Sunday, March 8, 2009
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Fathers are key to their children’s successful education
A 2008 report from the National Center for Fathering shows a dramatic improvement in fathers’ participation over time with a resulting increase in improved child outcomes.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Is this sexist UN job going to Helen Clark?
Office on ‘gender’ proposed for UN
Stephen Lewis, former UN Special Envoy on HIV/AIDS in Africa proposed a radical overhaul of the UN, starting with a $1 billion ‘gender’ office.
By Editor Monday, March 2, 2009
At a forum hosted by the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs in New York this week, a former top United Nations (UN) official criticized the UN’s “deplorable” record on women and the “the hypocrisy within the UN” on gender.
In a presentation entitled “The United Nations and Gender: Has Anything Gone Right?,” Stephen Lewis promoted a radical overhaul of the United Nations, starting with a the creation of a new, billion dollar gender office.
Lewis, the former UN Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa and a former Deputy Director of UNICEF, has long been a vociferous supporter of the creation of a “fully-resourced” women’s agency. Such an agency could change the UN and end the “suffocating patriarchy” with a new “sensibility of collaboration.” Lewis continued that this, “would not only help women but rescue the UN from some of its worst behavior.” More...
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
A MELBOURNE father of three has been jailed for sending a birthday card to his daughter.
I can't find the internet link to this story. I wonder why?
My children were abducted from my life, so after 6 months I sent birthday and Christmas cards to my estranged daughters.I sent the package to the maternal grand parents via mail post, because I did not have a clue as to the whereabouts of my daughters and ex partner . I was shell shocked when police arrested me for sending cards that contained presents and cards for my daughters. I got locked up for two weeks in Paparoa (C Block remand) prison for two breaches of the temporary Family Court protection orders. Prisoners did not believe me when they asked what I had done wrong. The Family Court is evil and devoid of natural justice. My family could not understand the unlawful gender discrimination. The same prisoners said the same thing year after year, as police used me a whipping dog, because I would not stop fighting to clear my name as a credible father. I bump into the same cops with my court work all the time. They have said, sorry mate no hard feelings. I say, tell that to my deceased mother and my four children who had to witness the lengthy persecution.
My children were abducted from my life, so after 6 months I sent birthday and Christmas cards to my estranged daughters.I sent the package to the maternal grand parents via mail post, because I did not have a clue as to the whereabouts of my daughters and ex partner . I was shell shocked when police arrested me for sending cards that contained presents and cards for my daughters. I got locked up for two weeks in Paparoa (C Block remand) prison for two breaches of the temporary Family Court protection orders. Prisoners did not believe me when they asked what I had done wrong. The Family Court is evil and devoid of natural justice. My family could not understand the unlawful gender discrimination. The same prisoners said the same thing year after year, as police used me a whipping dog, because I would not stop fighting to clear my name as a credible father. I bump into the same cops with my court work all the time. They have said, sorry mate no hard feelings. I say, tell that to my deceased mother and my four children who had to witness the lengthy persecution.
Birthday ban
Dad jailed over card
Sunday Herald-Sun (Melbourne, Australia)-
March 1, 2009
Laurie Nowell
A MELBOURNE father of three has been jailed for sending a birthday card to his daughter.
The man ``Mick'' -- who cannot be identified for legal reasons -- was locked up in a suburban police station for seven nights and spent another in the tough Melbourne Custody Centre. He says he was surrounded by drug addicts and people charged with violent offences during his ordeal last month.
Mick claims he is a victim of a family law system that is biased against fathers. ``I was jailed for nine days and eight nights for sending my 11-year-old daughter a birthday card,'' he said. ``Apparently I broke an intervention order. It's ludicrous and it breaks your heart.''
The 51-year-old is estranged from his wife and claims she has brought a series of intervention orders against him, banning him from contact with his children, without any evidence. ``Until my wife divorced me I was a legally unimpeachable citizen -- now I'm being treated like a criminal just because I want some contact with my kids,'' Mick said yesterday. ``And that contact was ended arbitrarily without even a hearing or the presentation of evidence.
``In a court of law, if you are accused of something you are supposed to have the ability to cross examine your accusers and call witnesses. `In the secret chambers of the Family Court you are not guaranteed that at all.''
Mick says the experience has cost him $20,000 and his career as a writer. ``It's a plundering and looting exercise on the part of lawyers involved in this and there are no juries or scrutiny by media to keep them accountable, '' he said.
