‘The Family – Source of Strength and Security for Today’s Social Challenges’ Conference Co-sponsored by the NovæTerræ Foundation (Head, Luca Volonté) and the Centre Catholique d’Etudes de Genève Conference convened in Room V – Palais des Nations, Geneva, 24 November 2014, 8.30 – 13.30 REPORT BY DR JOHN LYDON KCHS TREASURER OF WUCT/UMEC CALL TO ORDER: General Moderator (9.00 – 9.05) Head of NovæTerræ Foundation, Mr Luca Volonté) OPENING REMARKS Coordinators of the Forum of Catholic-Inspired NGOs based in Geneva Msgr Robert Vitillo, (on behalf of the Forum of Catholic-Inspired NGOs), Head of Caritas Internationalis Geneva Delegation Msgr Vitello suggested that this conference on ‘The Family – source of Strength and Security for Today’s Social Challenges’, hosted by the Caritas in Veritate Foundation, Geneva, links to several international meetings focused on the family, including the Panel on the Protection of the Family and its Members (which was the 27 th Regular Session of the UN Human Rights Council which took place in September 2014) and a Workshop on Migration and the Family (hosted by the International Organisation for Migration, in October 2014) It also coincides with two key anniversaries of children and families These are: i) ii) 25th Anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child; 20th Anniversary of the International Year of the Family The link to these and this conference is to determine how Catholic-inspired organisations can consider families as stakeholders The aims are to: i) ii) iii) examine the current challenges confronted by families in contemporary society examine the key role played by families in response to such challenges to analyse some good practices promoted by Catholic-inspired organisations to accompany families as key stakeholders in promoting the common good Mr Luca Volante, Chief Executive Officer, Novae Terrae Foundation Mr Volante spoke of the opportunity to celebrate at this meeting in Geneva the anniversary of family, a great opportunity to remember the religious, historical, cultural and juridical reality of humanity, and to thank everyone who promotes fundamental human rights with commitment and sacrifice in international institutions and in everyday life He went on to remind participants that on 20 th November we also celebrated the anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child Today we are facing numerous challenges caused by modern relativism, which denies, destroys and replicates reality distorting its content We would like to reflect and reaffirm the increasing importance to awaken everyone's attention to human and social ecology, which originates from the only fruitful source: family Well-being of family leads up to well-being of society, and the well-being of children is the promotion of family These real facts are more and more evident in today's research in various fields, and should represent a further drive for the participants of the Congress SETTING THE SCENE Title: Key Opportunities to Strengthen the Contribution of the Family to Today’s Social Challenges Speaker: His Excellency Archbishop Silvano M Tomasi Apostolic Nuncio and Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations Archbishop Tomasi began by quoting Pope Francis: “The family remains always the cell of society, and the primary place of education It is the community of love and of life in which every person learns to relate to others and with the world And, thanks to the bases acquired in the family, he is able to project himself in society, to frequent positively other formative environments, such as the school, the parish… Thus, in this integration between the bases assimilated in the family and “outside” experiences, we learn to find our way in the world.” In support of the Holy Father’s insistence on the centrality of the family in forming young people, Archbishop Tomasi highlighted the key role of the family throughout the course of history citing Roman and biblical paradigms The Archbishop then went on to speak about the protection of the family in international law and the family and migration before reaching some conclusions which are quoted in full below In attempt to structure Archbishop Tomasi’s conclusions I have included sub-headings Changing Pattern of Family Life In conclusion, the changing patterns of fertility, mortality, labour, and migration of recent years, are profoundly affecting people’s lives The family, the fundamental and basic unit of all societies, is adapting to such new challenges and opportunities and changing her structure and activities to cope with new realities and enhance the quality of life of its members The emergence of large numbers of young being prepared to enter into a rapidly changing social world and a growing numbers of women and men reaching older ages is a special distinguishing feature of this time and to a large extent the prospects of both groups depend on the strength, adaptability and foresight of families Too little attention is given today to the importance and to the potential of fruitful interchange between generations Importance of the Elderly Aware of this, Pope Francis recently recalled the importance of the elderly, by inviting them to St Peter'ʹs Square and reminded us that the family is not composed only of parents and children, but of at least three or four generations from which it originated Some cultures, however, especially in the wake of disordered industrial and urban development, “have set the elderly aside in unacceptable ways considering them as a burden for the family This causes acute suffering to them and spiritually impoverishes many families.” The Family as a Community of Persons We look at the family as a community of persons, and as the initial social unit For this reason, in the Catholic tradition its defence and importance are sustained for the common good of our world community The family after all is, in many ways, the first school of how to be human and at the same time the family is the centre and the heart of what Paul VI called “the civilization of love” Therefore, the 20th anniversary of the Year of the Family and the 25th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child