International Men’s Day (IMD) is celebrated on 19 November every year and is marked in around 80 countries worldwide. This year’s theme is “Celebrating Mateship” #MAKETIME4MATES.
In Australia, IMD is a great opportunity to take part in a global conversation about manhood, masculinity, and men’s issues by:
- Highlighting some of the social issues that men and boys face
- Making a difference for the men and boys in your community
- Celebrating men and boys in all their diversity
- Having some serious fun in the process
With International Men’s Day fast approaching we thought we would get some of our incredible male speakers to share their thoughts on what true mateship means to them. Check out the full video on our socials.
Here’s what Isaiah Dawe, Nick Bracks, Nasir Sobhani and Ben Hamer had to say about mateship:
Isaiah believes “We have our ups and downs, the good times and the bad times in life, and mateship is about having someone that celebrates with you in the good times but also someone that can hold space for you in the dark times, someone that you can share the adventures of life with.”
At 17, Isaiah Dawe was traveling back to boarding school after the holidays when his foster carer sent him a text saying he was no longer able to live with them.
When the time came to complete his Higher School Certificate exams, Isaiah wasn’t able to focus on the exam, he was thinking about where he was going to live and how he was going to survive.
This was the genesis for Isaiah to create ID. Know Yourself, is the first Aboriginal-led organisation delivering 1:1 mentoring and support coordination to Aboriginal children and young people in contact with the Out of Home Care and Juvenile Justice system in New South Wales. As Founder and CEO of ID. Know Yourself, Isaiah is determined to impact the lives of the 22,000 Aboriginal children in Out of Home Care, their purpose is to break the cycle of intergenerational trauma and disadvantage by establishing belonging, discovering purpose and empowering positive choices.
Mateship to Nick means “Unconditional support from friends, it is one of the most important things to have for better mental health." He believes “You should always have 3-5 people in your life that you can rely on unconditionally, so you can reach out to them when you are feeling low.” “Friends help you out of dark places and always have your back, mateship changes everything!”
Nick Bracks has spent the last decade as a passionate advocate for mental health issues, speaking at some of Australia’s largest organisations. His candid story recounts his mental health struggles since age 11, including a particularly difficult period when injury forced an early end to his dream career as a professional athlete.
A successful TED talk on how creative and entrepreneurial drive can help combat depression was a career highlight in over 1,000 mental health seminars and training workshops. Nick’s message has been delivered at some of the world’s largest employers, government organisations, schools and universities… Qantas, BUPA, Ernst & Young, Deloitte, McDonald’s, The Good Guys, Orora Group, Costa Group, Telstra, Mercedes Benz, Movember and countless other local community groups.
Nick is also a regular mental health commentator on television and other media, speaking on shows such as Sunrise, Seven News, The Project, Triple M, The Morning Show, Fox FM and ABC.
Ben says “mateship is so important to me, people I can be my true self around with no sort of pretense or expectation and we can just enjoy each other’s company, be there for one another and have that unwavering trust.” “Moving away has meant that I don’t see my mates as often as I would have hoped but when we do catch up it is like no time has passed at all.”
Professor Ben Hamer is one of Australia’s few accredited futurists and is a global expert on the Future of Work.
He heads up the Future of Work market for one of the world's leading advisories and has worked at the World Economic Forum, where he led critical projects on the future of work, skills, and education. Ben is a Board Member of the Australian HR Institute, where he was appointed as the youngest Non-Executive Director in the organisation’s history and provides expert commentary across Australian media on a regular basis.
Ben has a Doctorate of Public Administration, which included time spent as a Visiting Scholar at Yale University, and is an Adjunct Professor with the Centre for Work and Wellbeing at Edith Cowan University. Coupled with his leading industry experience, Ben has advised ASX CEOs through to Government Ministers. He is a sought-after keynote speaker on the topic of life and work in the future, and what it all means for organisations, leaders, and workers.
Nasir uses an insightful analogy to a cell phone to describe mateship he suggests "when a cell phone is flat you must charge it and plug it into a power source and to me sometimes that connection you can have with a friend/mate is that power source.” “Sometimes our batteries are flat, and we can derive energy, and power from that one positive source. We can be a positive power source for people too, and connection is so important and that’s the best way to draw that power.” “True mateship can’t be established without connection.”
Nasir Sobhani, also known as ‘The Streets’ Barber,’ has earned his affectionate title by spending his time taking to Melbourne’s streets offering free haircuts and shaves to the homeless and less fortunate.
His inspirational story of compassion and generosity has received significant attention globally. Nasir was also one of the five people to be profiled as part of the Kenneth Cole Courageous Class Campaign in New York, celebrating individuals who have overcome obstacles in life to become inspiring role models.
He is an inspirational speaker certain to motivate and encourage all those who encounter him to find their own purpose.
Nasir has an exceptional manner of connecting marginalised people with the greater community. Providing a ‘voice to the voiceless,’ he shares the unique stories of the homeless he encounters on social media platforms reaching far and wide.
Since receiving considerable recognition Nasir has been attracting clients from all over who come to receive fresh haircuts and simply meet him. Humble and friendly, he finds joy in ensuring all who sit in his chair leave with mutual feelings of respect and friendship.
Have you secured your International Men's Day speaker for 2022 yet? If not, head to our website and find the perfect speaker for your IMD event.
Click Here to view the full list of male speakers Saxton has to offer. To engage one of our speakers for your next event, Contact Us Now!
