International Men’s Day 2025: Supporting Men and Boys – A Deeper Conversation on Leadership, Gender, and Growing Up
Date: Wednesday, 19 Nov. 2025
Time: 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Venue: RIFS Potsdam, Kleist Villa, Berliner Str. 130, 14467 Potsdam
To mark International Men’s Day 2025 and its global theme “Supporting Men and Boys,” a two-hour RIFS workshop invites participants of all genders to reflect on how growing-up environments shape boys into the leaders they later become, if either regenerative or extractive. Through a short interview with social scientist Richard V. Reeves, a research presentation by Klaus Töpfer Fellow Adina-Iuliana Deacu, and group discussions, we will explore the connection between childhood trauma, masculinity, and leadership using the lens of the "Invisible Backpack." Participants can expect thoughtful dialogue, fresh perspectives on gender and equality, and a nurturing space for connection and collective insight.
Why This Workshop?
On the occasion of International Men’s Day（IMD）, we invite you to join us at the RIFS for a 2-hour workshop designed to open space for reflection, dialogue, and learning around the IMD 2025 global theme: “Supporting Men and Boys.”
If you are interested to participate, please register here: https://eveeno.com/internationalmensday2025
While International Men’s Day often brings attention to male mental health, boys’ struggles in education, or the importance of positive role models, this workshop goes a step further: it invites us to explore the underlying growing-up environments that shape men and boys—and how those early environments influence the kind of leaders they become.
Are we raising boys into leaders who build regenerative systems or extractive ones? How does unresolved childhood trauma influence power, privilege, and the performance of masculinity? And most importantly: how can we support men and boys in becoming their fullest, healthiest selves in a way that benefits everyone, not just men?
What to Expect
This workshop is part of Klaus Töpfer Sustainability Fellow Adina-Iuliana Deacu’s ongoing research at RIFS on redefining business from “a for profit entity” to “an entity that solves social issues and creates social value in a financially sustainable way” as a solution to climate change. In particular, the workshop will focus on a subtheme of Adina’s research, namely the trauma that created climate change in the first place. The workshop will touch upon the relationship between childhood trauma and the type of leader people become in adulthood. The discussion will be led through the lens of the Invisible Backpack—a metaphor for all the experiences, positive and negative, each of us has accumulated from birth until present moment and that we each carry with us into adulthood.
“The greatest damage done by neglect, trauma or emotional loss is not the immediate pain they inflict but the long-term distortions they induce in the way a developing child will continue to interpret the world and her situation in it.” ― Gabor Maté, In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction
Together, we will:
- Warm up with a brief ice-breaker to ease into connection
- Watch a 20-minute interview with renowned social scientist Richard V. Reeves, whose work on modern masculinity and male disadvantage has sparked international discussion
- Engage with a short presentation from RIFS Fellow Adina-Iuliana Deacu, exploring:
- Why we should celebrate International Men’s Day beyond gender binaries
- Why we must start talking about gender equality from an environmental and psychological development perspective
- How early trauma may unconsciously shape the systems we design or uphold as adults
- Break into small group discussions to reflect on what we’ve learned and exchange perspectives
- Enjoy light snacks, refreshments, and informal networking
Why This Matters
As we seek to build regenerative futures and more equitable societies, we must also tend to the roots and strive for collective healing. Supporting men and boys is not a zero-sum game. It is a step toward collective healing, healthier relationships, and better leadership models for all.
Whether you identify as male, female, non-binary, or prefer not to label, you are welcome. This event is about creating a safe and inclusive space for dialogue across gender lines, acknowledging shared challenges, and envisioning new possibilities together.
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