Links

Men's Line Australia

Men's Line Australia is the first national telephone counselling service for men to talk about their family and relationship concerns. It provides information, support and referral. This service is available 24 hours a day from anywhere in Australia for the cost of a local call .

Men's Line was started with Federal Government funding, but is a non-profit organisation reliant upon the generosity of a community of donors and volunteers to continue to provide this critical service.

The phone number is 1300-78-99-78

Men's Initiatives - Australian

MENDS produces much of the benefits it does for its clients because it enables them to come to a better understanding of masculinity and what being a man means in the late 90's.

This is in part achieved through how closely MENDS works in co-operation with the rapidly emerging part of the men's movement, focused on offering men realistic alternatives to traditional post-war masculine roles. Because the forces acting upon men at the close of the millennium are so varied, and their responses likewise, the "men's movement" is no singular entity. Simplistic treatments of the men's movement are just as

Following are a few of the organisations MENDS works most closely with or respects and whom web visitors may benefit by visiting.

We strongly endorse each, whilst not necessarily being in 100% agreement with all opinions expressed therein!

Men's Health & Wellbeing Association (NSW)

An umbrella organisation promoting a range of men's health & wellbeing issues.

Men's Health and Wellbeing Association (Queensland) Inc.

Part of the MHWA Australia-wide. It is a vibrant, pro-social organisation addressing a wide range of men's issues with strong links to the broader Queensland health community.

The MHWA web site lists a comprehensive range of regional resource organisations for men.

Sydney Men's Network (SMN)

A men's peer support network. The purpose of the network is the development of men's liberation. A men's contact list is kept to help maintain contact between those working with males or taking part in men's work. SMN also has organised marches, gatherings, seminars, conferences, men's groups and workshops, networks with other groups; it trains counsellors of men, runs public awareness campaigns and publicly supports discussion of men's issues, gives background information on males to journalists, TV producers, writers, health workers and other professional working with males or issues of males.

The active members of the Sydney Men's Network are building their own men's groups. At the middle of the network is a group of men developing peer counselling for men. The counselling model used is based in Re-evaluation Counselling.

SMN aims to nurture, beginning with men but spreading to the broader community, the innate ability to take initiative and responsibility from caring.

Manhood On Line

MOL's editorial policy begins: "Something's happening. More and more men are starting to look at themselves in different ways. The change is not overwhelming but it is happening. For some time now, women have been active in freeing themselves. It's time men did the same. We know of men all over the world who are discovering a masculinity that is protective and gentle, energetic and positive, open and self aware. A more exuberant and loving kind of man is emerging from old, uptight and distant models of the past. This Manhood lies in all men. And Manhood Online is dedicated to giving it a voice."

MANNET

The Men's Awareness Network is an organisation dedicated to developing Health and Well-being awareness in men through aspects of their lives and hopefully addressing the unacceptable premature death rate of men compared to that of women.

These men's health projects have taken the Men's Awareness Network on a journey that has influenced men. Their Men's Health Nights have attracted over 12,000 men here in Australia and recently in Canada.

It also encouraged GPs and Health Providers to develop a partnership to "deal with blokes", to understand and meet the needs of men - their physical and mental (well-being) health. Their website provides a range of information, research and resources to assist others in the field of men's health.

Dads in Distress

Lone Fathers

MHIRC

Men's Health Information and Resource Centre is a pro-social health initiative based at University of Western Sydney, and funded by New South Wales Health.

Men's Rights Agency

Fathers After Divorce

Ozydads

Dads on the Air

Men's Initiatives - International

Men for Change - Canada

The members of Men For Change are dedicated towards promoting positive masculinity and ending sexism and violence. They are a pro-feminist men's group based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada that started after the Montreal Massacre in 1989. Since that time they have worked in the community and in hearts to explore the power and pain in men's lives. They believe that promoting healthy, nurturing masculinity is a challenge for us all.

Fathering & Parenting Initiatives

National Centre for Fathering - USA

The mission of the National Center for Fathering (NCF) is to inspire and equip men to be better fathers. In response to the dramatic trend toward fatherlessness in America, the Center was founded in 1990 by Dr. Ken Canfield to conduct research on fathers and fathering and to develop practical resources for dads in nearly every fathering situation.

National Fatherhood Initiative - USA

The mission of the National Fatherhood Initiative (NFI) is to improve the well-being of children by increasing the number of children growing up with loving, committed and responsible fathers. A non-profit, non-sectarian, non-partisan organization, NFI conducts public awareness campaigns promoting responsible fatherhood, organizes conferences and community fatherhood forums, provides resource material to organizations seeking to establish support programs for fathers, publishes a quarterly newsletter, and disseminates informational material to men seeking to become more effective fathers.

MenStuff - USA

Menstuff® is an international resource covering all six major segments of the men's movement (men's rights, mythopoetic, pro-feminist, recovery, re-evaluation counseling, religious) with over 30 megs of information on over 100 men's issues (including abuse, aging, calendar, circumcision, councils, divorce, events, fathers, groups, health, isolation, issues, links, midlife, multicultural, prostate, resources, sex, spirituality, transition, Viagra, violence, work, etc.)

