‘Men just aren't part of the conversation': Stars demand an end to family violence

The Age

5 days ago

Australia's leading men including Hugh Jackman, Travis Fimmel and Darcy Moore are delivering a powerful message asking all men to call out violence against women.
A video bringing together stars of Australian sport and entertainment will feature at the MCG during Friday's Collingwood-Hawthorn blockbuster, urging men to take responsibility for ending family violence.
The campaign is an initiative of Will Alstergren, the chief justice of the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia, who said he was stunned by the levels of family violence involved in more than 70 per cent of cases coming before his courts – and the fact that few men take a stand to call it out.
'It was really obvious that men just aren't part of the conversation about this,' Alstergren said.
'At least four out of five men don't perpetrate family violence. But they're either apathetic about it or, alternatively, they're too worried or too nervous to be part of the conversation.
'If Hugh Jackman can do this in New York while he's promoting a movie, and if Eric Bana can do it, and if Travis Fimmel is prepared to do it, then why aren't ordinary blokes prepared to get out and do something?
'School teachers, footy coaches, everyone, we can all have a big impact.'
The clip also features James Sicily, Eric Bana, Vance Joy, Hamish Blake, Jonathan Thurston, Mick Molloy and Usman Khawaja.
By having role models taking such a public stand, Alstergren hopes to build men's preparedness to take their own stand and break the cycle not only among their social networks, but also the next generation of boys learning from them.