Observances of the UN International Day of Families, May 15, 2014, with the theme "Families Matter for the Achievement of Development Goals." The Universal Peace Federation affirms the value of the family as the core unit of society. The family has formed the basis for communities, societies and civilizations throughout the ages. Virtually all the world’s religions teach the sacred value of marriage and family. The family is the school of love. It is also the school of virtue, ethics and citizenship. The cohesion and stability of the family are prerequisites for a healthy and stable society. Conversely, the breakdown of the family contributes to a wide range of social problems. By strengthening the family, we can build a stronger base of social capital that will enhance the overall quality of life for everyone. The natural family is grounded in marriage, the cornerstone of the family. Children benefit from having loving parents, a mother and father, who are committed to the well-being of their sons and daughters. There is no greater joy and no greater responsibility than that of raising boys and girls to become mature, socially-engaged and successful men and women. This is the role and responsibility of parents and grandparents. Traditional marriage and family are being challenged in a variety of ways at this time in history, by poverty, migration, displacement, urbanization, conflict, disease, etc. In addition, some question the value of traditional marriage and family. Others seek to redefine them. Despite these challenges, men and women the world over still aspire to build strong, loving, lasting marriages and, as parents, to raise children who prosper and flourish.

1. UNIVERSAL PEACE FEDERATION
Albania, Argentina, Austria, Bangladesh, Barbados,
Cambodia, Czech Republic, DR Congo, Ecuador, Fiji,
Finland, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy,
Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand,
Nigeria, Norway, Peru, UK, US, Zambia

2. “Families Matter for the Achievement
of Development Goals”
"By providing economic and emotional sustenance to their members, families can
raise productive, caring citizens committed to the common good," UN Secretary-
General Ban Ki-moon said in his statement about this year's theme, "Families
Matter for the Achievement of Development Goals." He added that strong, well-
functioning families can help "reduce poverty, improve the wellbeing of mothers,
promote gender equality and uphold human rights."
UPF chapters organized a variety of events commemorating the UN International
Day of Families, May 15, 2014. UPF promotes this UN observance because it
considers the family as a microcosm of the global community and peace as
grounded in the family as the most intimate social unit, the school of love.

3. ALBANIA: Forum in Tirana

4. ALBANIA: Forum in Shkodra

5. ALBANIA: Forum in Vlora

6. ARGENTINA: Honoring couples who have been married 25 years or more

7. AUSTRIA: Forum in Vienna

8. BANGLADESH: Forum hosted at Dhaka University

9. BARBADOS: Seminar in Bridgetown

10. CAMBODIA: Program at an orphanage in Kanadal Province

11. CZECH REPUBLIC: Conference in the Parliament

12. DR Congo: Couples in Bukavu honored for faithfulness in marriage

13. ECUADOR: Program in Quito at the Central University of Ecuador

14. FIJI: Sharing food and music with the elderly in Suva

15. FINLAND: Forum in Helsinki

16. FRANCE: Forum in Paris on “The Family as a School of Peace”

17. GERMANY: Forum in Frankfurt on values taught in schools

18. GERMANY: Forum in Stuttgart about strengthening marriage and family

19. INDIA: Program at the YWCA in Chennai

20. INDONESIA: Program at school SMA Kartika 3 in Medan

21. INDONESIA: Program at the State University of Medan

22. ITALY: An interreligious program in Bergamo on “Faith in the Family”

23. JAPAN: Families cleaning along the streets of Tokyo

24. KENYA: Youth in Nairobi gave speeches, sang and offered prayers

25. MALAYSIA: Speeches and games in a Kuala Lumpur park

26. NETHERLANDS: An interreligious and intercultural program in The Hague

27. NEW ZEALAND: Program in Auckland

28. NIGERIA: Ambassadors for Peace conference in Uyo, Awka Ibom State

29. NIGERIA: Peace education conference in Lagos

30. NORWAY: A forum in Oslo about Perspectives on the Family

31. PERU: Recognizing couples in Lima married more than 20 years

32. PERU: Programs in 3 districts of Trujillo

33. UK: Program in Glasgow, Scotland

34. US: Program in Washington DC

35. ZAMBIA: Forum in Lusaka

36. “The family is the natural framework for nurturing altruism,
and family norms should inform a society of peace in its
economic, political and religious dimensions.”
– Jacques Marion, President, UPF-France
© 2014 UNIVERSAL PEACE FEDERATION
For more information please visit:
upf.org