provide the opportunity to renew and deepen the importance of the family as the fundamental unit of society, from which it expects “a recognition of its identity and an acceptance of its status as a subject in society, whose rights are not simply the sum total of the rights of the person, because the family is much more than the sum of its individuals.” As conditions have worsened for many families around the world, States and international organizations must commit to enact effective policies and measures to provide the necessary comprehensive support for the family and its members including through promoting affordable, accessible and quality care services for children and other dependents, parental and other leave schemes, as well as formulating family- sensitive policies in the field of housing, work, health, social security and education in order to create an environment supportive of the family In protecting the family, every society actually protects itself The challenge of a “GNP” mentality Although there is no shortage of statements and verbal commitments from all governments yet this rarely translates in fiscal policies tailored on the family and its members instead of the individual or in effective facilitations in education The lack of an efficient and familycentred legislation concerning labour is particularly noteworthy If both parents want to work and succeed in the business world, almost inevitably the children are sacrificed It is therefore necessary to harmonize working schedules with time available for the family, so that it becomes effectively possible to take care of children and the elderly If money is everything, its lack takes away the desire to give priority to the family, thus casting shadows on its future an institution and giving way to the worrisome growth of the ideal of individualism in the policies of states and international organizations, thus preventing our society from becoming the real “family of nations.” Title: The Family as the Natural Environment for the Growth and Wellbeing of Children Speaker: Dr Francesco Belletti National Director, Forum of Family Association, Italy The following constitutes the main points made by Dr Beletti Social Capital and the Family “Building the smallest democracy at the Heart of Society”: this was the slogan of the first International Year of the Family in 1994 It was therefore very clear even then that family is not a “private affair” but it is a social institution, with public and specific responsibilities in favour of society Talking about family means dealing with politics and dealing with the common good Making family means building society It is not surprising, then, that a similar approach is coherently adopted also in 2013, in the official papers for the Twentieth Anniversary of the International Year of the Family, “recognizing that the family, as the natural and fundamental group unit of society, has the primary responsibility for the nurturing and protection of children and that children, for the full and harmonious development of their personality, should grow up in a family environment and in an atmosphere of happiness, love and understanding” (Preparation for and Observance of the Twentieth Anniversary of the International Year of the Family, 2013) In other words, following the more innovative sociological theories, we could say that family relations are very important in building social capital, which is a crucial element for social cohesion and solidarity Social capital is indeed a fundamental resource for society, even if it is rarely considered as relevant in evaluating the wealth and wellbeing of a nation Too many information are collected on economic GDP (Gross National Product), and very low attention is paid to the non-economic factors of well -being for persons and communities And yet it should be evident that the “richness of a nation”, in Adam Smith’s word, it is determined not only by monetary and economic assets, but also by the strength of social ties, by the dimension of voluntary action, by the number and quality of family relations Family is one of the main “producers” of trust, cooperation, solidarity, which are fundamental inputs to build social values, social cohesion, citizenship, grassroots democracy And this is particularly true if we consider the educational role of family for the new generations, for the active citizens of the future Family and Child Protection The level of protection of children is one of the best indicators for a “good society”, and family has a crucial role, which is cleary stated in many international papers, following the principle of subsidiarity With the well-known words of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, every state should act in favour of children: “Convinced that the family, as the fundamental group of society and the natural environment for the growth and well-being of all its members and particularly children, should be afforded the necessary protection and assistance so that it can fully assume its responsibilities within the community Recognising that the child, for the full and harmonious development of his or her personality, should grow up in a family environment, in an environment of happiness, love and understanding” (UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, Preamble) Families should, therefore, be the first and main “watchdog” for children’s well-being, and society should support the family’s role It is not an easy task, especially if we consider the final words of the quotation Strange words, indeed, in an official paper undersigned by Governments and Nations but truly “family words”, “family values” Actually family contribution to children’s well-being is qualitatively different to that which can be assured by the State, school, social and health services: the relational dimension of family care is different from other more structured resources This is why a strict cooperation between family and other agencies for protecting children is needed resonating with the principle of subsidiarity The central role of families in protecting children cannot be used, however, to have cheaper