"Man Up" Campaign to Use Hip-Hop, Soccer to Tackle Gender-Based Violence

At the Clinton Global Initiative today, human rights activists and will launch an initiative to engage a younger generation in eradicating gender-based violence and oppression.

The campaign, called Man Up, is founded by Karen Robinson, former Education Director at Amnesty International, USA, and Jimmie Briggs, author and human rights activist (and UN Goodwill Ambassador). They say Man Up will use tangible, practical tactics to reach youth and build the foundation for a more powerful global culture –– one that unites across gender lines to combat the greatest social ills of our time.

The power of the program is in using tools and platforms that speak directly to young people: hip-hop music and sport, and soccer in particular. Man Up is looking to these trademark elements of global youth culture to cross borders and create a movement driven specifically by the young people who are building their own legacies.

As Karen Robinson told Tonic: "[We can] meet them at a place that is real and authentic."

On Nov. 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, Man Up will enlist young people in South Africa as organized, long-term partners in the initiative. This campaign -– the 16 Days of Activism -– will run through Human Rights Day on Dec. 10 and establish grassroots commitments from youth activists.

This all leads up to a three-day "global youth summit" in South Africa, synced with the 2010 World Cup and complete with entertainment and other festivities. Sessions and programs will educate and engage attendees, leading up to the design of viable plans of action. It's not just about dreaming abstract dreams; Man Up will provide tools and guidance, seed grants for execution, and networking with like-minded youth and powerful international NGO partners. When partnerships include heavy-hitters like the NoVo Foundation, Vital Voices, V-Day and Witness, that's saying quite a bit.

Still, amidst all of the World Cup excitement, Man Up reminds us, "Gender violence is not a game." It's serious, it's fragmenting and it's catastrophic on a global level.

Jimmie Briggs admitted that it is no small task -- that he will not likely see the fruits of his labor in this lifetime -- but that like any civil rights movement or any cultural shift, change takes time.

Briggs said, "The most pressing issue? Creating the legacy of our next generations."

You can help. Become a Project Partner or donate through their tax-deductible fiscal sponsor Alliance for Peace Building.

Stay tuned for in-depth coverage on the issue of gender-based violence as addressed here at CGI and as presented exclusively to Tonic by Man Up founders and supporters.

Photo by novon via Flickr.