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The International Day of Families, May 15, is celebrated at the United Nations headquarters and around the world. The Universal Peace Federation joins in commemorating this day because it considers the family as a microcosm of the global community and because sustainable peace is grounded in the family as the most intimate social unit, the school of love. The theme for 2013 was:
Advancing Social Integration and Intergenerational Solidarity
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon issued a statement in English and Spanish.
Read UPF's statement on the Role of the Family in Advancing Social Integration and Intergenerational Solidarity. For further insights on the theme, click here.
Observances of the International Day of Families 2013 organized by UPF in:
NOTE: A new UN day, the Global Day of Parents, was established by the UN General Assembly resolution 66/292 on October 15, 2012. June 1 is a date to "honor parents throughout the world," and Member States are encouraged to "celebrate the Global Day of Parents in full partnership with civil society, particularly involving young people and children."
International Day of Families observances may include:
A seminar with presentations such as
Recognition of couples who have achieved a milestone in married life (such as 25 or 50 years)
A forum on a topic of local or national concern
Additional suggestions
- Invite families to enjoy an outing at a park.
- Organize families working together on a community project.
- Organize an outing for children and their fathers.
- Offer a family-type experience for disadvantaged people such as orphans.
- Promote the 20th anniversary of the International Year of the Family: 2014.
Note: A UN Report on family issues recommends that the preparations for the observance of the 20th anniversary of the International Year of the Family in 2014 focus on developing and implementing policies in the areas of reducing family poverty and social exclusion; ensuring work and family balance; and advancing social integration and intergenerational solidarity. Governments, UN Agencies and bodies, civil society organizations, and academic institutions are encouraged to share good practices and data on family policy development, especially in the areas mentioned above. For more information, click here. Print and distribute the Declaration of the Civil Society on the Occasion of the 20th Anniversary of the International Year of the Family (2014). Read it aloud during the program and invite participants to sign it.
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