‘Safe Spaces’:
The Mibbinbah Model of ‘Proper Way’
Jack Bulman & Rick Hayes
A Research Report
Introduction
From June 2007 to June 2010, the co-authors have been working on a research and capacity development program funded primarily by the former Cooperative Research Centre for Aboriginal Health which is now know as the Lowijta Institute. The purpose of the first phase of the research was to discover what might make for ‘safe spaces’ for Indigenous males to explore their health related issues and act upon their concerns. There was also a desire to discover whether or not being part of a ‘safe space’ enhanced the likelihood of engaging in chronic conditions programs that might improve health in a second phase. A critical aspect of the program was a focus on developing the capacity of Indigenous males in a number of sites on the eastern seaboard of Australian to participate as co-researchers in the program which became known as Mibbinbah, or Men’s Spaces. Eventually, the program was restructured and Mibbinbah Limited, an Indigenous Male Health Promotion Charity, was formed to ensure that transfer of knowledge continued beyond the three year term of the research program. Time has disallowed the undertaking of the second phase of the research.
However, it is now possible to specify what the structure of ‘safe spaces’ for Indigenous males entails in terms of ‘Proper Way’. That is the purpose of this report. Details of the program have been outlined in another article (Bulman & Hayes, forthcoming) and will not be revisited here. A number of conference papers have allowed for transfer of knowledge among those working with and for Indigenous males in terms of their health and well being (Bulman & Hayes 2009abcde). Outcomes of related research funded by a national mental health foundation in Australia, beyondblue, have also been published (Bulman & Hayes 2010). Additionally, foundational experiences that led to taking a participatory action research approach to capacity building have also been outlined in earlier articles (Bulman & Hayes 2008ab). The concept of ‘Proper Way’ will be outlined in the next portion of this article. A more detailed elaboration of the concept will follow with extensive examples and further explanations.
Outline of the Mibbinbah Model of ‘Proper Way’
The development of the Mibbinbah Model of ‘Proper Way’ is based, in part, on a phenomenological reflection of interviews obtained as part of the evaluation of the various training camps run during the three years. While the initial camps were attended by a small number of the project associates supporting the research program, later camps were attended by larger numbers of men from the various groups and organisations associated with Mibbinbah. There were on the order of sixty-five participants at the camp held in June 2010 on the Sunshine Coast. These camps have become the foundation for Mibbinbah Limited which is tasked with maintaining a network for the Indigenous males and their non-Indigenous associates. Additionally, the Model is also based on a phenomenological reflection of the experiences of the two authors who took time out at various points during the research program to examine their practice and the responses to this practice exhibited by the various stakeholders and the critical reference group. Members of the critical reference group have had a chance to read, comment and request revisions to this article before publication to ensure that adequate respect has been given to all of the people who have contributed to our increased understanding.
The Model distinguishes three relationships between ‘reality’ and us as individuals and as members of groups that have to do with ‘Proper Way’ regarding ‘safe spaces’. When we are engaged in ‘Proper Way’, we are always situated in the present circumstance which we have identified as ‘Celebrating’. This ‘Celebrating’ is informed by ‘Remembering’ and enlivened by ‘Anticipating’. Again, it is important to take note that we are positing that ‘Proper Way’ involves ‘Celebrating’ as its core domain. When this ‘Celebrating’ is forgotten or ignored, we are not engaged in ‘Proper Way’ with regards to ‘safe spaces’ for Indigenous males and their associates. Each of the domains has one ‘core’ aspect and two ‘wings’. For ‘Celebrating’ this includes the core aspect of ‘Collaborating’. ‘Collaborating’ regards men who are involved actively in working together as they seek to create ‘safe spaces’ for themselves and others. An essential aspect of this involves explicit agreements regarding responsibilities and explicit understandings that people will be held accountable for the agreements that they have made. There are two ‘wings’ to this co-labouring. On the one side, there is ‘Questing’ which involves ‘asking’ and ‘answering’ all the questions that arise concerning our being together. There are limits as will be discussed when we move to ‘Remembering’ and ‘Anticipating’. However, being together has a purpose in terms of understanding our situation, discovering what we want to do about our circumstances and deciding how we want to change them for the better. These new understandings can be used to reformulate past agreements among the men. They also give rise to the need to share these new ways of seeing and doing things. This involves the other ‘wing’ which is ‘Transferring’. When we have discovered a better way, we want to pass it on through either ‘yarning’ with others who are close to us in terms of age and stage in life or by ‘mentoring’ those who are younger or less experienced in life.
‘Proper way’ with regards to creating, maintaining and promoting ‘safe spaces’ for Indigenous males to gather in to explore and deal with their health related concerns is centred on ‘Celebrating’. However, as was noted earlier, it is informed by ‘Remembering’ and enlivened by ‘Anticipating’. The core aspect of ‘Remembering’ is ‘Respect’. And, this ‘Respect’ is for ourselves and for all the others that we encounter in our lives whether they are a part of a ‘safe space’ or not. ‘Respect’ is about continuing to look at and after ‘ourselves’ and ‘one another’ even when we have profound differences to deal with. Each of the ‘wings’ shape and give insight into the differences that seem to be crucial in terms of ‘Proper Way’ regarding ‘safe spaces’. The first ‘wing’ is ‘Diversity’ in terms of ‘culture’ and in terms of ‘location’. It is often forgotten that the Aboriginal peoples of the Australian continent two hundred years ago were more diverse in terms of language, custom and culture than Europe is today. Additionally, the locations from which the men come vary markedly. Families might have grown up in the bush or they may have grown up in the cities. ‘Respect’ requires that we do not denigrate each other because of our origins. While the practical import of this may be lost on people for many reasons, the emotional and spiritual import is still significant for many Indigenous males. It is important to recognise and remember these differences. The other ‘wing’ has to do with ‘History’ and its ‘triumphs’ and its ‘traumas’. We do hear a great deal about trans-generational trauma in some circles and this is a good thing. However, we can too easily forget that any man with whom we are with is potentially bearing a great load in this regard. On the other hand, we can also forget, to our detriment, the ‘triumphs’ of a man’s personal and family history. These can also inform our being together in ‘Celebrating’.
