The stats are so awful.

1 in 3 women have been victims of physical violence by an intimate partner¹. And this epidemic directly affects more than 12 million people each year – not to mention countless other family members, including children, challenged to cope with these tragedies². In fact, intimate partner violence accounts for 21% of all violent crimes³!

Men Can is an annual public awareness campaign, hosted by Lutheran Settlement House, focused on engaging men in ending domestic violence.

The event brings together community members and civic organizations empowering and inspiring one another to help rid the nation of the scourge of domestic violence.

Besides eliminating domestic violence, we also need to remove the stigma associated with this being considered a “women’s issue”. This isn’t a “women’s issue” – it’s a societal issue, perpetrated mostly by men, that needs to be properly addressed.

I was honored to be one of the keynote speakers at this event.

Following the short snippet captured in the video – after the powerful quote by Edmund Burke:

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” — Edmund Burke

I don’t want to “do nothing”. I want to challenge myself and all men to recognize it’s on us to make a difference. It’s on us to help create a safe environment where all people are treated fairly and with respect.

I don’t have the answers, but I do know that together we can make a difference.

Let’s be the change that we want to see in the world!

Footnotes

1. National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey
2. UNICEF – The Impact of Domestic Violence on Children
3. US Dept. of Justice Nonfatal Domestic Violence Stats