Paris, France—In honor of the 2017 UN International Day of Families, UPF-France held a forum under the theme “The Family in the 21st Century—Evolution or Crisis?”
The May 15 forum was co-sponsored by the French chapter of Women’s Federation for World Peace (WFWP), an affiliated organization, and a local NGO called FAVORLU.
Through lectures and meetings with academics, family experts and concerned Ambassadors for Peace, the forum analyzed family relationships and their impact on human development and society, and raised public awareness of the need to recognize the centrality of the family in public decision-making.
Hanna Lotterie, president of FAVORLU, was chosen as the moderator of the forum.
Around 20 participants, Ambassadors for Peace and members of the co-sponsoring organizations, gathered at the Espace Barrault conference center to listen to Jacques Saliba, a sociologist and lecturer on family mediation.
Mr. Saliba gave a brief overview of changes in the family in France and Europe from the Middle Ages to the modern era. From his experience as a researcher and a family man, he vividly illustrated his talk by describing changing attitudes toward family relationships in recent times.
Jacques Marion, the head of UPF-France, briefly spoke on UPF’s view of the family. Then many questions inspired Mr. Saliba to contribute more of his wisdom and knowledge.
His main conclusion was that although the roles and positions within the family—father, mother, children, brothers and sisters, etc.—remain fundamentally stable, they must be constantly maintained, because they are essential for human development and for a harmonious society.
The next steps for the forum will be to form a working group and prepare another session in early July on the topic of parent-child relationships.