Montevideo, Uruguay - On May 14, the International Day of Families was celebrated in the Acuña de Figueroa Hall in the Annex of the Legislative Palace. The theme was “The impact of migration on families around whole world.” More than 150 persons participated in this event: Ambassadors for Peace, government representatives, journalists, academics, leaders of civil society, and distinguished citizens. The event recognized and reaffirmed the importance of the family as the school of love and foundation of peace.
Words of welcome were given by the Secretary General of UPF-Uruguay, Master Raúl Rey Banegas, who called attention to the importance of this international celebration and the role of Ambassadors for Peace as educators and models for establishing families centered on moral values and ethics, true schools of peace. The Masters of Ceremony were Mrs. María Rosa Neme, a journalist, and Mr. Ramón Borges.
The Declaration of UPF International was read by Mr. Cono Rossi, President of the Rotary Club of Punta del Este-Maldonado, who with profound conviction and from a universal perspective touched people's hearts, emphasizing the transcendent and providential value of the family as the foundation of a world of peace.
The speakers addressed the family from different but complementary perspectives, giving a universal panorama of the challenges faced by the modern family.
Mrs. Marta Grego de Vaeza, a Graduate in Family Orientation at the University of Navarra, shared her life experiences as a professional and as a mother of six children and 12 grandchildren. She highlighted the importance of a stable and mature marriage in establishing a peaceful family. Dialog and the capacity to overcome difficulties are good ways to grow as spouses and as parents. She talked about the importance of the example of the parents in the education of their sons and daughters.
Prof. Edgardo Martínez Zimarioff, Minister of the Electoral Court, Rector of the Open University, and Ambassador for Peace, emphasized the importance of the family as the school of dialog for peace. It is important for us to learn to communicate and respect each one of the members of the family, he said. In a world where the pace of living is accelerating and there is less time for family dialog, it is important to “slow down” and dedicate oneself to “listening” to what the children and the spouse say. Referring to the words of Dr. Aldous Huxley: “Experience is not what happens to a man, but what a man does with what happens to him,” he challenged people to revise their attitudes within their marriage and to first change “oneself,” in order to then be able to change the “other.” The most important thing for us as human beings is to establish a family of unconditional love, a family in which one feels secure and supported. The family is the principal cell of the whole peaceful and prosperous society.
Jesús González Losada, a graduate in Marriage and Family Education at the University of Navarra, who specializes in character education and family education, presented the vision of the family from the point of view of the Universal Peace Federation. The family is the school of love, he said. It's where we develop in progressive spheres of love and maturity: children’s love, brotherly love, conjugal love, and parental love. All these spheres are sustained in matrimonial fidelity, by living an ethical and absolutely moral sexuality. He emphasized the importance of abstinence as preparation for a happy and lasting marriage.
After the presentations Prof. Roberto Ravera, a musician, guitarist, teacher, and composer, offered classical themes of international music, surprising everyone with his grand artistic level.
Additionally, distinguished couples who have been married more than 40 years were awarded certificates of recognition bearing the theme: “Award: International Day of Families”
- Carolina Merlino – Pascual Di Luca (54 years)
- Ana Ma. Merlino – Hugo de León ( 40 years)
- Prof. Elsa Leglise Pascale – Prof. Ernesto Pascale (50 years)
- Mrs. Gladys Gricelda Galay – Mr. Raúl Danilo Marsella (40 years)
- Mrs. Irma Esther González – Mr. Luis Aníbal Damian (41 years)
- Mrs. Aydeé Yolanda Martinez – Mr. Carlos Dos Santos (47 years)
- Marta Grego de Vaeza – Alfredo Vaeza (42 years)
- Alvaro Roman Capra – Ana María Pedreira (41 years)
- Adolfo Neme González – Elsa Rossano Annoni (40 years)
To read the presentation [in Spanish] of Lic. Jesús González, click here.
For more information about UPF chapters' celebrations of the International Day of Families, click here.