Bridgetown, Barbados - The Barbados National Peace Council (UPF-Barbados) hosted an International Day of Families celebration with the theme "The impact of migration on families around the world" on May 15. The evening attracted over 80 persons to the UPF headquarters. Among the invited guests present were the Hon. Denis Kellman, advisor to CARICOM (the Caribbean community) and chief negotiator for government affairs, as well as Ms. Undene Whittaker, advisor on poverty eradication in the Prime Minister's office.
Mr. Kellman, who is also an Ambassador for Peace, gave a stirring speech, and the audience rose to its feet to applaud his remarks, especially when he said, "In the family we gain all experience, since the family is the school of love," and "we need strong, committed families who are dedicated to be role models for everyone." Ms. Whittaker read the message from the Secretary-General of the UN.
The Rev. Peter Oscar Phillips, president of the Barbados National Peace Council, gave the keynote address in which he proclaimed "Migrant children are at high risk of falling victim to child trafficking, child labour, conflict with the law, and violence: For many families, the decision to migrate is not an easy one and is often taken in response to economic hardship as a way to deal with the economic challenges."
In his closing remarks, Rev. Phillips stated, "Despite the impact of migration, the family around the world has been and will always be considered to be of greatest importance, and even though migration could be seen as both an involuntary and voluntary issue, it does affect families." He quoted UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon statement, "We have to renew our commitment to efforts that support migrant families around the world."
For more information about UPF chapters' celebrations of the International Day of Families, click here.