Finally, ‘Anticipating’ enlivens our ‘Celebrating’ and its core aspect is ‘Leading’. It is important to realise that ‘leading’ or leadership is something that all of them men can increasingly be taking on board for themselves and others. It is something that is part of ‘Anticipating’ because we can keep expanding our roles and discovering new avenues of ‘living’ our lives with integrity and ‘guiding’ others in discovering their own way with the people and groups that they encounter beyond the ‘safe space’. This has been a truly exciting aspect of the capacity building. We have watched people become transformed from being extremely passive to more active engagement with the issues of their own lives and the lives of others. They do this as they gently go about the business of being an adult male in their communities. There are two ‘wings’ to this core aspect. The first has to do with ‘Mediating’. ‘Leading’ requires that everyone anticipate how and when things might go wrong. So, ‘Mediating’ requires ‘naming problems’ and ‘avoiding violence’. Mibbinbah has taken a zero tolerance stance on this matter to ensure its spaces are ‘safe’. ‘Respect’ requires that we understand how things might get out of hand, but ‘Mediating’ requires that we ‘name’ such things as ‘Lateral Violence’ and identify it for what it is. When we have named it, we work to ‘avoid’ it as early as we can. People often arrive in camps quite enlivened by the realisation that we will all be seeking to keep ‘lateral violence’ to a minimum and that we will hold each other ‘accountable’ for our ‘agreements’. The other ‘wing’ is more positive and it has to do with ‘Healing’. This is perhaps one of our most important discoveries. ‘Spirit Healing’ is one of our watch words and is a by product of much of what Mibbinbah has been able to achieve. Such ‘Healing’ is the result of ‘envisioning’ all the good things that we desire to be realised in our lives. And, ‘hoping’ is that active seeking to bring this vision to life which comes about dynamically as we see new possibilities that we can ‘Anticipate’ more realistically as time goes on.
Elaboration of the concept of ‘Proper Way’ for Indigenous Male ‘Safe Spaces’
This portion of the report will seek to provide extended examples and explanations with regards to the three domains of ‘Proper Way’ and their various aspects. We have sought to sanitise the examples sufficiently so that identification of participants and situations might be less likely. However, the participants have each given their permission for us to use the examples and have each read the article in full so as to be able to give us feedback. This has been done to ensure that people who have participated have control over any stories or reports about their participation. All participants in the various camps provide permission for photographs, videos and interviews given or taken in the camps.
Phenomenologically, we can distinguish three relationships between ourselves and reality that have to do with ‘Proper Way’:
Remembering, Celebrating, Anticipating
Each of these domains has one ‘core’ and two ‘wing’ aspects:
Remembering:
Respect (self/others), Diversity (culture/locality), History (triumphs/traumas),
Celebrating:
Collaboring (agreements/accountability), Questing (asking/answering), Transfering (mentoring/yarning)
Anticipating:
Leading (living/guiding), Mediating (naming problems/avoiding violence), Healing (envisioning/hoping)
' PROPER WAY'
DIVERSITY RESPECT HISTORY
CELEBRATING
QUESTING COLLABORATING TRANSFERRING
ANTICIPATING
MEDIATING LEADING HEALING
SAFE SPACES
References
Bulman, J. and Hayes, R. (2010) Yarning Spaces: Dealing with depression and anxiety among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Males the ‘proper way’. The CAPA Quarterly (Journal of the Counsellors and Psychotherapitsts Association of NSW). 1:24-28.
Bulman, J. and Hayes, R. (2009a) ‘Strengthening men friendly practice and health promotion.’ National Men’s Health Conference, National Men's Health Gathering 2009, The University of Newcastle, NSW, 6 to 9 October 2009.
Bulman, J. and Hayes, R. (2009b) ‘Dealing with Depression and Anxiety among Indigenous Males.’ National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Male Health Convention, National Men's Health Gathering 2009, The University of Newcastle, NSW, 6 to 9 October 2009.
Bulman, J. and Hayes, R. (2009c) ‘Indigenous Community Researchers Support Network.’ National Men and Family Relations Forum, National Men's Health Gathering 2009, The University of Newcastle, NSW, 6 to 9 October 2009.
Bulman, J. and Hayes, R. (2009d) ‘Strengthening men friendly practice and health promotion.’ 2009 National Indigenous Studies Conference: Perspectives on urban life: connections and reconnections, Australian Institute of Australian and Torres Strait Islander Studies, Canberra, ACT, 28 September to 2 October 2009.
Bulman, J. and Hayes, R. (2009e) ‘Dealing with Depression and Anxiety among Indigenous Males.’ 2009 National Indigenous Studies Conference: Perspectives on urban life: connections and reconnections, Australian Institute of Australian and Torres Strait Islander Studies, Canberra, ACT, 28 September to 2 October 2009.
Bulman, J. and Hayes, R. (2008a) ‘Promoting Indigenous Participation in Health Promotion Education Through Community-based Participatory Research’, Aboriginal and Islander Health Worker Journal 32(3):10-13.
Bulman, J. and Hayes, R. (2008b) ‘Mibbinbah: Empowering Indigenous Males through Participatory Action Research into Health’, Australian Health Promotion Association Update 7:7.
