The absence of hostility is not the same as the presence of welcome

Courageous Connections: a training for men committed to building spaces where all men can fully show up.

Most men in the ManKind Project care deeply about integrity, brotherhood, and respect. And yet, many of us were never taught to recognize how power, identity, and lived experience shape whether a space actually feels safe – or how to develop the cultural competency required to lead in diverse spaces.

If you’ve ever thought:

“I treat everyone the same.”
“I don’t see color.”
“I think everyone should be treated equally, regardless of background.”

. . . or if you’ve ever wondered why the ManKind Project conducts specialized weekends like the GBTQ+, PAME, Barrier Free, Young Warrior, and Men of Color weekends . . . 

This training is for you.

While these statements often come from good intentions, they can unintentionally dismiss the real, lived experiences of men from different populations and different backgrounds. When we ignore differences, we also ignore the impacts of these differences. Sometimes a man’s fear generates unconscious resistance to exploring privilege or building a relationship with someone who is different.

Safety is not defined by the absence of harm. It’s defined by the presence of trust, awareness and intentional welcome.

Why this training matters

Men of color, GBQ men, trans men, men with ADHD or autism and men from other targeted groups often carry a different set of calculations into every room:

• Is it safe to speak honestly here?
• Will I be understood? Or will I be minimized – or perhaps even excluded?
• What are the consequences if I challenge what’s happening?
• Do I need to modify how I present myself to make others feel more comfortable and reduce my risk?

These questions aren’t theoretical. They come from lived experience shaped by real-world power dynamics.

Meanwhile, men with more social privilege are often unaware these questions are even being asked. It’s common to equate racism, homophobia, transphobia  or ablism with overt, intentional acts – and to assume that if those aren’t present, the space must be safe.

But cultural competence asks more of us.

Without it, even well-meaning men can unintentionally reinforce the very dynamics we say we are breaking down in men’s work – especially when we dismiss or reinterpret others’ experiences through our own lens.

Courageous Connections helps you see – and shift – those patterns.

What you’ll gain

This is not a lecture on being a “better person.” It’s an experiential training that builds real, embodied awareness and practical cultural competency.

You will:

• Recognize how power and privilege show up in subtle, everyday interactions
• Understand the difference between intention and impact
• See how statements like “I don’t see color” can unintentionally shut down important truths
• Build the skills to listen across difference without minimizing or defensiveness
• Learn how to actively nurture  environments where all men feel seen, respected, and safe
• Strengthen your capacity to lead with awareness in MKP spaces and beyond

Who this training is for

This training is especially valuable for:

• Men staffing or leading MKP trainings and events
• Men who want to deepen their leadership and cultural competency
  
• Men who sit in I-Groups or in open circles
• Men committed to making MKP more inclusive, accountable, and welcoming

You don’t need to have the “right words” or prior experience. You just need a willingness to learn, listen, and stretch.

Courageous Connections meets the Intercultural Competence training requirement being implemented in the ManKind Project USA.

The impact

When men do this work, something shifts.

Spaces become more honest.

Trust deepens.

Men from targeted populations experience not just the absence of hostility—but the presence of real welcome.

And men gain the awareness needed to lead with integrity across difference.

This is how we build brotherhood that truly includes everyone.

Step in

If you’re ready to move beyond good intentions and build real awareness . . . 

Register for Courageous Connections today.

Facilitators for Courageous Connections

RICK BRONIEC
Initiated: 1990
MKP Full Leader, Leader Trainer
MKP UPPD Facilitator
MKP IGFT Co-Instructor
—
I live in San Diego, CA where I work as a writer, speaker and personal growth coach when not leading trainings for MKP.

HENRY THURMAN
Initiated: December 1993
Certified MKP Leader
Elementary Educator
—
I am a member of the design team for the “Unpacking Power, Privilege and Difference” online course and have been involved with diversity work for many years.

Sold Out? Not Ready? Timing Off?
Join the list.

If there are no upcoming dates for this training, add your name to the Alert List so we can let you know as soon as we have new dates!

If you have any questions, please email us at otpsupport@mkpusa.org and we’ll be glad to assist you