Founded in 1996, Men As Peacemakers (MAP) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit based in Duluth, MN. In the early 1990's Duluth suffered a series of horrific murders, all of them committed by men. The community expressed its outrage and a large group of citizens began efforts to decrease this violence. In meeting after meeting, the community members involved were almost always women. This seemed backwards. Men committed the violence, but women were responsible for finding a solution? In the fall of 1995, a group of Duluth men decided to organize a retreat for male community leaders to discuss this problem and begin to develop a solution. They invited a diverse group of 100 men to discuss the role of men in preventing violence. Fifty-five of these community leaders responded and participated in the retreat. They included members of the American Indian and African American community, the clergy, businessmen, academics, and others. The meeting ended with a commitment to continue to discuss and develop strategies to decrease violence against women and children in our communities. Out of these discussions grew Men As Peacemakers.
