Salvation Army world cup campaign in Russia includes men’s camp addressing attitudes to women
Last Updated: 11 July 2018
by Giacomo MANCA
Last June 8-11, Mike Stannett from the EU Affairs Office participated in men camp in Russia, part of a programme linked to the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Leading as a guest speaker a three days’ workshop, Mike animated the discussions, which took place in a forest in the Moscow's outskirts, trying to reply to the question of what it does mean to be Christian men in the 21st century.
Attended by over 50 men coming from every corner of European Russia, the event aimed at creating a comfortable and inclusive environment to help men opening up and discussing their attitudes towards women, with the scheme of the “barbershop” toolbox, a format which includes resource materials designed to encourage men and boys to examine their attitudes about women as part of a strategy to reduce abuse of women and girls.
Barbershop events, initiated in Iceland on the framework of the HeforShe initiative of the United Nations, encourage men and boys to become actively engaged in promoting gender equality by better understanding how gender inequality limits the ability of individuals, businesses, and communities to reach their full human, economic and social potential.
The weekend started with a bible study led by Major Vadim Khurin, who helped the men to explore Gods word on equality of men and women and how in Christ both are recreated in his image, restoring men and women’s relationship under God. This camp was the first experience of this kind in Moscow, and the title ‘Mission possible’ seemed quite reasoned, due to the difficulty of challenging deeply rooted attitudes and of revealing how, even in Christian homes, men could behave in strongly chauvinistic ways. The discourse developed around the question of what means to be a man and what it means to be a woman, and tried to illustrate how men can make a difference by respecting women and standing up for their rights. The conversation however went further, and covered several topics, such as men paying for sex, abusing of pornography, perpetrating domestic violence, committing rape.
The camp was also part of a wider Russian Salvation Army’s Anti-Human Trafficking campaign, taking place during this year’s World Cup in partnership with Exodus Cry, an outreach programme which helps prostitutes and sex trafficked victims to escape the sex industry. Helen Taylor from Exodus Cry spoke at the men’s conference about prostitution and modern slavery, encouraging them ‘to use your strength to help make a difference for women.’
The men returned to their homes equipped and inspired to hold similar discussions in their home towns, as part of their ministry and core activities across Russia.
- You can find here a toolkit including the Barbershop toolbox, the bible study and more resources which have been used during this workshop.
- For more information, contact mstannett@armeedusalut.be
Tags: Europe