[homeles_ot-l] FW: Call for Abstracts: First Provincial Conference on Male Sexual Victimization

[Pat Bonell]

Forwarded message: 

<>< >< <><

Please find below message from the Men’s Project.
_________________________________________

Dear Friends and Colleagues:

Please pardon this group email distribution, but I want to get the word out
to you as soon as possible about this upcoming conference, and how you can
submit an abstract to conduct a conference workshop.

First, the conference.  It is entitled:  Men of Courage: The First
Provincial Conference on Male Sexual Victimization.  It will be held on Mon
March 17th and Tues March 18th 2008, and held at the Sheraton Centre Toronto
Hotel, 123 Queen Street West, Toronto.

This conference is presented by The Men’s Project, and sponsored in part by
the Ontario Victim Services Secretariat, Ministry of the Attorney General.

>From the conference literature:

8 Reasons to Be There:

• Because you agree that male sexual victimization is “underrecognized,
underreported, and under treated” (American Medical Association)

• To be part of the first provincial conference concerning male survivors in
Ontario.  Ever.

• To hear the latest in terms of knowledge, treatment and services for male
survivors of childhood trauma.

• Because you are committed to ensuring that there are places of healing for
men throughout Ontario.

• The best learning comes from both the experts in the field as well as from
the voices of survivors.

• Knowing that the conference is a safe place for both professionals and
male survivors alike.

• To be moved, to be challenged, to be motivated.

• For your clients, your brothers, your loved ones, your community, your
self.


On March 17 and 18th, 2008, there will be a groundbreaking gathering in
Toronto of helping professionals, academics, and male survivors.  Its
purpose is clear: to further the knowledge of male sexual victimization, and
to enhance the services that can address survivor’s healing and recovery.

What is Courage?  Mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and
withstand danger, fear or difficulty.  

What is Men of Courage? A place of learning for professional service
providers and male survivors.  An atmosphere of safety, trust and respect. 
A gathering meant to build resiliency with survivors and service providers
alike.  A conference dedicated to excellence. 

A place like no other.

Come join us!

Be there in good company!  Where else can you rub shoulders with renowned
experts in the field of male sexual victimization, a past NHL star, an FBI
Special Agent, a Traditional First Nations Elder, Canada’s new Ombudsman for
Victims of Crime, Survivors’ Panels, and a selection of Ontario’s best to
tell us what they know about this issue.  

Some of the featured Speakers of Men of Courage include:

Jim Clemente
Jim is a former prosecutor with the New York City Law Department. He has
been an FBI Agent for 20 years, half of that time he has spent in the FBI's
Behavioral Analysis Unit.  He is a Certified Fellow of the International
Criminal Investigative Analysis Fellowship, and is a recognized expert in
the field of Child Sexual Victimization.

Andy Fisher, PhD, (c)OACCPP
Andy is a psychotherapist in private practice whose training is primarily in
the experiential or humanistic therapies. He is a certified Gestalt
therapist and a Focusing trainer.  His practice is in rural Eastern Ontario.

Andy is also a leader in the emerging field of ecopsychology, having
authored the book Radical Ecopsychology: Psychology in the Service of Life
(SUNY Press, 2002).
Andy is the lead researcher on the development of a training manual for
therapists working with male survivors.  Funded by the Cornwall Public
Inquiry, this initiative of The Men’s Project will be completed in the
summer of 2008.

Richard Gartner, PhD.
Richard is a New York based psychologist and trainer on issues of male
sexual victimization.  He is the Training and Supervising Analyst at the
William Alanson White Psychoanalytic Institute New York Psychologist.   He
is the author of Beyond Betrayal: Taking Charge of Your Life after Boyhood
Sexual Abuse (2005), a book for the general public, and Betrayed as Boys:
Psychodynamic Treatment of Sexually Abused Men (1999). 

