for a minute, the positive life of Charlie Veron can be dismissed as a dated aberration"

If it appeared that way it was not intended.

Dear Philip S.,

What you are suggesting is very possible indeed.
Take a look at the mind-boggling festivals and
celebrations that already exist in this country
from the various communities that celebrate them.
Here is a 2017 Calendar that the Department of
Social Services gives us:

http://www.dss.gov.au/our-responsibilities/settlement-and-multicultural-affairs/programs-policy/a-multicultural-australia/government-building-social-cohesion/calendar-of-cultural-and-religious-dates

LeoJ

If you wish to discuss the aspects that determine the outcomes for men, then the forward discussion should deal with; what exactly is a modern Australian male?

Why won't you discuss the obvious flawed concepts of gender? In the view of the gender benders, there are 54 gender types. How would that misconception, not be rewarded by confusion in the minds of the young male, as to what is the role of the male in society?

According to new-age thinking, you may not actually be a male, even if endowed with the necessary appendage. Which leaves the question hanging; how can any young person, male or female, be certain of their gender role in society?

How can all things associated with being a successful male, ever go well under those circumstances?

And when you discuss this point with me, then we may move on and discuss why it is a Government responsibility to tend the welfare of men, as you seem to suggest.

diver dan,

There is a push for gender equality or as some would have it abolishing gender. More celebrity/media-led change, Emma Watson and ors in this case with strange bed fellows, Obama and Oz actor (a rapidly fading star) as examples. But I do not have the interest or energy to get into that topic here. Maybe if someone wants to put up a thread.

Government does have a responsibility for the promotion of men's health and of there is a gathering international movement,

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1121528/

These are some of the issues that should be discussed in forums on International Men's Day. But sadly, Australian federal parliamentarians have other things on their minds.

leoj - The media via TV shows, movies even music video clips have advanced the cause of gay and lesbian acceptance over the past few years.

The amount of shows etc including gays and lesbians have normalized what years ago would have been considered totally wrong to most people.

Philip S,

That is true and you will find some astute 'nudging' (social psychology) behind that.

However the real force behind seemingly un-counterable Hegelian Dialectic, liberally used, was real force behind the successful hijacking of gays 'rights' by the manipulative and authoritarian 'wolves in sheep's clothing' leftist 'Progressives'. The leftist 'Progressives' are faux progressive, it is a convenient camouflage for their neo-communism. Their interest in SSM and their hijacking of gay politics was solely to use young impressionable hot-head Gay Pride activists as 'useful idiots', a hammer to smash their hated institutions of family, marriage and so on.

Here is a discussion of Hegelian Dialectic and the rest of the article is worth reading,

"Before we discuss this further we need to talk about the Hegelian Dialectic. This is a process of thought control that keeps us trapped in a narrative that pushes us closer to communism. It is also known as the Problem- Reaction- Solution strategy. Originally developed by Friedrich Hegel, the Hegelian Dialectic is a process where social change is guaranteed because opposing forces conflict, demanding a solution. Karl Marx and Fredrik Engels took this concept to a new level when applying it to their theory of communism."
http://www.propaganda.news/2016-03-28-obamas-hegelian-dialectic.html

Leftist 'Progressives' get a lot of help from the humanities academics in some universities, largely sociology but more recently social psychology. Because the academics are putting their professional ethics on the back burner as they rationalise their interventions - that they imagine to be the best course for humanity. t can be blatant. Some social psychologists don't disguise their support through advice on people manipulation strategies for the Obama and Clinton presidential election campaigns, for example. Such departures from academic and research ethics is already having negative consequences for the public perception of science, ie public distrust and cynicism. And there is already plenty of 'sloppy' research associated with feminism that the public is waking to.

I draft quickly and my editing was off. Apologies for repeated 'force'.

Men should get back to acting like men. That is the only solution to their problems - if they really have a problem, and are not just caving in nasty females.

From your reference Leo…

Soc Sci Med. 2000 May;50(10):1385-401.
Constructions of masculinity and their influence on men's well-being: a theory of gender and health.

1st dead rat

…this paper proposes a relational theory of men's health from a social constructionist and, (open alarm bells), “feminist perspective”, (end alarm bells)!

Bingo, Leo!

2nd dead rat.

….the social practices that undermine men's health are often signifiers of masculinity and instruments that men use in the negotiation of social power and status…

Think very carefully on that one Leo!

diver dan,

Thanks, I will bear that in mind.

Here is a quote from Turnbull about the SSM vote, what a hypocrite.

“They are our masters, we who were elected to parliament. It is our job now to get on with it, get on with it and get this done. It is fair."

Strange how politicians forget who there masters are with so many other issues or are afraid to actually ask the people (masters).

This part of the quote should come back to haunt him "They are our masters, we who were elected to parliament."

Anyone want to bet not 1 journalist even reminds him of that statement.

Philip S

It is up to the voters to remind Turnbull of that. However, it is doubtful that they will. Any citizens who allow people of the same sex to 'marry' have well and truly gone off the rails, and they actually deserve someone as bad as Turnbull. They will probably get Shorten, though, and they deserve him too.

Ttbn / JP

Since the resounding no vote came from the bush, has there been comment from the National Party?

//Since the resounding no vote came from the bush//

No it didn't... it came from Sydney. The bush mostly voted yes.

"Will there be a similar event for men and boys. Will be there any recognition at all?"

Doubtful, check this out.
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/free-tv-australia-denies-fathers-day-ad-was-blocked-for-being-too-political-20170902-gy9h5b.html

Full version of Banned Ad.
http://youtu.be/l1aTJtaT2uk

Now why would they ban this?

I've come to the conclusion they are seriously trying every way they can to destroy our society so in 20 years time we will need an authoritarian to come and rule over us and clean up the mess.

Watch this video: It explains so much of what is wrong.
The Truth about Soy Boys
http://youtu.be/FTSvLKY7HEk

Take this as some more examples of double standards and societies impending destruction:

For Girls -

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-11-14/me-at-14-women-share-old-photos-to-protest-roy-moore/9147482
"It's not a question about the legal age of consent, but about affirming a shared social value that children deserve our protection," Mrs Lawson said.
"Teenagers can't consent to a relationship with a grown man, ever."

For Boys

http://www.infowars.com/drag-queen-festival-in-austin-promotes-early-sexualgender-confusion-2/

In the UK they're also forcing kids to go to Mosques and pray as part of school curriculum, also including Trangenders into the school classroom to promote diversity.
(Obviously if you object, your labelled Islamaphobe,Racist etc)
I'm now convinced they are definitely trying to destroy our society from within.
It's almost like Plato's playbook, after unrestrained liberal democracy comes a tyrant.

Here's something special just for you Toni: Vaccines
http://www.australiannationalreview.com/harvard-study-proves-unvaccinated-children-pose-risk/

DD, as Toni rightly pointed out, you got that wrong. What is the National Party and their leader the hayseed himself, Barnyard up to. Barnyard and his buddies, are too busy fighting a by-election, which is costing the taxpayer millions, all because of Barnyards stupidity. Why worry what a bunch of out of touch hicks think about SSM anyway, just bill them for the by-election.