Case story

Mibbinbah Indigenous Men’s Project, an Action Research Project Centred on Capacity Building

The Mibbinbah Indigenous Men’s Project is a participatory action research project that aims to understand the factors that make Indigenous Men’s Spaces safe and healthy places for men, and how this might benefit families and communities.

The project is based on principles of community development and empowerment. Seven Men’s Sheds/Spaces are involved, located mainly along the east coast of Australia. At each site, local Indigenous men are employed as Project Associates/ researchers. The joint project leaders are Jack Bulman, Mibbinbah CEO, and Rick Hayes of La Trobe University.

Participatory action research methods are being used to collect data about which types of Men’s Sheds/Spaces are most likely to lead to better health, especially for chronic diseases; to identify what enables and hinders men to support each other in learning new skills and taking leadership roles to promote wellbeing; and to follow through so that the research findings are translated into learning activities and health actions.

Mentoring, training and development are embedded in the project methodology. Project Associates/researchers at each site are learning the skills needed for their research roles, as they:

• collect and analyse data about Men’s Sheds/Spaces.
• report the research in ways that help people understand what works and why, how to roll out the positive changes and how to correct negative outcomes.
• communicate research findings through local, regional, state and national and international media, through professional and academic journals, and through conferences and other forums. 
• link up with other men to extend and promote Men’s Sheds/Spaces more widely.
• identify and support men to take leadership in other research projects that will benefit their communities, and encourage them to do training.
• develop resources to support Indigenous men to share health information on the Web and to use e-conferencing
• approach funding bodies and academic institutions, so that communities of men can address their identified concerns

The research project develops individual capacity. The men involved as researchers are being trained in:

• Participatory Action Research (PAR) skills, while at the same time building the capacity of their community organisations to work with men.
• Community development and advocacy skills
• Communication and media, as they develop stories about their activities
• Leadership and governance
• Computer and internet skills

Jack, Bulman, the Mibbinbah CEO/project leader, is applying to undertake a Masters of Applied Science degree at La Trobe University. He talks about how the project methodology can develop the capacity of individual men and the wider community:

Through collaborative work with institutions and organisations, Mibbinbah is aiming to assist and find new pathways for Indigenous males to be able to take their rightful place in society, whatever that may be and then this way we can begin to change the way research is thought of both now and in the future.

We need to recognise that the men are already doing research each day as they seek to understand and solve their problems for themselves and with their communities. PAR is an important component enabling Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander males to not only create capacity for themselves and their communities, but also enabling them to be able to take leadership in the broader Non-Indigenous communities as well. We also need to realise that community researchers are important for any process involving research within communities and even though they haven’t achieved the academic qualifications. With their life experiences and community knowledge and combining these with PAR then they are able to then work through issues that may arise. PAR ticks all the boxes with research but also allows for flexibility, which is important in community research. Another important step is that Organisations have and will gain greater capacity to achieve their aims in the community through the development of a pool of men who are able to work collegially. Communities have and will benefit as the health and well-being of men is important for that of women and children and whole of communities.

The project is developing organizational capacity.  Mibbinbah has been able to secure funding to continue as an incorporated organization, beyond the life of the research project.

For more information, see: http://www.mibbinbah.org/.