On the occasion of 25 Ordibehesht, World Family Day.

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Samuel Bakhtiari

According to the importance of the institution of family, the United Nations General Assembly, based on resolution number 47/237 which was adopted on September 20, 1993, declared May 15th as the International Day of Families, equivalent to the 25th of Ordibehesht in the Iranian calendar. Every year, this day is celebrated as the International Day of Families in different countries. The theme for this year’s celebration is “Health and Well-being for All Ages.”

The annual celebration of World Family Day reflects the importance of connecting the global community to families as the fundamental units of societies and concerns about the state of family affairs around the world. This day also provides an opportunity to address the realities of economic, literary, social, and demographic factors that affect families. The United Nations’ program for Family Day is a central point in the UN’s agenda for family-related issues. As a very important matter, the main actions and activities of this day include: promoting understanding of the purpose of World Family Day, increasing attention to families in policymaking at national, regional, and global levels, providing essential services in the field of family and family policy in the United Nations, intergovernmental bodies, the UN General Assembly, the Commission for Social Development, and the Economic and Social Council, exchanging knowledge and skills, information sharing, and maintaining networking on family issues, preserving family research and diagnostic studies, supporting and promoting family policies and programs in national laws and the UN system,

The right to form a family has been explicitly stated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the United Nations has defined five different stages for this institution to demonstrate its special importance: fighting poverty, ensuring health, social welfare, guaranteeing education and upbringing, and ultimately gender equality. The slogan “Family, Healthy Life and Sustainable Future” chosen by the United Nations for this day reflects the main programs of the United Nations regarding the institution of family. In a broader vision, the United Nations is pursuing higher goals until 2030. UN-affiliated organizations are striving to achieve these goals by defining specific programs. After naming 1994 as the “Year of the Family”, global attention has shifted towards this small but influential social unit. Many member states of the United Nations have also called for increased cooperation with UN-affiliated organizations to advance the desired goals.

As the first social institution, family has a great influence on the behavior and future of individuals in a society. Considering this, it can be said that providing and educating families towards predetermined goals can prevent future negative consequences. One of the most important concepts that can be addressed as a teaching point in families is the topic of “human rights” and respect for individual freedoms.

Ban Ki-moon, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, in a message released this year on the occasion of International Day of Families, has reminded us that many unfortunate events have occurred for families around the world this year. He says, “The emergence of various challenges such as extremism and violence, forced migrations, natural and environmental disasters have had serious consequences for the health and unity of families.”

With a look at the major crises of the world today, which have gripped the lives of all the people of the earth, one can understand that the root of many of these crises is the lack of understanding of human rights and respect for individual freedoms. A clear example of this lack of awareness and ignorance towards the concept of human rights is the crisis in Syria. Dozens of conflicting groups are currently engaged in fighting each other throughout Syria, with the majority of these groups being made up of young people who have been raised in a dictatorial system that has made no effort to teach them about human rights. Perhaps if these young people had been raised and educated with the concepts of human rights, respect for the ideas of others, and religious tolerance, we would not be witnessing such conflicts. The family institution can serve as a school for teaching its members about human rights. Proper education within families can be a key to identifying the fundamental rights of humans. Naturally, children who enter into larger communities with these

Respect for women’s rights, belief in gender equality between women and men, belief in freedom of belief and dozens of other human rights can be taught to children in the family. Although the world has made great progress in the field of women’s rights and gender equality, women’s rights are still violated in many countries, including countries that claim to respect human rights. Alvaro Gil-Robles, Commissioner for Human Rights of the European Union, in a report entitled “Unsatisfactory Situation of Respect for Human Rights in France, Compared to Other Members of the European Union” has addressed this issue. For example, Gil-Robles considers “violation of women’s rights” as one of the most serious violations of human rights in France. Based on this report, an annual average of 10% of French women are victims of violence. The situation of women’s rights in other countries such as the Middle East and North Africa is much more terrifying than a country like France. Educ

The importance of family and paying attention to its surrounding issues has a significant impact on the overall structure of society, which has only been briefly mentioned. Many sociologists believe that an individual, in addition to the influence they receive from their society, is also influenced by the upbringing they receive from their family, thus shaping their surrounding environment. These influences not only affect minor surrounding issues, but also have an impact on major economic, social, and political issues within a society. Therefore, it can be argued that the reform and progress of a society is influenced by various aspects, including the reform of families and individuals’ attention to the importance of family and their education.

Sources:

1- United Nations website

2- The website of the European Large Families Confederation (ELFAC)

3- Online magazine “Iranian Girls”