International Family Day 2021 – Message from our President.

/in /by

Dear Members, Collaborators, Colleagues and Friends,

Today our world is characterized by accelerated and unprecedented pace of change. Globalization, new technologies, migration, changing labour markets, transnational environmental challenges, political stability and the COVID-19 Pandemia, completely changed families lives demanding new habits, skills, knowledge needed for work and in special strong feelings of citizenship belonging to face the present “new normal”.

Acknowledging that the family – the basic unit of society – is a powerful agent for sustainable social, economic, environment and cultural development, including peace and security, bearing the primary responsibility for the care, development and protection of children and the elderly, as well as instilling values of citizenship and belonging in the society, this 2021 Celebrations of the International Family Day provide us an opportunity to draw further attention to the increasing cooperation at all levels on family issues and to undertak concerted actions to strengthen family-centered policies and programs as part of an integrated comprehensive approach to development.

Until a few months back, not many of us had heard phrases connected to our health and survival like “the apex”, “flattening the curve” or “stay at home to save lives”. But these are unprecedented times. The world is facing one of the gravest health challenges in modern times bringing families the opportunity to test bonds and kindness towards its members and the society as a whole, in solidarity and compassion.

Technological development, particularly digitization, deserves increasingly attention. Due to automatization, new occupations are emerging while others are no longer in demand. The digital economy itself is also bringing-in new types of informality and vulnerability. At a time when millions of families will need the set of skills that is required for work and life, the challenge for all countries is to develop and implement effective education, lifelong learning and training policies that include a focus on re-skilling and upskilling.

A global pandemic is a time of tough choices. The economic and social policy decisions taken now will shape the fate of millions families and define the future of all nations. Many questions have to be answered to allow for right choices: How to save people’s lives without destroying their livelihoods? Where to allocate scarce resources? How to protect those who do not have the means to protect themselves?

In the above mentioned context, its our wish that the Celebrations of the International Family Day 2021 will bring us the opportunity to seek for a better understanding on how to address the social and economic impacts and the digital gaps on the family and the role that social protection schemes can play in face of the complex drivers and challenges of the coronavirus pandemic on the social fabric and on the wider family that is human society.

Happy 2021 International Family Day!

Dr. Deisi Kusztra
WFO President

Mr. Isidro de Brito – WFO Vice-President for Legal and Administrative Affairs
Viviane Weingärtner – WFO Focal Point for the Latin America
Sofia Silva – WFO Focal Point for Europe

World Family Summit 2020/2021 – Virtual High Level Session

/in /by

Under the High Patronage of H.E. Kais Saied – President of Republic of Tunisia

Date: May 15th 2021

Time: 4.00 – 5.00pm – Tunis Time (GMT+1)

In Partnership with:  Government of Republic of Tunisia

                                          Ministry of Women, Family and Elderly of Tunisia

                                          World Family Organization

                                          Organisation Tunisienne pour l’Education et la Famille

                                          United Nations Institute for Training and Research – UNITAR

                                          Arab Family Organization

                                          National Office for Family and Population

Theme: “Fostering global solidarity and family-sensitive responses to the COVID‑19 pandemic, its socio-economic and digital gaps impacts on the Family”. 

The summit will be held by webinar at:

https://zoom.us/j/97354144049?pwd=VGJoQi9DaFpkdlRLaFZZRDRvaEcwdz09

Background to the High Level Session

Since 1994, the World Family Organization organize its most important annual event, the WORLD FAMILY SUMMITS, gathering governments at national, subnational and local levels, ngo’s, academia, parliamentarians groups, media and families to discuss sustainable solutions to the world’s biggest challenges, as alleviate poverty, promote economic growth and decent work, reducing inequalities in an environment of peace and security, leaving no family behind.

The World Family Summit 2020 was planned to be held on May 13 – 15, in Tunis – Tunisia,  under the High Patronage of H.E. Kais Saied, the President of Republic of Tunisia, with a very ambitious agenda to call for a Decade of Action mobilizing everyone, everywhere to create an unstoppable force linked to the Global Goals, to demand urgency and ambition, supercharge ideas and to shine a light on solutions that expand access and demonstrate the possibilities of ideas to ensure No Family is Left Behind.

We were so hopeful…

But the COVID-19 pandemic arrived as a multifaceted global crisis, changing our everyday life and plans, bringing significant loss of life and livelihoods, pushing families back into extreme poverty and threatening the advances the world has been making on implementing the Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals.

