Observances of the UN International Day of Families organized by chapters of the Universal Peace Federation, May 2012. Theme: "Ensuring Work Family Balance." Affirmed by civilizations and religions for millennia, the family forms the basis of natural procreation, lineage, the honoring of parents and grandparents, and our development as spiritual and rational beings. UPF regards the family as the school of love and the foundation for a stable society. Marriage between husband and wife lays the foundation for the family. The father and the mother complement one another biologically and psychologically as they raise their children. The family has both private and public functions, promoting both social cohesion and intergenerational solidarity. The love we receive at home provides the framework for fulfilling our potential as human beings. Social cohesion is learned in the family where members attend to the well-being of one another. Likewise, when families contribute to the well-being of their community, the community prospers, offering benefit and protection for families in return. The importance of grandparents in promoting intergenerational solidarity cannot be underestimated. They are the repositories of information about the ancestors and the conveyers of tradition and culture. The bond between grandparents and grandchildren is second in emotional power only to that between parents and children. Together, the grandparents, parents, and children form a link between the past, the present and the future. Every culture throughout the world affirms the central role of the family in promoting social integration, intergenerational solidarity, and a healthy society. Religious traditions such as Confucianism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism emphasize the sacred and social significance of the family. The purpose and ideal of marriage and the family center on procreation, raising children within a committed and faithful relationship of the natural parents, and the development of love and spiritual well-being. However, UPF also acknowledges that no one attains this ideal without education and a supportive social, ethical, political, and cultural environment. For this reason, UPF advocates the development of educational programs that help individuals gain a better understanding of the virtues and skills necessary for the most fulfilling relationships and happy, thriving marriages and families.

1. Universal Peace Federation
Observances of
The United Nations
International Day of Families 2012

2. Observances organized by the Universal Peace Federation
Afghanistan Czech Israel Nicaragua St. Lucia
Angola Republic Jamaica Niger Suriname
Argentina DR Congo Japan Norway Taiwan
Armenia Ecuador Kazakhstan Paraguay Thailand
Austria Ethiopia Kenya Peru Turkey
Bangladesh Finland Lithuania Russia U.K.
Belarus Gabon Luxembourg Rwanda U.S.
Benin Georgia Malaysia San Marino Ukraine
Brazil Germany Mali Senegal Uruguay
Cambodia Ghana Marshall Is. South Korea Venezuela
Cameroon Guyana Mauritius Sierra Leone Zambia
Canada Iceland Moldova Solomon Is. Zimbabwe
Colombia India Nepal Somalia
Congo Indonesia Netherlands Spain
Cote d'Ivoire Ireland New Zealand Sri Lanka

3. UN Theme: Work-Family Balance
“On this International
Day of Families, let us
renew our pledge to
promote work-family
balance for the benefit
of families and society
at large.”

4. UPF Theme: “Balance”
UPF explored ways to
develop a harmonious
partnership between
husband and wife and
parents and children, and
balance spirituality and
practical affairs, and fulfill
both public and private
responsibilities.

5. United Nations HQ: Family Book
The Doha Institute on the Family sponsored a book
linking the MDGs to the family. UPF’s Lynn Walsh was
among eight authors who contributed to this book.

6. United Nations HQ: Book Launch
• The book takes the view
that strong, stable
families are the most
important resource for
reaching the Millennium
Development Goals.
• Summaries of the book
were published in all six
official UN languages.

