Posted on 05/12/2007 12:17:43 PM PDT by JoAnka
Several thousand participants from all over the globe have arrived in Warsaw for the 4th World Congress of Families. Polish President Lech Kaczyński is the honorary patron of the event.
The Warsaw Palace of Culture and Science is the venue of the Fourth World Congress of Families, the world’s largest meeting of families, pro-family leaders and grass-roots activists. Several thousand participants have come to Warsaw from 60 countries to participate in the three-day event, which includes lectures, workshops, and discussion sessions with world's renown specialists on family and life issues.
Father Jarosław Szymczak of the Institute for Family Studies in Łomianki, Poland, is happy to be part of the event:
'I am here to meet the leaders of all pro-life, pro-family organizations. Also, this is a meeting for families, to discuss our situation. The family must show to the world a very straight message: we are the future.'
The World Congress of Families was started by Dr Allan Carlson, head of tęłęóhe Howard Center for Family, Religion and Society. The first meeting was held in Prague, the Czech Republic, where a Declaration affirming the "central, vital, and essential role of the natural family" was adopted.
In 1999, the second World Congress of Families passed the now called Geneva Declaration, which called on people of faith and all men and women of good will to work together to strengthen the natural family as the fundamental unit of society.
The last Congress of Families was held in Mexico City and the motto of this year's meeting is Beyond Demographic Winter: The Natural Family & Springtime of Nations.
Why was Poland chosen to host the Fourth World Congress of Families? Fr. Jarosław Szymczak again:
'We are still a country open to the family, open to life. Family values are still important for us. Probably Poland was also chosen because of John Paul II. He was a Pope of responsible parenthood.'
Fatima Saad represents the Qatar-based Doha Institute for Family Studies and Development. She is very much impressed by the family-friendly atmosphere that she finds in Poland.
'Oh, I am so impressed. Just now I heard a talk from your Minister of Education. Poland is very strong, very pro-family, very strong about uniting the family all over the world in fact, not only here.'
Doha International Institute for Family Studies and Development is one of the main sponsors of the event. Ms. Fatima Saad says the Qatar government is committed to the promotion of the well-being of families.
'Qatar government has been one of the major players during the international year of the family celebrations by sponsoring a series of conferences, including the Third World Congress of Families in Mexico. This is a continuation of this support, because the Doha Institute firmly believes in strong families, we want to support the strengthening of families all over the world.'
Dr. Ted Baehr, who holds a Ph.D. in Law and teaches at Berkley University, is a movie critic, the founder and head of the Christian Film and Television Commission. He has come to Warsaw from California, to speak on media and culture awareness:
'We represent an organization that reviews every movie from a family, Christian perspective. We send out e-mails to about 11 million and we have a website of 2,5 to 3 million. We do TV and radio and we work behind the scenes of Hollywood, showing the economic statistics that good movies do better at the box office. We also work with families, helping them to teach their children to be media and culture wise. I've been asked to speak on how parents can teach their children not to be confused by a clutter of messages coming at them, but I am also here to be encouraged and equipped to be more effective in doing our job of teaching culture and media wisdom. I publish about two books a year and I teach at Berkley on the topic. We teach all over the world, I was just in Kiev, in Munich, in Berlin. This is a great opportunity to reach people with the five simple steps they can use to help their children not to be lost to confusion, but to be clear on what are the true, the good and the beautiful.'
The 4th World Congress of Families will last thru May 13.
ping
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