Warren Farrell Ph.D. - USA

Warren is a rare phenomenon in that he was on the board of a feminist organisation (NOW) for many years, before coming to the conclusion that the gender role discourse was more complex than portrayed by some feminists. In addition to speaking and running experiential workshops he has written extensively.

He has written many books on gender issues and his Jan 2001 book Father and Child Reunion, as the name implies, is focused around the sensitive issue of parent-child relations after the parental relationship has failed.

A quote from that book provides some idea where he comes from: "Just as the last third of the 20th century was about creating equal opportunity for women as workers, so the first third of the 21st century will be about creating equal opportunity for men as parents. Neither goal will be achieved until both goals are achieved."

Community Health Initiatives

Australian Institute of Suicide Research and Prevention

The major Australian body researching the complex issue of suicide and how it can best be prevented. AISRP's interest to MENDS comes out of the alarmingly high rate of suicide amongst separated men. Research conducted in Queensland in the early 1990s by Chris Cantor of AISR&P, revealed that Separated men in that study were 6.2 times more likely to suicide than their married peers and over 12 times more likely than women.

Reach Out

A world first in using the Internet for youth suicide prevention. It has three separate areas - Chill Out! for young people, Family & Friends for those concerned about someone they know and a Professional Forum. There's also a database that allows you to type in your address and find out about services in your local area.

Certified Male

Certified male is a print journal of men's issues, published in Australia. Topics covered include men's stories, men's rights, masculinism, men and feminism, the men's movement, men's groups, fathers and fathering, etc. Many articles from past issues are available on this site, and the quality of discourse is mature and balanced. Highly recommended

Family Mending

Joint Parenting

Government Services & Agencies Related to MENDS' Focus & Separated Men

Family Court of Australia

The Family Court of Australia has jurisdiction over all matrimonial causes and associated responsibilities. These include:

proceedings for divorce (dissolution of marriage), nullity, injunctions, settlement and division of property and maintenance;
children ' s matters such as residence, contact and specific issues and including the powers referred by the States in relation to ex-nuptial children;
matters under the Child Support (Registration and Collection) Act 1988 and the Child Support (Assessment) Act 1989 ;
some State matters under cross-vesting and corporations legislation;
some matters under the Bankruptcy Act , Trade Practices Act , Administrative Decisions (Judicial review) Act and the Income Tax Assessment Act which are transferred from the Federal Court;
provision of a counselling service primarily to separated couples to help them work out arrangements for their children without the need to go to court;
the issuing of orders, warrants and writs as prescribed by the Act;
enforcing its orders and some orders of other courts;
punishing contempts of its powers and authority; and
exercising some functions under the Marriage Act 1961.

Child Support Agency

The CSA site provides clients with access to the latest forms, publications, brochures, leaflets and other information on CSA issues.
Child Support has been operating in Australia for over 10 years. The stated role is to assist parents to take responsibility for the financial support of their children. Since the inception of the Child Support Scheme, about 90% of child support liabilities have been paid, and in 1997-98, CSA facilitated the transfer of $1.2 billion between parents.

Relate - Federal Government Initiative

This site provides information on Relate (marriage and relationship education) services run by 46 community organisations approved and funded by the Commonwealth Government of Australia. The services offer information and skills to help you improve your relationships and better manage the day-to-day difficulties that may arise.

Centrelink

Centrelink delivers services, programs and payments for Australian Federal Government departments. Their website can make it easier for you to explore your options, know what questions to ask and find out more about how they can help you.

Great Resources

Psychological Self-Help Online

Psychological Self Help is one of the most exciting resources available to the general public on the internet.

This extensive on-line resource has been created by the commitment of Dr. Clay Tucker-Ladd, a now retired psychologist, to make the benefits of psychology accessible to the general public. We cannot recommend this resource strongly enough. It is maintained to keep its content up to date with recent research findings.

It demystifies psychology for the man/woman on the street, whilst at the same time providing a lot of very practical self-help techniques and information.

Martin Seligman on Depression

This link goes to the text of an address Dr Seligman gave to an forum of listeners to the Australian Broadcasting Commissions (ABC) Radio National program - Life Matters in 1994. Whilst nearly 10 years old now, the information is still highly relevant, and it was no accident this address was voted one of the most popular programs of the first decade of Life Matters broadcasting.

In this address, Dr Seligman speaks quite critically of "the self-esteem" movement. His comments seem targeted at those who believe that self-esteem can exist in a vacuum. Whilst we would agree with his critical focus on the "feel-good"ers, but stress for the benefit of those unfamiliar with the issue of self-esteem, that the branch Dr Seligman criticizes is not the entirety of the subject of "self-esteem".

It provides deep insights into the "depression epidemic" across the western world and the dangers of overly-simplistic community responses. Many of the themes addressed here are clearly developed more fully in his book Authentic Happiness published in 2002.

1 300-363-361 (in Australia)