If we as men don’t decide how we want our friendships to look like, someone else will do it for us. [Kim Evensen]“Brothers” is a global movement that was founded in Norway in 2017, by Kim Evensen. Our headquarter is today located in Oslo, Norway. After discovering the importance of quality friendships in his own life, he was stirred to inspire other men to tap into the great potential in their own friendships. Together, with a group of passionate and resilient individuals, Kim and the rest of the Brothers team have fought for the message of Brothers. They laboured for years, working endlessly and endeavouring wholeheartedly - before Brothers was even founded. Now that Brothers is a reality, we're excited for what's ahead.
A friendship is not just a beer at a bar with the boys; it is much more. We believe that all around the world, there are men of all ages desperate for some real bros in their lives. Brothers that inspire them.The thought first arose in December of 2015.Kim shared a concern to one of his own friends, asking, “Why is it that so many guys are afraid of expressing any vulnerability or affection toward their male friends? It is sad to see men who have been best friends for years hesitate on giving each other a hug when needed, or avoiding any conversation about how they feel. Where do they go for support? Who can they talk openly about life´s challenges with?" Kim knew that he could not just stand by and watch generations of men missing out on close friendship— he absolutely had to do something about it. So he did; and this movement is the result. A movement that will stir men into not settling for mediocre friendships anymore, but rather pursue genuine brotherhood - strong friendship bonds that last. So whoever you are - if you value your brothers then jump on board - and let's create a movement that really champions brotherhood. One that encourages friendships between guys to be wholesome instead of emotionally stunted and empowers men everywhere to see all a brotherhood can be. Here are some thoughts from Kim Evensen, edited out from one of his books. We thought we could add it here: Leading an organization like Brothers has forced me to critically reflect on my own friendships, my own perspectives, and the filters that I view my life through. Having the opportunity to speak into boys’ and men’s lives - and as a result, influence their perspectives on friendship, is a responsibility that I don’t take lightly. The more influence Brothers gets in the lives of people, the more I feel the burden of leadership. I am well aware that I’ve got many flaws, wounds, and more or less distorted perspectives and filters that I view my life and reality through. As the leader of Brothers, I’ve asked myself how much of those things are actually influencing the way I lead, teach, and guide others in developing deep, meaningful bro-connections. I know that we’re all in the same boat, kind of - meaning that we’ve all got filters and perspectives that are shaped by our past, upbringing, and culture and that we’re all flawed. But when one gets a bigger platform and credibility, it’s healthy and necessary to be even more self-reflective, as people will take your advice and knowledge and put it into practice in their own lives. Yes, many times I feel pretty unqualified to run this movement and especially to write this book. Who am I to lead this organization? Who am I to have talks on male bonding in front of hundreds of young high schoolers or talk to and guide professional athletes or grown-up businessmen who’ve got kids and families and much more life experience than me? I’m just an ordinary guy in my late twenties. I’m not perfect and my friendships aren’t perfect or always uncomplicated. But. I’ve realized that perfection is not always the best inspiration. Though I do believe that I’ve got something to offer, and though I’m constantly trying to learn more about the topic of male bonding to gather more knowledge and new perspectives, the most important thing I can do is to do something. True friendship is so powerful and I don’t want guys to miss out on it. Though I’m not a natural strategist, I’d like to say that my strategy when running Brothers, is to let authenticity and vulnerability be the cornerstone of everything that I do. And it can be scary. When meeting with leaders of big organizations, sports clubs, or potential partners, I do wonder sometimes if this authenticity will weaken my credibility or strengthen it. I’m even tempted to put up a facade and a mask to give an impression of “I always know what I’m doing and I never doubt!” But if I did that, I’d be going against everything that Brothers is. I consider myself as a pretty confident young man, but confidence and vulnerability should go hand in hand. I like to say that I rather prefer being a bit less professional and a little bit more personal in my business/partnership meetings. Whether or not that is the best strategy, it is the foundation of who we are. And the foundation of an organization matters more than the appearance. Brothers is not built on a fake or weak foundation. Neither should our friendships be. The more I dive into this theme, the more I realize how necessary and beautiful authentic brotherhood is. And that’s why Brothers aims to be the most influential and trustworthy organization, globally, championing and bringing awareness to the topic of male friendship. Every guy needs good bros in his life, and it fuels me to know that because of Brothers, dudes from across the globe are discovering more of what true friendship is.