The Sunday Herald Sun was denied access to documents relating to Mick's case and lawyers for his estranged wife declined to be interviewed. Historian and academic Prof John Hirst this week called for an overhaul of family law. ``The court is not enforcing its decisions, the costs of going to court are onerous and there is little public accountability, '' he said.
Are fathers being treated unfairly? Have your say at heraldsun.com. au
Edition: 1 - FIRST Section: NEWS Page: 002
Record Number: SHS_T-20090301- 1-002-266530 Copyright, 2009, Nationwide News Pty Limited
Monday, March 2, 2009
Genderised anti DV legislation.
The unspoken fact that anti-DV legislation is gender specific is at last being accepted in circles other than men's and fathers groups.
Anyone with an interest in DV would benefit from reading this snippet of a newly published paper.
The full paper can be read at http://www.nzcpr.com/guest135.
The author is Stuart Birks of Massey University.
- - - - -
NZCPR Guest Forum
Stuart Birks - Director of the Centre for Public Policy Evaluation, Massey
University.
28 February 2009
'Rethinking Stopping Violence Programmes'
On 16 February Principal Family Court Judge Peter Boshier gave a speech to a hui in which he questioned the value of stopping violence programmes (Boshier, 2009) . He recognises that there are problems with the current "one-size-fits-all" approach of current anti-violence programmes. Some might see this as a significant development. Others will be sceptical. His predecessor, Judge Patrick Mahony, made a point about the complexity and diversity of domestic violence at a Social Policy Forum in 2002, where he said, "I note that although the legislation is gender neutral a lot of the thinking behind the Act was based on what is often called the 'Power and Control Model' developed at a place called Duluth in Massachusetts which is strongly gender based" (Mahony, 2003, p. 8) . He then explained: "Research has identified other forms of domestic violence [besides the Duluth model] strongly interactive, sometimes female initiated, in addition to violence arising out of mental illness, and incidents of violence occurring in the extremely stressful period of separation with no history, and no future risk.
It is important that through evidence, Courts know what they are dealing with in individual cases." (Mahony, 2003, p. 9) Judge Mahony's words of caution appear to have had little impact in the past six years. Now Judge Boshier makes a similar point when he says, "If we accept that family violence - always a choice on the part of the perpetrator - is enormously broad and complex in nature, then consideration of the causes for the violence must surely be relevant to determining how to stop it." Nevertheless, beyond a concern at the lack of evidence about the effectiveness of programmes, Judge Boshier just proposes separate courses for first-time, Maori or Asian offenders, and the opportunity for further, follow-up courses. He makes no attempt to challenge the gendered perspective as a whole, even if he may have some doubts about a particular, dominant gendered model. This might simply be a sign of political realism. He is battling against entrenched attitudes.
. . . . . . . This gendered interpretation with a heavy emphasis on "power and control" can also be seen in a recent Fact Sheet (New Zealand Family Violence Clearinghouse, 2007) which challenges the studies which find equal levels of violence by men and women (New Zealand Family Violence Clearinghouse, 2007) . Data on severe violence indicates predominantly male perpetrators, but data used to show large scale prevalence of violence come from these broader studies with gender-balanced results.
- - -snip
Anyone with an interest in DV would benefit from reading this snippet of a newly published paper.
The full paper can be read at http://www.nzcpr.com/guest135.
The author is Stuart Birks of Massey University.
- - - - -
NZCPR Guest Forum
Stuart Birks - Director of the Centre for Public Policy Evaluation, Massey
University.
28 February 2009
'Rethinking Stopping Violence Programmes'
On 16 February Principal Family Court Judge Peter Boshier gave a speech to a hui in which he questioned the value of stopping violence programmes (Boshier, 2009) . He recognises that there are problems with the current "one-size-fits-all" approach of current anti-violence programmes. Some might see this as a significant development. Others will be sceptical. His predecessor, Judge Patrick Mahony, made a point about the complexity and diversity of domestic violence at a Social Policy Forum in 2002, where he said, "I note that although the legislation is gender neutral a lot of the thinking behind the Act was based on what is often called the 'Power and Control Model' developed at a place called Duluth in Massachusetts which is strongly gender based" (Mahony, 2003, p. 8) . He then explained: "Research has identified other forms of domestic violence [besides the Duluth model] strongly interactive, sometimes female initiated, in addition to violence arising out of mental illness, and incidents of violence occurring in the extremely stressful period of separation with no history, and no future risk.
