What We Do
Creating Spaces for Self-Realisation
A man needs a place where he feels safe. Where he can mirror his feelings, thoughts, experiences and longings in other men, without being judged for having these feelings, thoughts, experiences and longings. A place where he can find acknowledgement for what he is going through, support for his feelings of weakness, and where he doesn’t feel alone, because there are others who recognize his struggles.
The average pub, sportsclub, council chamber and staff room are places where judgment, mockery, jealousy, competition and abuse of power easily arise when you show vulnerability. And a tense family situation doesn’t make it easy either to honour yourself in all there is. So spaces are needed where a man can go to just be, to share, to listen and to find a way to do things differently.
Firemakers creates those spaces. Where men gather, in a safe environment, to be themselves. Where – next to finding a sympathetic ear a man is invited to walk a way that enables him to make choices that actually serve him. Where practices are offered that help him to regulate, and make a step from surviving towards living.
Examples of this are the many men’s circles that are being organised, the European Festival of Brotherhood and other events, periodical or incidental. These events and the men’s circles are all very accessible.
For those who want to dive deeper into themselves there are deepening programs. For we are never done discovering ourselves. Sometimes something is lodged so deep that it takes serious effort to reach it; more time and more digging is required. Examples of deepening programs are the Sacred Witness Circle, the Pilgrimage and the Year Training.
And sometimes the circumstances ask for an approach that is more individual, or quicker. For this, look for the possibilities within the Coaching & Mentoring of Firemakers.
So, a lot of safe spaces. You might be wondering: what makes a space safe? In all activities – be it a men’s circle, a festival, or a board meeting – Firemakers use a number of standards and intentions that secure the safety as much as possible. To us these standards have become a way of living, that we uphold not only within the foundation but also beyond. Want to read more about this? Check the menu option “Who we are” in the menu on top.