INTERNATIONAL DAY OF FAMILIES

May 20, 2018 Editorial, Features / Columnists

On Tuesday May 15, Guyana joined several countries around the world to observe International Day of Families. In 1993, the UN General Assembly proclaimed May 15 every year thereafter as The International Day of Families.
Every year since 1996, a theme has been chosen by the Secretary General of the United Nations (UN). This year’s theme is “Families and inclusive societies.”International Day of Families is represented by a symbol of a heart that extends upwards and becomes the roof of a house. It is usually drawn in red and can be either used alone or be placed in a green circle. This symbol represents the heart and the home which are the basics of family life.
Over the years, many countries have been inspired to create their own family days or community-based awareness events that bring attention to the problems and issues concerning families. This year’s celebration focused on the role of families and family policies in advancing Sustainable Development Goal 16 in terms of promoting peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development.
The family, whether it is the nuclear family, the single parent family or the extended family, is considered the basic unit in society. It is also the most important institution in society. It is the hope of many that International Day of Families would help to strengthen the family unit and restore its image in society.
Observed and celebrated by people all over the world, International Day of Families is to acknowledge the role played and the contribution made by families to society. The purpose of this global observance day is to celebrate families, heighten awareness of issues that affect families promote the values of family and to reaffirm the UN’s determination to promote social progress and better standards of life for families all over the world.
Over the past decades, families all over the world have transformed greatly in terms of their structure and as a result of global trends, demographic changes and societal pressures. Today, there the single parent family, the nuclear families, the extended family and families comprised of two males and two females.
The International Day of Families provides an opportunity to promote awareness of issues relating to the changing nature of the family structure and to increase knowledge of the social and economic impact it may have on society.
In many countries, the day provides an opportunity to highlight the problems faced by families and the different areas of interest and importance of families to communities. On this day, a wide range of events are organized at local, national and international levels. These include workshops, seminars and meeting of public officials; exhibitions and organized discussions to raise awareness of the annual theme.
In some countries, people organize celebrations aimed at a particular section of the population, such as school children or young adults with the aim to launch campaigns for public policies to strengthen and support family units and communities.
International Day of Families has been acknowledged all over the world in different ways. Some communities have honoured the day by having public exhibitions or the expression of ideas that were directly relevant to this year’s central theme of social inclusion.
It is a process by which efforts are made to ensure equal opportunities for all in society, regardless of their socio-economic status so that they can achieve their full potential in life.
International Day of Families is a day to unite families.

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