MRA Principles and Goals
It’s a mission statement from an Italian MRA site, and it presents the most cogent and well articulated statement on the principles of men’s activism that I have ever read. The wisdom it contains should both drive and guide the actions of the many good men and women in this movement.
Mike promptly gave it permanent residence here on Men’s News Daily, and I have as well at A Voice for Men.
I present it here, with gratitude to the original authors, for those of you who haven’t seen it. And on behalf of Men’s News Daily, I urge all Men’s Rights Activists to join us in placing this clear and impeccably moral statement prominently on your blogs and websites.
Let it serve as a proclamation that asserts our unanimity of mission and our shared values to the world.
Paul Elam
Editor-in-Chief
Men’s News Daily
Principals and Goals of the Men’s Movement
Written by Rino Della Vecchia
(Translated from the Italian by R. Randazzo)
PRINCIPLES we recognize and affirm:
- The existence of natural differences between the
genders. - The extreme immorality of certain social forces, and at
the same time, the very real opportunity that these forces
have to deny, ignore, compromise, and repress these
differences and any expression of them. - The necessity of cooperation between the genders, and
at the same time the inevitability of opposition between
them. - The scientific inconsistency and dubious morality of
any claim by one gender to describe the state, condition,
needs, experiences, or the value of the other gender.
THE CURRENT STATE OF AFFAIRS
- We define the current situation in the following terms:
- For two generations masculinity and the male gender
have been subject to an all-out attack covering every
sphere, from the world of images and symbolism to that
of common everyday existence, applied systematically
and consistently in every manner and through all means
of communication and cultural diffusion. - The term male-bashing extends itself to aesthetics,
opposing their attainment by men which includes the
male body and men’s physicality. - Every level and gradation within contemporary culture,
and every unit that elaborates on or transmits that culture,
without a single exception, is a tool of this program. - This phenomenon is the fundamental cause of
psychological/emotional harm in individuals and social
dysfunctions of an ever-increasing gravity, hindering the
entire male gender and in particular the younger
generations.
THE VALUE OF FEMININITY
We reject any kind, however indirect, of denigration,
of offensiveness and devaluation, of the ethical, aesthetic,
and intellectual worth of the female gender; we repudiate
any diminution of the symbolic importance of the
feminine, and of the historical importance of female
endeavors visible and invisible, past present and future.
WE PURSUE THE FOLLOWING OBJECTIVES:
- The promotion of the essential value of masculinity,
specifically with regard to personal dignity and the
irreplaceable role of the masculine in the world of image
and symbol and of the male gender in every area of life,
spiritual and material, for the benefit of present and
future generations. - The identification and condemnation of any instance
of malebashing in every context, form, or style, and any
expression of malebashing, direct or indirect, open or
veiled. - The moral opposition to male-bashing—to the
denigration and demonization of men, the denigration of
male sentiments, attributes, opinions and needs, the
denigration of male contributions and comportment—in
the media, literature, the arts, political discourse,
historiography, scientific tracts, text-books, advertising,
and in every form of expression and means of
communication. - The restitution of the value and dignity—as well as the
historic role—of past generations of men, by means of
the deconstruction of feminist historiography. - The struggle against the cultural ideals of a Feminist
Society and its basic values— therefore against the following:
- The principle of the moral, aesthetic and
intellectual superiority of the female gender; - The denial of the existence of anti-male
hatred; - The criminalization both direct and indirect
of the male gender; - The planned inhibition of the development
of male consciousness; - The psychological and chemical emasculation
of the younger generations; - The domestication and docility of men;
- The use of the male libido for purposes of
speculation,manipulation, intimidation and
blackmail; - The demand for reparations, material and
moral, for the wrongs, real or imagined,
sustained by the female gender; - The legal commercialization of sexual
relations and relations based upon affection; - The presumed permissibility of an autocratic
imposition of behavioral rules upon the male
gender; - The principles of political correctness and
the imposition of its vocabulary.
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October 4th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
Good one Paul. I was around when Fidelbogan put this together and I put it up on an NZ menz site just less than a year ago.
http://counterfem.blogspot.com/search?q=italian+manifesto
I am pleased it is getting international recognition.
October 4th, 2009 at 5:51 pm
Thanks Julie, I didn’t know where it originally came from. I had assumed it was from the Italian site. I wrote them about it but have not heard back.
Once I get a confirmation from Fidelbogen that this is his, I will get the appropriate credit posted.
