UN International Day of Families 2011
The UN International Day of Families is celebrated each May 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 of the 2011 observance was "Confronting Family Poverty and Social Exclusion." For a PowerPoint overview of UPF observances, click here.
- Written by: UPF - Croatia
Zagreb, Croatia - UPF-Croatia hosted a forum in observance of the International Day of Families on May 12 at the Matica Hrvatska. Speakers included Mr. Anto Tomas, Dr. Tihomir Domazet, and Dr. Marko Tarle.
- Written by: UPF - Nigeria
Lagos, Nigeria - Following the post-election violence which erupted in some northern states of Nigeria leading to loss of lives and property, bringing much pain and agony to many families, the Lagos State chapter of UPF organized a conference to commemorate the International Day of Families. The event took place on May 12 at the Lagos Airport Hotel-Ikeja.
- Written by: Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary-General
Far too many families endure chronic, punishing hardship. Lacking jobs and the means to make ends meet, adults are unable to provide adequate nutrition for children, leaving them with lifelong physical and cognitive scars. Other family members can suffer neglect and deprivation. Poverty continues to claim the lives of hundreds of thousands of women each year in childbirth.
- Written by: UPF - Bangladesh
Dhaka, Bangladesh - The United Nations Information Centre in Dhaka, the Universal Peace Federation, and the Women’s Federation for World Peace jointly organized a seminar on the International Day of Families titled “Family Crisis, Internal and External.” The seminar was attended by about 70 people: religious leaders, educators, social workers, and student leaders. It was held on May 3 at the Dhaka Business & Professional Women’s Club.
- Written by: United Nations Programme on the Family
Poverty means more than income and material deprivation. Social exclusion can be seen as a form of poverty as they both originate in discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity and gender, inequality, unbalanced rural/urban development, unequal distribution of assets or unequal access to services. The excluded are mostly unable to improve their well-being due to socio-political structures of the societies they live in. Indigenous and ethnic minorities are often most affected by exclusion.