As it was a time for many changes, our World Family Summit 2020 had also to embrace the time being “new normal” and the usual format of the World Family Summit 2020 was transferred to May 2021.

Unfortunately, May 2021 arrived and the Coronavirus Global Crises still is around the globe not allowing presencial meetings and conferences. Nevertheless attending the many requests of members and other international and national organizations and to preserve the yearly continuity of the Summits, we are organizing  the World Family Summit 2020/2021 Virtual High Level Session focusing the COVID-19 Pandemic and its impact on the Family.

Concept Note

The ongoing COVID-19 crisis is enormously impacting on families. Women, children, old persons and persons with disabilities who are already experiencing disproportionate poverty, the COVID-19 has exacerbated pre-existing inequalities faced by this vulnerable groups . These include disparities in stigma and discrimination, access to health-care services, social protection and the risk of violence and abandonment, especially of those living in long-term care and institutionalized settings.

The COVID-19 pandemic has also exacerbated existing economic, health and societal pressures, driving families to fragility and conflict.

Recalling that right now, worldwide more than 158 million people have been infected by the COVID-19 and around 3.3 million have died, the COVID-19 pandemic has triggered widespread consequences, including massive job losses, the sharpest decline in per capita income since 1870 and an expected 150 million people being pushed into extreme poverty.  As the pandemic’s impact is falling disproportionately on the most vulnerable, development gains could be set back years and even decades, taking the world further from achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

But we cannot afford to lose ground in the struggle to attain the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. Its our duty to advocate and promote protection to the most vulnerable families, ensuring that emergency social and economic schemes integrate a gender perspective, the promotion and protection of children’s rights, strengthening national health and social protection systems to ensure the flow of vital medical supplies, food and agricultural products and other goods and services across borders.

This is a moment of reckoning. Now is the time to build back better, to step up our ambition and translate the global goals into national and local actions in order to create the future we want. Let’s be ready to embrace change. Let us change for the better and make our recovery based upon values, not value, and on compassion, courage, and cooperation.

For WFO, Resilience and Recovery from COVID-19 building back better toward an inclusive, accessible and sustainable post COVID-19 world are closely linked issues. Crisis like this pandemic has the power to disintegrate families and generate social chaos. We also believe that a much greater proportion of international support should be devoted to the strengthening of the family Unit.  Family resilience is essential to achieving the SDGs.

WFO considers its duty to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 UN Agenda preserving the Family powerful force: Leaving No Family Behind.

Themes for Discussion:

  1. Beating the COVID-19 Pandemic social and economic impacts on the Family.

Acknowledging that the family – the basic unit of society – is a powerful agent for sustainable social, economic, environment and cultural development, including peace and security, bearing the primary responsibility for the care, development and protection of children and the elderly, as well as instilling values of citizenship and belonging in the society, this 2021 Celebrations of the International Family Day provide us an opportunity to draw further attention to the increasing cooperation at all levels on family issues and for undertaking concerted actions to strengthen family-centered policies and programs as part of an integrated comprehensive approach to development.

Until a few weeks back, not many of us had heard phrases connected to our health and survival like “the apex”, “flattening the curve”, or “ stay home” to save lives. But these are unprecedented times. The world is facing one of the gravest health challenges in modern times bringing families the opportunity to test bonds and kindness towards its members in solidarity and compassion.

The global economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic is shaping up to be the worst since the tragically consequential Great Depression. Although similar in terms of their impact, especially on employment and income, key differences make the current crisis particularly dangerous. As it carves its dark entry into the history of humankind, causing serious illness and death, upending daily life of families, challenging national health systems, shutters businesses large and small and confines millions to their homes, it also leaves the society’s most vulnerable groups exposed to its most destructive effects.

A global pandemic is a time of tough choices. The economic and social policy decisions taken now will shape the fate of millions families and define the future of all nations. Many questions have to be answered to allow for right choices: How to save people’s lives without destroying their livelihoods? Where to allocate scarce resources? How to protect those who do not have the means to protect themselves?

In the above mentioned context, the World Family Summit 2020/2021 Virtual High Level Session focusing the COVID-19 Pandemic and its impact on the Family will seek to further our understanding on how to address the social and economic impact on the family and the role that social protection schemes can play in face of the complex drivers and challenges of the coronavirus pandemic on the social fabric and on the wider family that is human society.

