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Forum at the UN in New York: "Family Capital: The Key to International Development"
Written by Mrs. Lynn Walsh, Director, UPF Office of Marriage, Family and Human Development
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
New York, USA -The Howard Center for Family, Religion and Society organized a forum on "Family Capital: The Key to International Development" on Feb. 19, 2014, as a side event to the 52nd session of the UN Commission on Social Development.
Marcia Barlow, vice president for international affairs of United Families International, gave an in-depth explanation of family capital as a critical resource for social development and stability.
Anita Joos Eyre, public relations manager of the Family Preservation Program in Mozambique, gave an excellent example of utilizing family capital to lift communities out of poverty, family by family, in the poorest areas of Africa. Because these families were directly involved, they took ownership in the success of their family's farms, creating family productivity that has continued to be self-sustaining and expanding now for decades.
Lynn Walsh, director of UPF's Office of Marriage, Family and Human Development, discussed different traits of males and females which when balanced in mutual respect and complementarity in marriage, parenting and society create not only synergy but raise the value of each gender; decrease discrimination, social exclusion and abuse of females; and teach the next generation mutual gender respect and cooperation.
Susan Roylance, the international policy and social development coordinator of the Howard Center for Family, Religion and Society, referring to the recent publication, "The Family and the MDGs: Using Family Capital to Achieve the Millennium Development Goals," gave more examples of the use of family capital in eradicating poverty, reducing maternal and infant mortality, decreasing HIV/AIDS, and increasing health and education in developing countries.
These presentations were significant and timely in light of the UN's current focus in drawing up the Sustainable Development Goals. It is hoped that including the family as a critical resource for achieving these goals can make a noticeable difference, in contrast to the disappointing results of the MDGs. This session, held in a meeting room of the UN New Lawn Building, was well attended.
The Feb. 11-21 commission meetings at the UN headquarters in New York addressed this year's theme of "Promoting empowerment of people in achieving poverty eradication, social integration and full employment and decent work for all."
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