The generally poor health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders is well documented and known. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men are particularly at risk of premature death and disability. To date there is little evidence that would support specific approaches to increasing the engagement of men in programs. However, there is a real sense among workers and researches that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Male Spaces may be effective and culturally supportive ways of connecting men with one another. This in itself can be healthy.

Men’s spaces can also provide men with the means of connecting with those people who may be able to provide them with the resources they need to improve or maintain their health and wellbeing. There is also the possibility of moving forward to a place where many more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men are in a confident and strong position to make a significant contribution to communities. ‘Mibbinbah’ (Men’s Place) is part a part of this movement.

The Mibbinbah research project comes under the umbrella of Chronic Disease (Conditions) Program of the Cooperative Research Centre for Aboriginal Health (CRCAH). It can be thought of as two distinct but related projects: Men’s Spaces Pilot Project and Men’s Chronic Conditions Project. The first is a pilot project which seeks to identify, celebrate, and explore existing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Men’s Spaces. Specifically, the project will seek to discover why men might feel that certain Spaces are safe and how they can be well facilitated.

This will be done through the employment of Local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Male Project Associates. These Project Associates (PA’s) will be trained in the use of participatory action research methods. These will help in developing and sustaining these Spaces during the research methods. These will help in developing and sustaining these Spaces during the research program. Further training in Indigenous leadership, community communication, media and computer and internet skills will enhance sustainability. Initially, the pilot phase will involve seven sites jointly funded by the CRCAH and beyondblue.

The second project will seek to understand if and why participation in chronic conditions programs by Indigenous males is improved through association with safe and well facilitated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Male Spaces.

The research program has been developed and deployed under the joint leadership of Jack Bulman, and Rick Hayes, leading researches in non-anthologising approaches to health promotion in both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous Males Spaces.