7. UPF DAY OF FAMILIES:
OBSERVANCES IN 70 NATIONS

8. AFGHANISTAN: Discussing qualities of a model family at a forum in Kabul

9. ANGOLA: Promoting the International Day of Families on national television

10. ARGENTINA: A celebration cake in Buenos Aires for couples married 20 years or more

11. ARMENIA: A program for families at the State School No. 194 in Yerevan

12. AUSTRIA: A presentation about demographic trends affecting families in Austria and Europe

13. BANGLADESH: Addressing issues of balance in the family at a forum in Dhaka

14. BELARUS: Meeting war veterans, helping them with chores, and listening to their stories

15. BENIN: Government officials and diplomats addressing a forum in Cotonou

16. BRAZIL: A forum at the Sao Paulo City Hall

17. CAMBODIA: A family forum in Chork

18. CAMEROON: Government officials addressing forums in Yaoundé and Bafoussam

19. CANADA: Learning about family in Rwanda, including placing 300,000 orphans in families.

20. COLOMBIA: Ambassadors for Peace share their insights about the family at a forum in Bogota.

21. CONGO: Speakers at a forum in Pointe-Noire

22. COTE D’IVOIRE: Honoring couples in Abidjan who have been married more than 25 years

23. CZECH REPUBLIC: Panel discussions were held in Prague (pictured) and Brno

24. DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO: Couples were honored at events in 3 cities.

25. ECUADOR: A program in the hall of the Former Senate of the Republic

26. ETHIOPIA: Addis Ababa students sing, “We are the children of today, the parents of tomorrow.”

27. FINLAND: Singing traditional songs at a celebration in Helsinki

28. GABON: A program at the Sylvia BONGO ONDIMBA Foundation Center in Libreville

29. GEORGIA: Programs at a school and the Women’s Information Center in Tbilisi

30. GERMANY: Honoring families in Stuttgart (above) and Frankfurt (below)

31. GHANA: Couples receiving a Family Peace Award

32. ICELAND: A multicultural parade in downtown Reykjavik

33. INDIA: (Top to bottom) forums in New Delhi, Gangtok , and Lucknow

34. INDONESIA: Discussion period at a seminar in Jakarta

35. IRELAND: Conversations among the diverse groups at the Lantern Interfaith Centre in Dublin

36. ISRAEL: Druze Sheik Ali Birani welcoming community leaders to his home in Daliat El Carmel

37. JAMAICA: A program in Kingston about balancing spirituality and practical affairs in the family

38. JAPAN: A forum in Tokyo addressing the challenges facing families in Japan

39. KAZAKHSTAN: An interactive seminar in Almaty on “The Family as the School of Love”

40. KENYA: Young performers create a family atmosphere in Nairobi.

41. LITHUANIA: A program for children in Panevezys

42. LUXEMBOURG: A presentation on the topic of empathy

43. MALAYSIA: Games and contests for parents and children in Penang

44. MALI: A workshop in Bamako on the impact of HIV/AIDS on families

45. MARSHALL ISLANDS: A forum at the Marshall Islands Resort Hotel in Majuro

46. MAURITIUS: Children participating in a Family Sport Day at a stadium in Reduit

47. MOLDOVA: Presenting medals to outstanding families in Chisinau

48. NEPAL: Giving students school supplies in four schools in Nepal

49. NETHERLANDS: An intercultural program at a cathedral in The Hague

50. NEW ZEALAND: An intercultural celebration at a cathedral in Auckland

51. NICARAGUA: Sharing family experiences at a forum in Managua

52. NIGER: Current and former government officials addressing a forum in Niamey

53. NORWAY: A university forum in Oslo on the role of the family in human development

54. PARAGUAY: A seminar in Asuncion on the importance of marriage

55. PERU A program in the Peruvian Congress

56. RUSSIA: Round-table discussions in St. Petersburg and Novosibirsk; a pageant in Moscow

57. RWANDA: A song about family relationships at a forum in Kigali

58. SAN MARINO: A broadcast about the importance of families (photo from National TV)

59. SENEGAL Parents and students at a program at a school in Dakar

60. SIERRA LEONE: Religious leaders at a forum in Freetown

61. SOLOMON ISLANDS: Forum at the Rock Havens Inn Hotel in Honiara

62. SOMALIA: A gathering of more than 500 Somali refugees living in Nairobi

63. SOUTH KOREA: Participants in a diplomats forum in Seoul

64. SPAIN: Singing Korean folk songs at a forum in Madrid on Korean culture and family traditions

65. SRI LANKA: A program for 100 teachers with the Department of Education and UN Volunteers

66. ST. LUCIA: A workshop in Marisule on “Better Families for Stronger Communities”

67. TAIWAN: Sharing ideas in Taipei about how parents can pass on their faith to the next generation

68. THAILAND: A presentation in Bangkok on “The Family as the School of Love”

69. TURKEY: A symposium in Istanbul with professors from Bosphorus and Yeditepe Universities

70. UKRAINE: Enjoying a snack with children at the Malyatko Children's Home in Kiev

71. UNITED KINGDOM: Discussing challenges facing families at a forum in the House of Lords

72. UNITED STATES: A forum on Ensuring Work Family Balance at The Washington Times building

73. VENEZUELA: Youth in Caracas speak of their hope for the future.

74. ZAMBIA: Sharing experiences of work/family balance in Lusaka

75. ZIMBABWE: Students and teachers at a celebration in Harare

76. Universal Peace Federation
www.upf.org
For details visit
http://upf.org/international-day-of-families-2012