Men’s March Raises Awareness about Violence Against Women

HYANNIS – “Ending violence is men’s work,” read the t-shirts of men marching in downtown Hyannis Sunday.

They gathered there to raise awareness about violence against women during the 2^nd Annual Men’s March.

It’s a topic coordinator Brian Renard, himself a survivor of assault, said is not addressed enough.

“Looking the other way is part of the culture,” Renard said.

Redard is an organizer with the Mankind Project, an international effort to redefine what it means to be “manly” and prevent men from becoming violent.

The organization’s event this weekend benefitted Independence House, a Hyannis center which provides counseling for those who have experienced domestic or sexual violence.

The two have brought the issue of violence into focus on Cape Cod in recent years.

Volunteer Stew Kennedy, who found the Mankind Project after asking to borrow a tool from Renard, said the movement could easily take off if given the right attention.

“It trains men to wake up and realize their full potential, it’s never too late,” Kennedy said.

Kennedy said he knows men can do better.

Surrounded by many of his male peers, he called for the attention of a busy downtown Sunday. The march featured a police escort and a giant banner, held by young local activists Paxton Reed of Cape Cod Regional Technical High School and Jack Giberti of Barnstable High School.