Responsible Fatherhood for Future Generations

Ed. Note: Champions of Change is a weekly initiative to highlight Americans who are making an impact in their communities and helping our country rise to meet the many challenges of the 21st century.

As we look at the statistics, it is obvious that the physical presence of a responsible father plays a pivotal role in the success of the next generation, from emotional health, through education, crime prevention, and financial success. Our organization, “Hombres de Palabra” or “Men of Their Word,” targets the Hispanic men.

We believe that every man has the potential to do great things, if he is equipped with the right tools and knowledge. This is especially true for Hispanic men in this country. They all came pursuing the American dream, looking for a better future not only for themselves but for their families, but found themselves culturally and socially unequipped to accomplish their goals. Our vision is to equip men to reach their maximum potential; we accomplish this by promoting education, fatherhood initiatives and personal growth and disseminating information and opportunities for the community.

We promote responsible manhood as one of the issues that has to be addressed to have a healthy nation in the future. Martin Luther king Jr. said “We are now faced with the fact, my friends that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history, there is such a thing as being too late. Procrastination is still the thief of time."

As an immigrant, husband and father, I am blessed to have the opportunity to make a difference through the life of my family, with the understanding that tomorrow is today, that I can’t procrastinate being a dad, because the price is too great and it will impact negatively future generations.

A responsible, loving and caring father is the key to a successful family that will give our next generation the platform on which to stand and reach their goals and solve many current social problems.

Based on my personal experiences and the need that I saw in my community, I decided to get involved in this issue, and I will like to encourage everyone to give back to your community, since we all have within us the capacity to make a difference, to change generations, and influence history.

Carlos Duran is the founder of Hombres de Palabra (Men of their Word), an organization “helping men reach their maximum potential through education, training and initiatives.”