  • COVID-19, Digital Gaps and SDGs: What Challenges for the Families?

At a time when the international community was moving forward on the importance of SDGs, the Covid-19 pandemic struck and imposed a new perspective. Educational, the digital gap, the deterioration of economic and social standards and violations of basic rights worsened. This “new normal” in which families were thrown into caught many off guard, helpless and unprepared. The psychological, social and economic distress was felt by many around the globe and as the countries struggled to deal with the situation. The majority of political and financial priorities were focused elsewhere.

In view of the health issues that has become an utmost priority, families purchasing power has dwindled, poverty has prevailed, education has gone down, and entrepreneurship has suffered a fall. As civil society is assumed to be there to contribute in mitigating deficiencies and the degradation of cultural values and incomes, a mobilization is required in these times of health, social, economic and environmental crisis. It is now at the crossroads of development sustainability on the one hand, and of combating the harms of the Corona virus.

The challenge facing civil society consists in contributing, in parallel with governments, in reorienting efforts towards SDGs while trying to overcome this “new reality” which highlights further involvement in digital interactions in a situation where the digital gap between and inside communities themselves. These are the issues around which are focused the themes of the United Nations, of the Tunisian Ministry of Women, Family and the Elderly, that is –respectively- “Family and new technologies” and “Family, digital technology and sustainable development”.

In the framework of the UN Family Day and the activities of the World Family Organization, with the next World Family Summit in scope, scheduled in Tunis, the webinar proposed by OTEF –as member of the executive bureau of WFO and its representative in North Africa and in partnership with the Arab Family Organization,  the Tunisian Ministry of Women, Family and the Elderly, and the Tunisian National Family and Population Office (ONFP), the meeting reflects a common concern to promote intra- and international institutional synergies for mutual insight likely to allow hope for a “Zero-Covid” sustainable world. The webinar consists in senior-level executives, namely the leaders of the institutions involved in the topic and the event, experts’ presentations and / or interventions of partner institutions’ participants.

The participants to the webinar are high-level officers of partner organizations who are appointed by their respective hierarchies.

World Family Summit +8

/in /by

World Family Summit +7

/in /by

WFS2019 – Program and Participant’s Handbook

/in /by

The official Participant’s Handbook containing the Program and all information of the World Family Summit 2019 is now available for download.

Click here for the Participant’s Handbook and the WFS2019 website

“Addressing inequalities and Challenges to inclusion through fiscal, wage and social protection and HLS under the theme: “Empowering People and Ensuring Inclusiveness and Equality” New York 15 February 2019

/in , , /by

On the occasion of the UN Commission for Social Development that took place from 11 to 21 February 2019, the World Family Organization (WFO) hosted a luncheon on 15 February at the Delegate’s Dining Room premises at the UNHQ in New York. 

The overarching theme of this luncheon and discussion was focused around the topic of “addressing inequalities and challenges to inclusion through fiscal, wage and social protection policies” with the aim to further contribute to the ECOSOC 2019 High-Level Political Forum and High-Level Segment under the theme of “Empowering people and ensuring inclusiveness and equality”. 

The luncheon was moderated by Ms. Hanifa Mezoui, PhD and attended by the President of the WFO, Dr. Deisi Kusztra together with Mr. Isidro de Brito, Vice-President for Legal and Administrative Affairs of WFO (Portugal) who presented WFO’s work over the past year and how effective UN family policies could contribute to reaching the common goal of equality and inclusiveness in all spheres of life.

In a spirit of partnership, the luncheon was attended by other notable officials from the UN Department of Social and Economic Affairs, including, Ms. Daniela Bas (Directorof DESA’s Division for Inclusive Social Development), Mr. Alberto Padova (Chiefof DESA’s Social Inclusion and Participation Branch), Mr. Navid Hanif, Directorof DESA’s Financing for Sustainable Development Office, the UN Global Compact, Mr. Angus Rennie) Marc-Andre Dorel, Acting Chief, NGO Branch and the Secretariat of the G77.

Additional participants from civil society included, Ms. Suneeta Dewan, representing Children’s Hope India, who contributed on the role of social inclusiveness and equality in developing countries with the focus on children and youth growing up in poverty and lack of opportunities as well as the need for empowering women.  The International Federation for Family Development (IFFD) represented by its President, Mr. Ignacio Socias gave a briefing of the CSD57 side event coordinated in partnership with various stakeholders, titled: “The value of Unpaid Care and Domestic Work* – Is Target 5.4 a Utopia?” He presented the IFFD Family Award for 2019, to, among others, Ania Feron and the country of Austria.  

