In its fourth year of promoting the UN International Day of Families, UPF chapters in 71 nations organized commemorative events, some in more than a dozen cities. They hosted forums about local issues affecting families, organized commemorations in national parliaments, gave awards to outstanding families, and showed disadvantaged children a good time. Some forums addressed the theme selected by the UN for 2012, "Ensuring Work Family Balance," and others expanded the concept of balance to explore ways to develop a balanced partnership between husband and wife, balance spirituality and practical affairs, and balance public and private responsibilities.
The following overview gives a flavor of the variety of UPF-organized events.
Addressing a university audience in Oslo, Norwegian psychiatrist Per Sundby described how he started his career a radical socialist but ended up as what some would call a “moralist.” He pointed out the need to eliminate not only concrete risk factors like smoking and drinking in order to enjoy a good family life, but also less concrete risk factors such as free sex and a lack of fidelity.
High-level observances of the International Day of Families took place in the United Kingdom in the House of Lords, in Peru at the National Congress, in Ecuador at the former Senate Hall of the National Assembly, in Benin at the Foreign Affairs Banquet Hall, and in Sri Lanka at the department of Education of the Western Province. Municipal observances in Brazil took place at the Sao Paulo City Hall and in Moldova at the Chisinau central district city hall.
Three-generation families who work together and support each other were recognized in Germany; one winner was an Iraqi-Palestinian family living in Frankfurt. In the Congo, Ghana, and Venezuela couples who have been together for more than 20 years were honored, as well as families who have set outstanding examples of living for the sake of others. Couples married more than 25 years were honored in Argentina and Peru. In Moldova, couples married more than 30 years received certificates.
School children enjoyed games, sports, art activities, crafts, and music in Armenia, Lithuania, Russia and the island nation of Mauritius. Scholarships were donated to less-privileged children in four places in Nepal.
UPF-Russia’s Mr. and Miss University Pageant in Moscow held each May emphasizes beauty of character and lifestyle. It links to the International Day of Families by promoting volunteerism, peacemaking, and family values.
With the International Day of Families falling close to the May 9 end of World War II in Europe, young volunteers in Belarus helped aging veterans with chores and listened to their stories as well as preparations for the annual Veterans Music Festival.
Building on the UN’s theme of Ensuring Work Family Balance, some speakers explored ways to develop a harmonious partnership between husband and wife, balance spirituality and practical affairs, and fulfill both public and private responsibilities. Distinguished speakers addressed such topics at events in Argentina, Austria, Colombia, Congo, Germany, Ghana, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Niger, San Marino, St. Lucia, Taiwan, and Uruguay.
Alphabetical listing of chapters that organized events:
Kabul, Afghanistan - Bakhtar Institute for Higher Education
Luanda, Angola - UPF Headquarters
Buenos Aires, Argentina - UPF Headquarters
Yerevan, Armenia - School #194
Vienna, Austria - UPF Headquarters
Dhaka, Bangladesh - Dhaka Sundarban Hotel
Belarus, various locations
Cotonou, Benin - Foreign Affairs Banquet Hall
Sao Paulo, Brazil - City Hall
Chork, Cambodia
Bafoussam, Kousseri, and Yaoundé, Cameroon
Montreal and Toronto, Canada
Bogota, Colombia - UPF headquarters
Pointe-Noire, Congo - Hotel Hilary
Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire - City Hall
Brno & Prague, Czech Republic - UPF Headquarters
Kinshasa, Matadi, and Kinzau Mvete, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Quito, Ecuador - Former Senate Hall of the National Assembly
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - A high school meeting hall
Helsinki, Finland - UPF Headquarters
Libreville, Gabon - Sylvia Bongo Ondimba Foundation Center
Tbilisi, Georgia - school for mentally handicapped children and the Women's Information Center
Stuttgart and Frankfurt, Germany - UPF Headquarters
Accra, Ghana - UPF Headquarters
Georgetown, Guyana - Family Federation Headquarters
Reykjavik, Iceland - Downtown parade
New Delhi, Gangtok, and Lucknow, India
Jakarta, Indonesia - UPF Peace Center, KHBP Kebayoran Baru
Dublin, Ireland - The Lantern Interfaith Centre
Daliat El Carmel, Israel - home of a Druze sheik
Kingston, Jamaica - UPF Headquarters
Tokyo, Japan - UPF Headquarters
Almaty, Kazakhstan - UPF Headquarters
Nairobi, Kenya - UPF Headquarters
Nairobi, Kenya - Compit Educational Center located in Eastleigh (attended by Somalis living in Kenya)
Panevezys, Lithuania - with the NGO Atjauta
Kehlen, Luxembourg - UPF Headquarters
Bamako, Mali - Mayor's hall
Majuro, Marshall Islands - Marshall Islands Resort Hotel
Reduit, Mauritius - Maryse Justin Stadium
Chisinau, Moldova - Central District City Hall
Nepal - events in 15 cities
The Hague, Netherlands - Christus Triomfatorkerk
Parnell, New Zealand - Holy Trinity Cathedral
Managua, Nicaragua - Real Intercontinental Metrocenter
Niamey, Niger - UPF Headquarters
Oslo, Norway - Diakonhjemmet University College
Asuncion, Paraguay - Gran Hotel del Paraguay
Trujillo and Lima, Peru - Municipal offices of Trujillo, Peruvian Congress
Moscow, Kamensk, Kazan, Khabarovsk, Novosibirsk, Perm, Pokrovskoye, Ryazan, St. Petersburg, Vladivostok and Yekaterinburg, Russia
Kigali, Rwanda - Alpha Palace Hotel
San Marino - UPF Headquarters
Dakar and Ziguinchor, Senegal - A school
Freetown, Sierra Leone - UPF Headquarters
Nitra, Slovakia - MAX shopping center
Honiara, Solomon Islands - Rock Havens Inn Hotel
Seoul, South Korea - UPF Headquarters
Madrid, Spain - UPF Headquarters
Colombo, Sri Lanka - Auditorium of the Department of Education, Western Province
Marisule, St. Lucia - UPF Headquarters
Paramaribo, Suriname - UPF Headquarters
Taipei, Taiwan - UPF Headquarters
Bangkok, Thailand - Rung Manee Pattana Community, Bangkapi
Istanbul, Turkey - UPF Headquarters
Kiev, Ukraine - Malyatko Children's Home
London, United Kingdom - House of Lords and Chiselhurst
Washington, DC, United States - The Washington Times
Montevideo, Uruguay - UPF Headquarters
Caracas, Venezuela - Credicard Tower of Chacaito
Lusaka, Zambia - UPF Headquarters
Harare, Zimbabwe
In addition, the Penang chapter of UPF-Malaysia planned an event on June 24.