First Draft: 11 Nov 2003
Fathercare
is one of the longest running mens groups based around me in London. I had
kids, they were battled over to be with
me under this system where you as father to
admit to the love to your child you nonetheless get oppressed by greedy lawyers,
inevitable
delays and traps and needless battles.
In the early 1990s my friend Bruce Lydington had presented to the UK Parliament proposals that "non-resident parents" should have a presumption to expect the post-separation arrangement to maintain fathers in the live of their children.
Strange as it may sound, but by the early 1990s a mindset had a hold over the first generation of fathers who had been "divorced" under the 'no-fault' divorce paradigm which held that administrative convenience could not allow for equal partners under this system, in this society.
I heard tales of personal suffering when fathers got turned away at the door, when they were left unsupported and robbed by lawyers, or when stirred up by administrative hurdles.
I also saw pictures of a lone-mother home of squalor, neglect, children's footprints from spilled vinyl paint all the way to the upper part of a bunk bed, fork used as door handle in house with toddlers. And I had contemporaneous account of one father's 187 hearings, meetings, assessments before the boys got their father back.
I was willing to go to jail for 18 months to bring to notice what is wrongly deemed an intractable problem, which is deemed reason enough to get no justice under this system, in this this society.
It's rebellion which this kind of system breeds. Thus I started day and night to serve the abolition of one cause that controls another one's existence.
I learned about DTML, banner gifs, animation, server stats, javascript, orange book standards, firewalls, internet research, search engine submissions.
And it paid of. Letters or features in every national newspaper. An appearance in front of 8 judges at the HighChamber of the European Court of Human Rights.
In spite of becomming ever more nerdy and living ever more in my lair, I was given the honour of the first Roger Witcombe Award for my "achievements in the battle for civil and Human Rights for men".
Fathercare is also Ivor Catt, he's the elder of the group. Initially his boundless energy and enthusiasm disabled him from feeling comfortable acting as an elder. Thankfully he is also the world's leading expert on electromagnetism .
As the elder he has the power to bless, and he has the power to condemn. And he has shown to be wise in using this endowment. See ILLEAGle [do link]
Ivor's contribution to the Retreat Strategy [do link] regained for fathers self-respect under a system, where we are vacant, or voluntarily economic inactive. In the words of Ras: "Me was told by boss that CSA had written demanding that he take £60 out of my wage packet, and me said 'you do this and me off' and he went. When he came back and apologized for having had to do it, I took of my work cloves and me left'.
Fathercare is also Shaun, one of the original Purple Door Liberators.
For advice with interpretation and succesful implimentation of policies connected with troubled youth, mental health and fathers in need of support from social agencies, Mr Allen kindly acts as our advisor. He has worked with groups of men over long periods, enabling those men to be effective family support for their children, as well as becoming outspoken advocates for their children and for broader recognition of the lack of inclusiveness awarded to fathers and their needs. "Mentoring programs for men enhances the responsibility that men have for families, as well as raising a fathers' own ability to support others during periods of family crisis".
[to be continued]
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