Welcome to The Pixel Project’s “30 For 30″ Father’s Day Campaign 2013! In honour of Father’s Day, we created this campaign:
- To acknowledge the vital role Dads play in families, cultures and communities worldwide.
- To showcase good men from different walks of life who are fabulous positive non-violent male role models.
Through this campaign, we will be publishing a short interview with a different Dad on each day of the month of June.
This campaign is also part of a programme of initiatives held throughout 2014 in support of the Celebrity Male Role Model Pixel Reveal campaign that is in benefit of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence and The Pixel Project. Donate at just US$1 per pixel to reveal the mystery Celebrity Male Role Models and help raise US$1 million for the cause while raising awareness about the important role men and boys play in ending violence against women in their communities worldwide. Donations begin at just US$10 and you can donate via the Pixel Reveal website here or the Pixel Reveal Razoo donation page here.
Our fifth “30 For 30″ 2014 Dad is Eric Kistemaker from Canada.
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The Dad Bio
Eric is currently a part-time fire-fighter, and has held jobs as an electrical apprentice and train conductor to help his wife through school, where she is studying to be a physician. In 2012, Eric took a year off for paternity leave after the birth of his son.
1. What is the best thing about being a dad?
This is almost an impossible question to answer. I am not sure that I could decide on one thing. There are many things I enjoy about being a father including having someone look up to you, watching the joy your child sees in the world, and the fact that I can be a role model and help shape a person into becoming something hopefully better than myself. Having a little buddy is also a great benefit of being a dad.
2. A dad is usually the first male role model in a person’s life and fathers do have a significant impact on their sons’ attitude towards women and girls. How has your father influenced the way you see and treat women and girls?
My father was not around, as my parents split up when I was young. Being raised by my mother taught me respect for women. As far back as I can remember I have never considered that women were not equal. It seemed to me that women were just as capable as I was because I never saw anything else in my home environment.
3. Communities and activists worldwide are starting to recognise that violence against women is not a “women’s issue” but a human rights issue and that men play a role in stopping the violence. How do you think fathers and other male role models can help get young men and boys to take an interest in and step up to help prevent and stop violence against women?
I believe that education is important in making boys understand the inequalities that women face. By teaching children how others are impacted by the differences in the world, hopefully they will be empowered to break down those barriers for women and all those facing inequalities. It is important to teach children that violence towards anyone, especially when coming from a position of power, is wrong.