Latino Panelists Uphold Centrality of Parents

South and Central America – Continuing its webinar series commemorating UN international days, UPF-Latin America and the Caribbean held a forum on May 29, 2026, on "The Importance of Being a Good Role Model for Those We Are Raising." This event was timed to mark the Global Day of Parents on June 1.

In his introduction Mr. Mario Salinas, secretary general of UPF-Latin America, who moderated the event, stated: “In accordance with the spirit of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, support for families and parenting is increasingly recognized as an indispensable part of national social policies and social investment packages aimed at reducing poverty, decreasing inequality and promoting the well-being of parents and children.” He added that the webinar theme was intended to point out that “the role of parents is not limited to providing, guiding and protecting, but also to modeling; it is precisely this example that will determine how children perform in society.”

With these concepts in mind, Mr. Eliecer Araya, UPF regional president, said in his welcoming remarks: “This day calls us to examine our social and ethical responsibility, and to recognize the role we play – together – in building healthy, harmonious and happy families. Because it is in the family where the values ​​that sustain coexistence, justice and peace are sown.”

In keeping with the theme of parenting, the first panelists appeared as a couple – the Hon. Salvador Nasralla, former vice president of Honduras, and his wife the Hon. Iroska Elvir de Nasralla, a current member of Congress. They are parents to two children. Both stressed the importance of values and morality.

“Our aspiration is to develop Honduras with values, ethics and morality, so that our people will no longer feel compelled to emigrate,” Mr. Nasralla explained. “I entered politics precisely for that purpose: to help transform the ethics, morality, and values that have become so devalued, especially in Third World countries.”

His wife added: “A society without strong families is a society that cannot move toward a promising future. This is why it is vital to defend the preservation of the family – formed by a father and a mother – and to ensure the transmission of moral values from one generation to the next.”

The next panelist was Rev. Juan Carlos Habun, pastor of Kemuel Church and president of the board of directors of the Evangelical Alliance of El Salvador. He works with orphaned children, the homeless, and other disadvantaged people. “A fundamental principle is to live what we teach,” he said. “Children learn more from what they see than from what they hear…leading by example is essential for teaching honor, respect and fundamental values. We can't ask children to do what we ourselves don't do.”

Ms. Rowitha Giuliano, president of the Women’s Federation for World Peace in Argentina, echoed this point, saying, “Our children listen to our words, but above all, they observe our lives. They observe how we treat our spouse. They observe how we react when we face difficulties. They observe how we speak about others. They observe whether we live according to what we teach.” She added, “We all want our children to have a better future. Precisely for this reason I am convinced that world peace begins in the family.”

The final speaker was Dr. Diana Elizarraras Kim, a lawyer and human rights defender from Mexico. She quoted Rev. Sun Myung Moon, saying, "’The family is the school of love.’ That phrase sums up everything we've heard today. If we want good politicians, good human beings, good students, and good professionals, it's in the family where they are formed. The family is the space where the values ​​and principles that sustain humanity are sown.”

By Mario Salinas, Secretary General, UPF-Latin America May 29, 2026