Paul
October 4th, 2009 at 7:52 pm
The proposition, consistent with all activism for males across the western world fails to identifgy the singularly preeminent force and most important source of male degradation and diminishment in modern society. That is :
Males themselves, their male culture and their male attitudes towards each other. The collapse of males has come about because of the instinctive enmity, disrespect, distrust and belligerance of males towards males.
Simple.
October 5th, 2009 at 3:15 am
@ Poiuyt
Respectfully disagree. The mistreatment and maligning of males is quite thoroughly addressed in these principles. Since it is misandry itself, irrespective of its source that is the problem, pointing to males monolithically is rendered unnecessary.
October 5th, 2009 at 4:40 am
This is very interesting news!
All over the world men are dealing with a very very similar set of problems that involve family law, social interaction, criminal law, and reproductive rights. Last night there was a guy from India that posted on andtimisandry.com about a sexist article in a publication there that was pretty bad. It was his first time posting there and he asked that people write the editor.
The international timbre of the movement is a tremendous bonus.
October 5th, 2009 at 9:16 am
“THE VALUE OF MASCULINITY
We reject any kind, however indirect, of denigration,
of offensiveness and devaluation, of the ethical, aesthetic,
and intellectual worth of the male gender; we repudiate
any diminution of the symbolic importance of the
masculine, and of the historical importance of male
endeavors visible and invisible, past present and future.”
Had this been stated, and practiced, as part of the Principles and Goals of the Women’s Movement, just think how differently things could have turned out. If only. Would a Men’s Movement even have materialized? Perhaps so, but in an atmosphere of mutual understanding, respect, and support, I would think, rather than as part of a necessary “war effort.”
This is our Declaration of Interdependence!
October 5th, 2009 at 7:44 pm
I can’t remember where I first saw that one. I believe Fidelbogen’s site, but if I’m not mistaken, R Randazzo is a denizen of SYG. Fidelbogen may have more insight on that one though.
As for the Manifesto itself…obviously, I’m a fan.
October 6th, 2009 at 5:37 pm
Hello. Fidelbogen here.
Yes, the Uomini3000 platform was translated from the Italian by Mr. Randazzo, at my request, some time back in December or January.
I am glad to see it posted on a kiosk at such a busy web traffic intersection,
where thousands of people will see it. In the future, if anybody wants to know
what the ‘men’s movement’ is all about, this document states the case as well (or actually, better) than anything else I am aware of.
The only thing I would find fault with, is that it uses the feminist term “genders”, rather than “sexes”. (Apparently, “gender” is a correct translation of the Italian word found in the original document.)
For those who are interested, a PDF version of the U3000 platform is available for download HERE:
http://tinyurl.com/yd92w3k
October 13th, 2009 at 7:34 am
Salve a tutti! R. Randazzo here.I haven’t read my trans since I submitted it to Fidel.I’m afraid it’s a bit stiff,but Reno Dev.,the author,approved it so it’s “kosher.”
I am not a denizen of SYG,but I guess I should be.
I may be translating more for Fidel in future,so stay tuned.
Best Regards,
R.R.
October 13th, 2009 at 11:14 am
@ R. Randazzo
Hello and thanks for the fine work. Is that the complete name of the author: Reno Dev?
I would like to credit him.
October 13th, 2009 at 2:21 pm
@ Mr. Elam
The gentleman’s name is Rino Della Vecchia.
October 13th, 2009 at 3:27 pm
Thank you, sir. I have applied the credits. And thank your for bringing these fine words to the English speaking world.
October 15th, 2009 at 8:06 am
Crossposted from “Alas, a Blog”:
fidelbogen, I have to agree with ballgame about this:
Whether you consider those who buy sex (overwhelmingly men) or those who sell sex (mostly, but not overwhelmingly women) to be exploited, you only compound their problems by criminalizing them (or even just criminalizing the other party thus driving their activity underground and making it more dangerous). To prohibit men from buying sex, even for “their own good” is an example of ” an autocratic imposition of behavioral rules upon the male gender,” just as prohibiting women from selling sex is an autocratic imposition of behavioral rules upon the female gender.”
Still I do agree with most of the rest of the document and would say it seems to be rooted in basic principles of fairness. I don’t know if it defines “what MRAs are all about,” but it is a good start. Kind of an MRA equivalent to “Feminism 101.”
October 15th, 2009 at 8:24 am
Note that my previous comment is directed at Fidel Bogen because it is a response to comments he made on “Alas, a Blog.” I am not mistaking him for the author or translator, at whom, in hindsight, my comment may have been been directed.