The luncheon was also honored by the presence of H.E., Mr. Mohamed Fathi Ahmed Idrees, Former Chair Group77 for 2018, Ambassador Permanent Representative of Egypt to the United Nations, who emphasized, the crucial role played by Member States in financing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by highlighting international cooperation, North-South, South-South and Triangular Cooperation.  

The discussion revolved on the need to combat discrimination and social exclusion by promoting inclusion through social protection systems that will enable families to thrive. 

Concerns were also raised on: How to align the global financial system with sustainable development? And how to advance the finance mechanisms for the SDGs and develop initiatives to reduce the current investment gap? 

It was also reported that at its January 2019, regular session, the NGO Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations had before it 521 applications and recommended 236 of them for consultative status. It was mentioned that in regards to the geographic distribution, efforts have to be made to increase the number of NGOs from Africa and Latin America.

We were also briefed, on activities and contribution to this year’s 63rdCommission on the Status of Women and to the upcoming Fourth Forum on Financing for Development.

We would like to express our sincere appreciation to everyone who attended this very fruitful and inspiring discussion and we recognize the dedicated efforts of WFO in working with local authorities to advance the 2030 Agenda and SDGs in relations to family issues. 

*“Recognize and value unpaid care and domestic work through the provision of public services, infrastructure and social protection policies, and the promotion of shared responsibility within the household and the family as nationally appropriate” Tuesday, February 12th, 2018

International Family Day 2018 – Message from the President

/in /by

No Family Left Behind: Families and Local Authorities working together to transform cities and human settlements into inclusive, safe, resilient, sustainable with strong communities

Humankind has achieved unprecedented social and economic progress over the past several decades. However, the progress has been uneven. Everywhere, some individuals and groups confront barriers that prevent them from fully participating in economic, social and political life, leaving them behind. The focus of the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development and the core aspiration of the World Family Organization in celebrating the 2018 International Family Day is to highlight the inclusion of the family in the process of development with No Family Left Behind.

By 2050, the world’s urban population is expected to nearly double, making urbanization one of the twenty-first century’s most transformative trends. Populations, economic activities, social and cultural interactions, as well as environmental and humanitarian impacts, are increasingly concentrated in cities, and these poses to governments and to families’ massive sustainability challenges in terms of housing, infrastructure, basic services, food security, health, education, decent jobs, safety and natural resources, among others.

Recalling that in Celebration of the World Family Organization 70thAnniversary, the focus of the World Family Summit 2017 was on the New Urban Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11 “Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable”, and SDG 12 “Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns” we would like to emphasize on this 2018 International Family Day that its implementation at local level and in the family is an exceptional opportunity to achieve better integration between communities needs and family-friendly public policy development, leading to a renewed hope, harmony, social coherence and economic growth, while ensuring inclusion and sustainability.

By encouraging local governments, communities and families to work together in a participatory approach at local level, we can promote civic engagement to stimulate a sense of belonging and ownership among all people to introduce the concepts of the Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals on the local level strategic and budgetary plans to implement the targeted actions as an effective response to family needs, transforming  cities and human settlements into prosperous, inclusive, safe, resilient, sustainable and strong communities, LEAVING NO FAMILY BEHIND.

Happy 2018 International Family Day!

Dr. Deisi Kusztra
WFO President

Families, Education and Well-Being – United Nations briefing in observance of the IDF

/in , /by

The United Nations Division for Social Policy and Development (DSPD), in partnership with the Department of Public Information Non-Governmental Organizations (DPI NGO) held a briefing in observance of the International Day of Families 2017, under the theme “Families, Education and Well-Being.

The event was open to the public held on Thursday, May 18th, 2017, a the Conference Room 4, United Nations Headquarters, NY, and WFO will be represented by Mr. Bruno Ricardo Lopes, Vice President for Financial Affairs.

The Day will highlight the importance of all caregivers in families, be it parents, grandparents or siblings and the importance of parental education for the welfare of children. It will focus on good practices for work-family balance to assist parents in their educational and caregiving roles. Good practices from the private sector in support of working parents, as well as youth and older persons in the workplace will also be highlighted.

The Day also aimed to discuss the importance of ‘knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development’ (SDG4, target 4.7).

