Chairperson of the Men’s Sector, Mr Beau Nkaelang
National Secretary-General of the Men Sector: Prof. Mbulelo Dyasi
The Deputy Speaker of Northern Cape, Mr. Mangaliso Matika
Sol Plaatje Local Municipality Executive Mayor
Director General of Northern Cape: Mr. Justice Bakebeke
Senior Managers of Government Departments
Leadership of Men’s Formations and Religious Fraternal
Delegates from Local Municipalities
Ladies and Gentlemen

International Men's Day is an annual international event celebrated on 19 November. Inaugurated in 1992 on 7 February by Thomas Oaster, the project of International Men's Day was conceived one year earlier on 8 February 1991. The project was re-initialised in 1999 in Trinidad and Tobago. The longest running celebration of International Men's Day is Malta, where events have occurred since 7 February 1994.

In South Africa, International Men’s Day was inaugurated in 2006, in Tembisa, Gauteng Province and the in the Northern Cape, it was inaugurated in Upington in 2010

Launched in 1999, and now celebrated in more than 70 countries worldwide, International Men’s Day is going from strength to strength. The theme for IMD 2018 is “Positive Male Role Models.”

Our mission this year is to highlight the positive value men bring to the world, their families and their communities.

We have put the spotlight on positive role models to raise awareness of men’s health and well-being.

International Men’s Day encourages men to teach the boys in their lives the values, character and responsibilities of being a man. Mahatma Gandhi said, “We must become the change we seek.”

 It is only when we all, both men and women, lead by example that we will create a fair and safe society which allows everyone the opportunity to flourish in their families and communities.

November is an important month for the masculine soul because it celebrates several events that are important to men.

November is the month dedicated to supporting men’s health. The few day, 19 November, Kimberley will be hosting the 2nd Provincial Men’s Parliament, and men coming from all the five districts of the province will be debating issues concerning men and boy child.

So, we encourage you to wish everyone a happy International Men’s Day on 19 November.

International Men’s Day is observed on an annual basis by persons from all walks of life, who support the ongoing effort to improve lives, heal scarred hearts, seek solutions to social problems, mend troubled minds, reform the social outcasts and uplift the dysfunctional.

International Men’s Day is designed to promote positive role models in society and develop wholesome individuals.

Such developments are badly needed in today’s wounded communities which reflect distorted and outdated beliefs and constant clashes among men, women and children which unravels the fabric of the family and the society
Why do we even need an International Men’s Day?

One could list at great length the many problems that afflict men today, including the male suicide epidemic, the paucity of resources for male victims of domestic violence and the falling behind of young men and boys in education. However there is one fundamental factor related to all these problems that men encounter: there is a lack of mainstream acceptance of systemic men’s issues which is compounded by the absence of male advocacy groups with a broad remit to make the case at political level and the level of the media.

Men have endured a bad press for a long time. There is no other group in society which is collectively blamed for the poor behaviour of a small minority on such a regular basis. The reductionism evident in blaming society’s ills, from workplace harassment to terrorism, on ‘toxic masculinity’ is a clear example of how lazy thinking and glib talk typifies the current debate on men’s issues.
As the Department of Social of Development we will support and enact the resolutions of this Men’s Parliament.

Thanks you and I wish you well on your deliberations and we are looking forward to progressive resolution, emanating from this 2nd Provincial Men’s Parliament

Atached is a Concept Document Men's Parliament.pdf