by Ed Gurowitz, 2018 MKP USA Chairman
The values of MKP USA are:
- Accountability
- Authenticity
- Compassion
- Generosity
- Integrity
- Intercultural Competency
- Leadership
- Respect
From time to time New Warrior Brothers raise questions about how inclusive we are as an organization. Specifically, some men who identify as religiously or politically conservative and some men who identify as spiritually or politically radical feel targeted or unwelcome.
It is my belief and experience that there is in the US a “frozen middle” of men who fall between very to extremely liberal and very to extremely conservative. In the corporate work that I do, these men have, by and large, never really thought about their own biases and privilege – these are implicit or unconscious to them. When men examine and become aware of these biases and privileges, and of the impact of these on people around them, they claim their power to choose, and make choices that reflect the honor, integrity, and generosity inherent in human beings.
If a man is committed to engaging with the shadows, both individual and systemic, that give rise to homophobia, racism, sexism, ideological extremism, etc., MKP USA is probably a good place for him to do that. It will take courage, and it may challenge the compassion and generosity of his brothers, and in the end, all will benefit. If, however, a man is committed to a fixed perspective on any extreme, believing that his point of view is beyond question, whether he justifies his bias by religious teachings, political identity, personal experience, or otherwise, MKP USA is probably not the right place for him, in my view.
At the very least … it will certainly be very challenging to his ability to hold on to certainty. I believe we’re a brotherhood that any man can benefit from, and I believe we are not here to be all things to all people. It’s a paradox.
We are a men’s organization, committed to transforming men’s consciousness and changing the world. We partner with other organizations that focus on women (Woman Within International, for example), and with organizations the focus on relations between men and women (for example Gender Equity & Reconciliation International), but our focus is on men.
In my corporate work we say there are leaders, learners, and laggards, and we focus on the leaders and learners. The laggards will come along, or they won’t, and it’s not our job to drag them kicking and screaming into new ways of seeing the world. I say the same is true for MKP USA – we welcome all who are willing to actively engage our values (leaders) and who want to explore how those values might contribute to their lives (learners). Those who are committed to contrary values have the right to their views and are welcome to find a forum that shares them. It’s unlikely that they’ll find it here.