More information:

Background Note

Flyer of the Event on 18 May 2017 at United Nations Headquarters in New York – Conference Room 4

Programme

World Family Organization: 70 Years and still going strong! Celebrating the International Day of Families, Monday 15th May

/in , /by

Written by Rachel Aird, Chairperson of The Family Africa and Member of the Executive Board of the WFO.

 

The Family Africa celebrated the International Day of Families on Monday May 15th as well as  the World Family Organization 70th Anniversary as it was formed by member nations of the United Nations in 1947.  The Chairperson of the Family Africa, Mrs Rachel Aird is also on the Executive Board of the WFO and so we wanted to make the day very special.

This year’s observance of the International Day of Families focuses on the role of families and family-oriented policies in promoting education and overall well-being of their members. In particular, the Day was to raise awareness of the role of families in promoting early childhood education and lifelong learning opportunities for children and youth.  We wanted to also raise awareness of the WFO’s work both now and over the last 70 years.

The event was attended by 6 different organizations and 120 people. Rachel shared a powerpoint on what the International day of families means and why WFO was started by the UN and 27 member countries and the importance of its work worldwide. There was a discussion about what makes up a family, different types of families and also how families can encourage early education and lifelong learning which was lively and extremely worthwhile.  We had songs and poems from the adults and children and each organization made a speech about what their organisations do for families in the community.

The Family Africa then presented  local families  with recognition awards and “buckets of love” (buckets filled with toiletries, blankets or thermal clothing) to each of the winners. The stories from the individuals themselves and from Rachel about why these families had been chosen were extremely touching.  One woman who won the award for families living with disability has cared for her severely mentally and physically handicapped child alone for 14 years unable to work and with virtually no income, carrying him on her back to fetch food from our centre.  She has now found him a special school and pays the fees through selling solar lamps and clothes on the streets. Another award winner came to The Family Africa in a wheel chair crippled from TB of the spine, wheeling through the mud in the pouring rain, begging for adult nappies. The doctors said she would never walk again but now she is not only healthy and walking but also one of the leaders of our TB support group. Another winner was a grandmother who cares for 7 orphans and yet another was the head of a child headed household who is still managing to attend school.  All of them are real “family heroes”.

The winners of the art competition on “My Family” were then announced and the children received their “black box surprise” prizes (full of chocolates, crisps and toys). The event ended with lunch served to all 130 people (somehow we had more people by the time came lunch came around J).   A wonderful day, a successful event , a heart- warming coming together of families celebrating our differences and our desire for the warmth and comfort of a family and our desire to make the world a better place for all families “leaving no family behind”.

Message for the 2017 International Day of Families

/in /by

Families in Balance: Building Sustainable Cities and Strong Communities with No Family Left Behind.

 

Dear Members, Distinguished Partners and Friends!

The Celebrations of the International Day of Families is very special this year, because the World Family Organization is celebrating its 70th Anniversary!

Over the past 70 years the World Family Organization has built an extensive and solid platform to improve the existence of many families all over the world and in partnership with the United Nations, Governments at National and Local levels, Universities, NGO’s and Communities mobilized efforts to responsible address the challenges and opportunities to include the family in the process of development.

On January 1st 2016, the world officially began to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development based on 17 Sustainable Development Goals as a transformative Plan of Action for people, planet, prosperity, peace  and partnership to address urgent global challenges over the next 15 years.

The 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and the Goals, apply to all societies and the family as the most basic unit of society is a powerful agent to exercise and disseminate the goals and targets as they are directly or indirectly related to the family. We want to be part of this integrated policy-action approach to ensure inclusive economic development, inclusive social development, environmental sustainability, peace and security that responds to the aspirations of all families for a world free of want and fear.

We want to be part of the solemn promise to leave no one behind!

By choosing the Sustainable Development Goal 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities –  as our theme for this year,” is a very appropriate approach to start the discussions on how    the future unfolds for families all over the world, having on mind the implementation of local actions that will provide for a well planned and well managed cities and human settlements, inclusive, resilient, offering more efficient economies, quality provision of goods and public services and combative to all forms and dimensions of poverty.

It’s our aspiration and solemn commitment to include families in the process of development and implementation of the Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals over the next 15 years ensuring that no Family Is left behind.

Happy 2017 International Day of Families! The year of the World Family Organization 70th Anniversary!

 

Dr. Deisi Noeli Weber Kusztra
World Family Organization
President