MASA launched in Sydney
SYDNEY — Men Against Sexual Assault is a network dedicated to encouraging men to take responsibility for ending sexual and physical violence. There are MASA groups already established in Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane, Perth, Townsville and Adelaide. On April 18, a Sydney group was officially launched at Parliament House, and it was launched again without ties or suits at the Harold Park Hotel the following night.
MASA has always looked outwards to the impact of men's behaviour upon women and other disadvantaged groups, rather than concentrating exclusively on men's issues in isolation.
MASA spokesperson Shaun O'Dwyer explains, "MASA recognises that women constitute the majority of victims of sexual and domestic violence, and that men form the majority of perpetrators of this violence. Men comprise the majority of perpetrators of racist and homophobic violence and violence against other men."
MASA's primary aim is to encourage men to take responsibility for ending sexual and physical violence. It emphasises non-hierarchical decision making within the organisation and a commitment to "partnership accountability" structures.
MASA's activist orientation commits it to anti-violence projects in the wider community, through public awareness campaigns, demonstrations and education programs in schools, universities, workplaces, prisons and other appropriate venues.
"We are hoping to contribute to a heightened understanding of the linkages between violence, masculinity and social injustice", O'Dwyer says. "Our long-term commitment is to an egalitarian society where sexual and ethnic diversity can flourish and where violence is no longer sanctioned as a means for resolving conflict."
For more information, contact David on (02) 360 7613 or write to MASA at PO Box 1208, Darlinghurst NSW 2010.