The State We're In, 4 June 2011. Men grappling with what it means to be a man, including the story of the father of a murdered teenager who counselled his son’s friends against seeking revenge. The son of former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl talks about getting out from his father’s shadow. And a man who found making the coffin for his distant father an odd gesture of love.
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Les and Junior
A gang killing in London. A young man loses his best friend. A father loses his son. Junior and his friends wanted to avenge the murder. But at the funeral, Les - the father - told them revenge would only lead to another funeral. So Les began mentoring them. Now they’ve formed an organisation which helps mentor at-risk school kids. Les and Junior tell host Jonathan Groubert about the work their charity does, and what impact it’s had on at-risk kids and on themselves.
Link - Potential
Casket therapy
John Manchester remembers his father, the writer and journalist William Manchester, as a distant and intimidating figure. When his dad was dying and asked John to make his coffin, John reluctantly said yes. As he tells Jonathan, making it was an all-too rare gesture of love between the two men.
Links - John's blog Luminous Muse
Manchester Music Library
Stand up!
Walter Kohl grew up in the shadow of his father, former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl. Walter was often beaten up at school. But he got no sympathy from his often-absent father. Only the order to stand up for himself. Walter tells Jonathan how he’s finally come out of his father’s shadow and the emotional price tag he’s paid for doing so.
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Thanks everyone for your comments. We'll pass on your best wishes to Les and Junior. Greg Kelly, Editor TSWI
Thank you for a great program! I listened to your "Be A Man" on CBC radio's overnight program early this morning (1 am in Pacific time). I wanted to tell my husband about this moving program and looked up CBC's website but there was no link or information about this program on CBC website. I thought that maybe I imagined my listening to three moving stories in my dream! until I found your own website. Would you please ask your CBC radio contact to include your program information in their CBC overnight program? I hope your official status might work better with CBC radio. Many thanks for your inspiring program! Hyesoon
Hyesoon - I looked on CBC's schedule and also couldn't find TSWI's details at the time you mentioned. We do have a link on the CBC website - http://www.cbc.ca/programguide/program/the_state_were_in - but not being in the schedule makes it hard to find.
Please note - you can always listen to the latest TSWI show, here at tswi.org. You'll find details of how to subscribe to our podcast in iTunes and with other podcast software. Plus photos and video of guests from the show and related weblinks. Also join us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to get the latest updates direct from us to you.
Sid - TSWI website
Thanks, Hyesoon, for letting us know. I've let our North American representative know about the missing link, as it were. And with any luck we'll get this fixed in no time. Glad you find us inspiring! Greg, Editor TSWI
My condolences and deepest sympathy to Les Persaud. May God bless him always.
I've just finished listening to Be A Man, and I want to thank you for the program. I am a man, almost 60. My father was not a man's man, not a macho type, and I struggle with my masculine identity all the time. I never feel enough of a man. I'm not strong or tough, and I'm not successful. I don't have children. I know in my head that violence and revenge is not the answer to anything, and I have never been in a fight in all my life. I don't know if I would ever have the courage of the young man's father, or the young man's friends, to forsake revenge and violence, but I have to say that they are real men, in my eyes, and I thank them for showing us all another way. Please do more programs about Being A Man. It is time we heard men's stories, like this, from the heart.
Great show - you should have played comedian Russel Peters famous "Be A Man" skit on this show. See it on Youtube. He's a great subject for your show as well.
I listened to that guy’s story this morning and eish! Sorry man! It takes a real man to stand up for the fact that “We do not have to kill people to prove to other people that killing people is wrong…” I is my hope that the same lesson will go to our greater societies to address the problems of hooliganism and school-boy fights. To all the men… and women… out-there, I urge you to do an act of kindness to anyone that does anything bad to you. For in so doing you will burn hot coals under his feet and in his throat. After all, an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind!
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