Guiding Principles 

The New Mexico Men’s Council for Boys and Young Men adheres to the following beliefs, tenets and values:

• Boys and young men need support at home, school and in community to be the healthy young males they can be. We see as our task to promote a respect for healthy masculinity.

• Boys and young men are encountering ever increasing challenges in New Mexico. We see this in declining academic performance, rising levels of violence (perpetuated by and against young men), gang involvement, incarceration, health problems such as alcohol and drug use, fatal accidents and suicide and other falling indicators of social well-being. Furthermore, many young men do not have the skills and tools they need to engage themselves or others in a healthy and respectful manner. Consequently, we see the need for an urgent call for efforts that focus on all of the issues facing boys and young men.

• We recognize that all children, especially boys and young men, need more men in their lives to be whole. For too long, too many have not received the adult male nurturing and guidance they need to develop healthy and respectful values and behaviors. The New Mexico Men’s Council for Boys and Young Men is organized to advocate on issues that will bring men closer to children as parents, teachers, and mentors.

• Boys and young men need more programs and services such as after school activities, mentoring and counseling for their health and wellbeing. We support their provision in gender-appropriate forms.

• We balance our work in areas of policy and programming so as to establish immediate impact while maximizing opportunities for sustainability. Our engagement and advocacy will be informed by youth and adults for the healthy development of boys and young men.

• We wish to engage individuals, service providers, policy-makers, and other interested stakeholders to build on existing assets and create a network of advocates and support for the healthy development of boys and young men in New Mexico.

• The New Mexico Men’s Council for Boys and Young Men focuses its work in four areas:

1. Health Issues / Needs: physical, social, emotional, mental,spiritual, and family health.

2. Building Positive Frames: positive masculine development, appreciation for the uniqueness of males, roles of males in the family,healthy development of males and their spirituality.

3. Embracing and Celebrating Difference: boys and young men are influenced by a variety of different factors that affect their development, including culture, values, masculinity, rites of passage, spiritual frames and trauma.

4. Systems and Systems Change: In order to have long-lasting effect, we must pay attention to the systems that impact boys and young men, including education, juvenile justice, workforce development, and health.