Madrid, Spain - On September 19, UPF-Spain hosted a seminar on "Respect for Elders in Family and Social Spheres" at the Peace Embassy in Madrid. This was the seventh seminar in the Marriage and Family Initiative series. Around 40 people attended, among them presidents of two Latin American associations and several Ambassadors for Peace.
This seminar followed the usual pattern for such events. There were two speakers on the topic:
- Ambassador for Peace Mrs. Maria Claudia Cevallos Ugarte, a professor of Political Sciences, journalist, and lawyer. She gave an excellent PowerPoint presentation showing clearly the situation in the schools and in society in general.
- The Coordinator of the Marriage and Family Initiative in Madrid, Mrs. Maria Mercedes González, Lic. Tourism and Management. She used a PowerPoint presentation to give an overview of respect according different religions and cultural spheres. She included many examples about how respect develops in family relations and social realms.
Several awards were given:
- Mrs. Susie Gadea, an international artist, was presented with an Ambassador for Peace certificate.
- Honoring couples for fidelity
- Large families
- Elders in a family
A musical performance was given by a young artist, pianist Kenmei Miyamura.
It was a great morning of education, and everyone gained more understanding about these issues. In general people expressed appreciation and a desire to do their best to show more respect and become better people.
Note: To view the PowerPoint on respect (in Spanish), click here.