Sheldon Kennedy
Sheldon skated for three teams in his eight-year NHL career and played for
Canada’s gold-medal winning team in the 1988 World Junior Hockey
Championships. He is best known for his courageous decision to charge his
Major Junior Hockey league coach, Graham James, with sexual assault for the
abuse he suffered over a five year period while a teenager under Graham’s
care. Sheldon’s subsequent decision to go public with the charges rocked the
hockey World and thrust him into the media spotlight.

In 2006, Sheldon wrote “Why I Didn’t Say Anything; The Sheldon Kennedy
Story”, an honest depiction of his experiences and an insightful look at the
many realities of sexual abuse.

Verne Roote
Verne is the past Chief of the Saugeen First Nation, and is a traditional
Elder for his people.  He is also a group facilitator for the Hearing,
Healing, Hope Initiative – a cross-cultural model of recovery for male
survivors in Owen Sound, Ontario.  In this role, he is both a group
facilitator as well as conductor of the sweat lodge ceremony for HHH
participants.  


Steve Sullivan
Steve, a long-time advocate for victims of crime, has been named by Order in
Council to the position of the first Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime.

Mr. Sullivan began working in the victims' rights movement in 1993 as
Director of Research with Victims of Violence, a national nonprofit
organization dedicated to the prevention of crimes against children . In
1995, he became the Executive Director of the Canadian Resource Centre for
Victims of Crime, and was appointed President in 1998. Most recently, he has
served as President and Chief Executive Officer of this organization devoted
to advocacy for victims and survivors of violent crime in Canada. 
* * *

Men of Courage is uniquely designed to address the needs of both male
survivors and professional service providers.   All conference registrants
will be together for the keynote speakers and plenary sessions.  There will
be four workshop rounds as well at the conference, where attendees can
choose from a variety of selections:   including workshops for professional
service providers only, and a dedicated survivor-only four workshop track
(highly recommended for men who are early in their healing journey).

Workshop Abstracts:

I encourage you all to consider submitting a workshop abstract for this
conference.  Consider the four available tracks for the workshops, and go
from there.  All details about this process are located at 
www.themensproject.ca.  A coupla things to keep in mind:  the deadline for
abstract submission is January 4th, all decisions will be made by the
Conference Advisory Committee, and we offer a reduced conference rate for
all presenters.   We will be finalizing our decisions by January 18th.  

To Register for the Conference as a Service Provider:

Whether you do a workshop or not, we want you to be there!  We encourage you
to register early, and to do that, we offer a conference early bird rate for
service providers of $230 (after January 31st, the rate jumps to $265). 
Again, the registration process is through www.themensproject.ca


Just be there, March 17th and 18th, and help us make history! 

To Register for the Conference as a Male Survivor:

Again, it goes through the website.  The cost of the conference for a male
survivor is $75.  However we have set aside a number of seats for men of low
income, and these registrants can come to the conference free of charge.  


Many thanks to the Conference Advisory Committee!

Without these folks, this conference would not be happening:

• Ms. Angela Gallant, The Gatehouse, Toronto 
• Dr. Fred Mathews, Central Toronto Youth Services, Toronto
• Mr. Rob Campney, Correctional Services of Canada, Toronto
• And myself, who will be the humble M.C. for the event

So, I encourage you to submit your own workshop abstract, and of course,
register for the conference.  And I also ask that you distribute this email
at large to your own networks.

See you in Toronto on March 17th, and lets make some history!

Best,

Rick Goodwin, MSW RSW
Executive Director, The Men's Project
180 Argyle Avenue, Suite 321
Ottawa, ON, Canada K2P 1B7
p:  613.230.6179 ext. 400
f:   613.230.6173
www.themensproject.ca 

Be there!  Men of Courage: The First Provincial Conference on Male Sexual
Victimization
Toronto:  March 17 & 18, 2008        See our website for conference
information and registration!

<>< <>< <><


Patricia A. Bonell
Administrative Assistant
Resource Centre Coordinator
Parish and Diocesan Services
Anglican Diocese of Ottawa
71 Bronson Avenue
Ottawa ON K1R 6G6
613-233-6271 X 222
fax 613-233-5010
pat-bonell at ottawa.anglican.ca