It is important that through evidence, Courts know what they are dealing with in individual cases." (Mahony, 2003, p. 9) Judge Mahony's words of caution appear to have had little impact in the past six years. Now Judge Boshier makes a similar point when he says, "If we accept that family violence - always a choice on the part of the perpetrator - is enormously broad and complex in nature, then consideration of the causes for the violence must surely be relevant to determining how to stop it." Nevertheless, beyond a concern at the lack of evidence about the effectiveness of programmes, Judge Boshier just proposes separate courses for first-time, Maori or Asian offenders, and the opportunity for further, follow-up courses. He makes no attempt to challenge the gendered perspective as a whole, even if he may have some doubts about a particular, dominant gendered model. This might simply be a sign of political realism. He is battling against entrenched attitudes.
. . . . . . . This gendered interpretation with a heavy emphasis on "power and control" can also be seen in a recent Fact Sheet (New Zealand Family Violence Clearinghouse, 2007) which challenges the studies which find equal levels of violence by men and women (New Zealand Family Violence Clearinghouse, 2007) . Data on severe violence indicates predominantly male perpetrators, but data used to show large scale prevalence of violence come from these broader studies with gender-balanced results.
- - -snip
Sunday, March 1, 2009
The Judicial War On Fatherhood
I recently discovered this review of Taken Into Custody by the popular libertarian writer and editor William Grigg. Though published some time ago, I did not know about this review. This is ironic, for I have been reading and admiring Grigg's writings for some time. He was especially good (and widely quoted) on the child confiscations of the Texas polygamists.
Stephen
******************************
The Judicial War On Fatherhood
The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers.
Dick the Butcher, adding his contribution to Jack Cade's Utopian promises, from Shakespeare's Henry VI, pt. II (Act 4, scene 2)
“Most people mistakenly assume metal detectors were installed in courthouses because of criminals and terrorists,” observes Dr. Stephen Baskerville, an assistant professor of government at Patrick Henry College.
In fact, retrofitting courtrooms with metal detectors and other security enhancements was prompted by concerns over violence perpetrated by fathers whose families have been sundered and children have been stolen by what Dr. Baskerville calls “the divorce regime.”
Although divorce can be initiated at whim by either party, the system described in Baskerville's infuriating but indispensable new book, Taken Into Custody, is designed to encourage women to file first. Not that it matters all that much...
Read the rest here.
************************************************
Stephen Baskerville, PhD
Associate Professor of Government
Patrick Henry College
1 Patrick Henry Circle
Purcellville, Virginia 20132
Associate Professor of Government
Patrick Henry College
1 Patrick Henry Circle
Purcellville, Virginia 20132
Now Available from Cumberland House Publishing:
Taken Into Custody: The War Against Fathers, Marriage, and the Family
STEPHEN BASKERVILLE, PhD
“This book is a tremendous and much-needed report on how family courts and government policies are harming children." -- Phyllis Schlafly, President, Eagle Forum
For more than 80 articles and studies in mainstream publications on the abuses of the divorce industry, see www.stephenbaskerville.net.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
UK Evil ; "In the best interests of the children" !!
The best interests of the child saying In social work terms is like “Abracadabra” to a magician. This phrase, cause sheriffs, judges, lawyers and professionals that deal with children to cringe and agree unreservedly with every word that social services say like they have no will or mind of their own. They should be ashamed to call themselves servants of the people.
That must mean the social services think they are perfect and a law onto themselves.
Has nothing penetrated through to our members of parliaments that they allowed this law to be passed?
How many times have social services found to be not working to their own policies.
How many children have been adopted and been lost to their parents and the social services were to blame with inaccurate statements.
How many children have been removed wrongly by social services?
How many children have been proven to be abused in care?
Now see for yourself it is disgusting.
(Quote) Independent Media. But as of April, because of a change in legislation being introduced by Jack Straw, the Justice Secretary, the media will no longer be able to identify those involved in cases such as the W--------. It will also be illegal for any children currently in care to speak out, even if they feel they are being maltreated. (unquote)
The Websters: a crisis of complexity
The story of children removed from their parents is tragic, but when the evidence tells a different story, who are we to believe?
Link to information about our demonstration. http://gapukinfo.blogspot.com/
Jimmy Deuchars
Grandparents Apart UK
22 Alness crescent
Glasgow G52 1PJ
0141 882 5658
If we have intruded please forgive us as it is children’s welfare we are concerned about.
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Grandparents Apart UK is non-profit staffed by volunteers Charity.
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