The theme 'Our Children Our Future' celebrates the 48 hour partnership that International Men's Day has with Universal Children's Day, which is celebrated on 20th November 2010 and endorsed by the United Nations.
The celebrations of International Men's Day 2009 were the largest ever global collaboration of men and women to address the challenges and problems that men face. Ireland, Canada, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Australia, India, United States, Singapore, United Kingdom, Malta, South Africa, Georgia, New Zealand, Moldova, Germany, Holland and Brazil were a sample of the nations around the world that celebrated and honored the selfless sacrifices of Men and their invaluable contributions to families, communities and society. International Men's Day 2009 was featured in newspaper headlines, TV stories, magazine articles, blogs, YouTube promos and websites the world over.
During a conference call on 1st December 2009 the International Men's Day Coordination Committee ratified the following core objectives of International Men's Day:
• To promote positive male role models; not just movie stars and sports men but everyday, working class men who are living decent, honest lives.
• To celebrate men's positive contributions to society, community, family, marriage, child care, and to the environment.
• To focus on men's health and wellbeing; social, emotional, physical and spiritual.
• To highlight discrimination against men; in areas of social services, social attitudes and expectations, and law.
• To improve gender relations and promote gender equality.
• To create a safer, better world; where people can be safe and grow to reach their full potential.
These core objectives were put in place in 1999 by founder, Dr Jerome Teelucksingh and their formal ratification in 2009 gave individuals and groups wanting to celebrate International Men's Day in their own community, the framework and foundation for their celebrations.
Comments from the International Men's Day Coordination Committee
Warwick Marsh, Global Coordinator for International Men's Day remarked: "It has been a truly humbling experience to get the first-hand reports from those celebrating International Men's Day at a global grass roots level. We have been awed by the many initiatives that have taken place around the globe. Dr Jerome Teelucksingh has done a wonderful job of getting International Men's Day off the ground and we are excited that this year our theme is 'Our Children Our Future', a celebration of the contribution fathers make to families and society. We include a list of other days of significance to the family-friendly men and father's movement. If the 2009 celebrations are any indication, then 2010 International Men's Day will be a great expression of unity between men and father's groups the world over."
Dr Jerome Teelucksingh, Founder of International Men's Day, History Lecturer at the West Indies University, Trinidad Tobago and Chairman of the International Men's Day Coordination Committee commented: "International Men's Day – IMD -- has the potential to become the global medium to heal our world. The concept and themes of IMD are designed to give hope to the depressed, faith to the lonely, comfort to the broken-hearted, transcend barriers, eliminate stereotypes and create a more caring humanity. Since its inception, IMD has blossomed into a movement which promotes goodwill and positively transforms the lives of many persons. Every year I am overjoyed to witness and read testimonies of persons who genuinely believe that the observance of IMD has resulted in greater stability in their lives and guided them from darkness into light."
Jason Thompson, Historian & Global Promotions Coordinator for International Men's Day stated: "International Men's Day enjoyed significantly increased interest around the globe this year with a more than doubling of countries hosting events than in 2008. Australia, for instance, jumped from holding a single event in 2008 to this year hosting over 15 formal observations across the country, including the sponsoring of events by four local governments, a speech to honour men in the West Australian State Parliament, and an observation at Parliament House in Canberra with several notable speakers. Similar increases in awareness were reported in other countries, which, in my view, is a truly remarkable trend."
Uma Challa, International Men's Day Coordinator for India responded: "IMD 2009 was a remarkable international event. As many as 25 international men and father's groups celebrated the occasion echoing common sentiments and concerns. While IMD may have been celebrated by a few individual nations in the past, the world witnessed the amazing resonance and camaraderie of men, father and family advocates for the first time in the history of the men's movement in 2009. The theme 'promoting positive male role models' has definitely made men and women around the world pause and think about the many contributions and services of men in our lives, about the vulnerability of men and the need to love, care and support them every day. This is a great sign and I can only see the men's movement gaining more and more momentum in the coming years."
Diane A. Sears, International Men's Day Coordinator for United States of America offered the following observation: "The electronic and print media along with blogs, websites, and online social networks such as FACEBOOK and TWITTER and professional online networks such as LinkedIn created a great level of awareness and interest in 2009 International Men's Day in the United States. The heightened awareness and interest in 2009 International Men's Day sparked by the media is energizing the Global Dialogue on Fatherhood, focusing attention on the contributions of Men, and moving individuals and organizations who have key 'pieces of the puzzle' to work together with a collaborative and loving spirit to resolve the critical health and parenting issues confronting Men."
Judging from the huge growth in 2009 of International Men's Day, 2010 will be even greater.