LOVING FAMILIES CREATE A JUST AND FAIR SOCIETY

Philosophers and theologians have described the family as a domestic temple, church, mosque or other sacred place because responsible and disciplined citizens are moulded there. It happens mainly by example where we show care and concern for each other’s needs and wishes, understand each other’s faults and weaknesses and appreciate what is good and nice in each other. In the family, we need to strengthen the bonds of affection that unite us and help each other to bear the burdens in peace, harmony and unselfishness. As the well-known St. Francis of Assisi has said we need to preach all the time, but use words only when essential. That means our example should be our sermon.

This month the United Nations observe the Global Day of Parents. In a statement, the UN says we need to appreciate the parents throughout the world. Since the 1980s, the important role of the family has increasingly come to the attention of the international community. The General Assembly adopted a number of resolutions and proclaimed the International Year of Families and the International Day of Families.

Emphasising the critical role of parents in rearing of children, the Global Day of Parents recognises that the family has the primary responsibility for the nurturing and protection of children. For the full and harmonious development of their personality, children should grow up in a family environment and in an atmosphere of joy, love and understanding. Designated by the General Assembly in 2012, Global Day of Parents provides an opportunity to appreciate all parents for their “selfless commitment to children and their lifelong sacrifice towards nurturing this relationship.”

The UN says greater support is needed for working parents as COVID-19 still prevails for the past two years. Families bear the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic. As the anchors of the family and the foundation of our communities and societies, parents have the responsibility of sheltering their families from harm, caring for outof-school children and at the same time, continuing their work responsibilities. Without support from parents, children’s health, education and emotional well-being are at risk. By introducing family-friendly workplace policies and practices, companies and organisations will be in a better position to promote children’s safety and wellbeing and provide systematic support to employees. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues its exponential growth, a technical note from the United Nations International Children’s Educational Fund (UNICEF), the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and UN Women on family-friendly policies and other good workplace practices in the context of COVID-19 shows that it is essential to support working families to minimise negative consequences for children.

During the 1980’s, the United Nations began focusing its attention on the issues related to the family. In 1983, based on the recommendations of the Economic and Social Council, the Commission for Social Development in its resolution on the role of the family in the development process (1983/23) requested the Secretary-general to enhance awareness among decision makers and the people of the problems and needs of the family, as well as of effective ways of meeting those needs. In its resolution of December 9, 1989, the General Assembly proclaimed 1994 as the International Year of the Family; and in a 1993 resolution, the General Assembly decided that May 15 of every year to be observed as the International Day of Families. In 2012, the General Assembly proclaimed June 1 as the Global Day of Parents, to be observed annually in honour of parents throughout the world.

In recent decades, digital wonders including nanotechnology and artificial intelligence have turned the whole world into a global village. But the negative effects have also created major problems. Especially the teenage children spend more time on smartphones and computer with indications that many of them are addicted to some worst form of pornography. So they have little time for a dialogue with their parents and that is why there are more elders’ homes today.

Most children prefer to keep their parents in an elders’ home, but the care and concern that parents get is lesser, than what they should get from their children who need to remember the emotional cry of a mother, “To the mother who brought me up, to the mother who cared for me tenderly, I measured the rice and food I gave her in a bag, the mother wondered whether she should accept it or not and remind the child how she had turned blood into milk and given it to the child without measure.”