MenEngage Email Groups – Information and Participation Guidelines

Many regional networks of MenEngage Alliance also have one or more Google Groups spaces. Please note that these guidelines relate to the two global-wide groups.

What are the Google Groups for?

The Google Groups are intended to provide you with a space for connecting as a global community of practice. These are peer-to-peer spaces where you may share things that you feel are relevant to the rest of the community.

The groups are managed by the Global Secretariat, MenEngage Alliance. As a peer-to-peer space, any posts from the members of the group represent their own views and are not endorsed by MenEngage Alliance or other members of the group.

We invite and encourage you to share relevant messages, including:

• Discussion and reflection on important topics and issues
• Events (in-person events as well as online events)
• Relevant resources and tools (e.g. guidelines, handbooks, toolkits, reports, articles)
• Reflections on your own experiences that others can learn from (e.g. reflections, case studies, project highlights)
• Opportunities (e.g. relevant funding opportunities, new projects, consulting opportunities, partnership opportunities, job opportunities)

From time to time, the Global Secretariat team members also share information or announcements, resources, or opportunities with you via these groups.

What is the difference between the two groups?

‘MenEngage Connect’ is for members and non-members of MenEngage Alliance. Members of the group are interested in – or actively working on – initiatives to transform masculinities and engage men and boys for gender equality. With more than 2,000 members, this group is all about connecting as a global community of practice.

How can I join the group? You can request to join the MenEngage Connect Google Group here: https://groups.google.com/g/menengageconnect

Click ‘Ask to join group’. Under, ‘reason for joining’, please share your organisation and its mission and vision. If you are not part of an organisation, please share your personal or professional experience or interest in this work. Please note, if you do not share anything, the request to join will not be approved.

‘MenEngage Members’ is for the members of MenEngage Alliance. This includes the point-person who represents your organisation within the network, and it can also include any other person in your organisation who is (or would like to be) more connected with other members of MenEngage Alliance. ‘MenEngage Members’ currently has over 1,000 group members. If you are a member of MenEngage Alliance and think you should be included in this email group, you should contact the Global Secretariat by emailing info@menengage.org.

Which group should I post in?

If your message is relevant to anyone interested in masculinities and engaging men and boys, please post in the MenEngage Connect group. If you are a member of MenEngage, also copy in the ‘MenEngage Members’ group. If your message is only relevant to members of MenEngage Alliance, please share it with the ‘MenEngage Members’ group only.

What languages does the group work in?

We welcome posts in all the languages that our members and partners work in. Most group members post in English. If posting in another language, you may wish to include an English translation of your message within the email. You can use translation software such as DeepL or Google Translate to do this. If you are not sure of the accuracy of the translation, you can include a note to let people know it was translated using an automatic translation software.

Can I edit my notification settings?

Yes! To control if (and how often) you receive group emails, visit groups.google.com and click ‘My groups’. To the right of the group name, you will find a drop-down menu where you can select to receive every email, a digest, an abridged version, or no emails. You can also leave the group any time using the icon on the right.

(Please note, you need a Google account associated with your email address to join groups and manage notifications)

Participation Guidelines

The MenEngage ‘Connect’ Google Group is intended as an inclusive and respectful online environment. That does not mean it will always feel comfortable – in fact we hope it can be a space to challenge ourselves and each other, to learn and grow together. It aspires to be a space where we lean into the difficult issues at the crux of the work to transform masculinities for gender justice, human rights, and social justice for all.

To help facilitate a positive and meaningful space for this to happen, the following participation guidelines have been developed. These are informed by the guidelines collectively developed for the 3rd MenEngage Ubuntu Symposium (the Ubuntu Symposium).

The group is administered according to these guidelines by members of the MenEngage Alliance Global Secretariat.

If you feel anything in the guidelines can be improved, we warmly welcome your inputs – please email admin@menengage.org with your recommendation, question, or suggestion.

Adhere to the values and principles of MenEngage Alliance

As a global community, we are united by a shared vision and mission. We also share values, commitments, and holding one another accountable. All posts in the MenEngage Global listservs should follow the Core Principles, Code of Conduct, and Accountability Standards. Posts that go against the spirit of these three documents will not be tolerated and may result in posts being removed, or your membership of the Google groups being reviewed/revoked.

Be respectful

Value other’s ideas, styles and viewpoints. Be open to different possibilities and to being wrong or in the minority. Remember that people have different backgrounds.

Be open to learning

Be open to learning from and educating others as well as educating yourself. Be kind when you disagree with others.

Take responsibility for your impact & mistakes

Even if your intentions were positive, if someone says they have been harmed through your words or actions, listen carefully, apologise sincerely, and think about how you can improve and learn going forward.

Be Inclusive

Encourage all voices and perspectives to be heard and appreciated. Make space for other voices and listen actively to them. Make sure voices and perspectives that are often underrepresented, oppressed, and marginalised are centred and valued.

Harassment-free space

MenEngage Alliance doesn’t condone any kind of bullying, harassment, abusive use of language, aggressive expression of opinions or any such undesirable behaviours. Group members who engage in such actions will be subject to removal from the group.

Be relevant to the group’s purpose

Please post things that are relevant to the work of transforming masculinities and engaging men and boys for gender equality, LGBTIQ Rights, or on important human rights and social justice issues more broadly. We strongly encourage you to share relevant opportunities, updates and resources and to initiate and engage in discussions and debates.