services in a retreating welfare Subsidiarity is not a shortcut for less welfare, upon the shoulders of parents It is, rather, a new perspective for building a welfare society, where all the stakeholders have a social responsibility for the common good through a strategy of “helping persons to help themselves” Title: ‘Consequences of the Economic and Financial Crisis on the Wellbeing of the Families – Challenges and Opportunities’ (no written paper available) Speaker: Dr Paul H Dembinski, Director of Observatoire de la Finance, Geneva The following constitutes the main points articulated by Dr Dembinski It is important to focus on the growth dynamic – western countries are not developing countries The three last decades of growth have been based on services where now the family meal has been replaced with McDonalds While the social to economic development enriches the GDP, this does not amount to true substance The family meal develops important relationships During a meal, reciprocal information is shared occurs which results in transitional elements Undoubtedly, there has been a growth in consumption, for example, where one yoghurt pot has changed to six yoghurt pots; all this is detrimental to family The introduction of the marketisation of economics has resulted in the reduction in the relational dimension in society While I am not a specialist in the study of the family, I have been engaged in the failing economies of Greece, Spain and Ireland In these countries, there has been a rediscovery of family solidarity, particularly in terms of reconnecting with grandparents This intergenerational dimension could be re-awakened and it is a point we must re-address in societies, so social policies work, for example, the way pensions work The level of social security, often equal one fourth of government expenses We must re-consider intergenerational growth in southern countries, because the older generations taught us about the family We must remember the subsidiarity we have forgotten in terms of the family and the state All the markets and economies have as their underpinnings, societies What are societies made- up of? Families of course; however, the forces of individualism have taken over Looking after children was natural family responsibility Then it became the state and the market and now the third aspect is society We must activate and re-activate the family and its production There needs to be a fundamental debate between the welfare state and the relational dimension, not currently measured in GNP I am linking with a group in Cambridge, UK, the Relational Group, looking at trying to this to inform social policy for the future We need to consider what pressure laws create on the family and level of legislation Finally, it must be acknowledged that families are an element of analysis in social policy and play a fundamental role There followed a series of papers on Good Practice, some of which are summarised below Others will be published as texts become available GOOD PRACTICE PANEL I Paper One Title: ‘Strengthening the Capacity of Families to Face the Challenges Resulting from the Global Economic Crisis’ (no full text unavailable) Speaker: Mr Dominique Froidevaux, Director, Caritas, Genève (Sociologist) This paper will focus on the family and social security The family is a pillar, but a weak one The state cannot function without a healthy economy, but the family is also an important contributor to the reproduction of labour The family is also a source of a connection: at both the social and symbolic levels, which ensures it is a measure of economic contribution For example, consider the cost of raising a child It involves the construction of a house There is an economic importance to the family We also forget this is where the economy is made and where it must not be broken up through poverty The proportion of single parents was 7% in 1970 and it is 17.4% now Caritas has documented this, and in our social consultation, these are the families, who represent one third This type of family will have severe restrictions the child; on their career and social life, which means that poverty may be transferred from generation to generation This is a risk that needs to be measured, so we can reverse this trend Two million youngsters 18- 25 [in Switzerland] have benefited from state financial services The futures for them are at risk There are also families in debt to consider If you they seek help too late, it is difficult to resolve debt We have couples, single parent families and then people in debt The causes are not just inappropriate behaviour that leads to poor management of the household budget; it is related to the needs of the family to survive These families need assistance to resolve temporary difficulties, so they will not become dependent This leads to the Risks of Poverty Model This includes the Family – School – Professional Formation Poverty can lead to exclusion in workplace and no retirement pension; it is necessary to find some perspective We are concerned with listening, not judging people, and to help with legal advice We have intervention programmes to support schooling; healthy nutrition workshops and environments where they will be multipliers We cover the entire family (old and young) We cannot just be satisfied to work at the individual level We much work at the sociopolitical level so we can some lobbying Our aims are to promote some solidarity in Geneva and carry out supplementary work and make complimentary allocations We are also involved in advocacy support in housing and health and work to force the state to have a transversal approach to a solution There is a rich paradox in Geneva; there is poverty in rich economy Ms Alessandra Aula, Secretary General, International Catholic Child Bureau and Speaker: Ms Laetitia Chanut, Patroness, BICE Campaign ‘Stop au harcèlement sur Internet’ Testimony Paper Two: ‘Educating Children in the Age of the Internet: Challenges and Opportunities’ (full text available in French) It is important to consider the role of the parent in technology There currently exists good and not so good practice A petition has been organised to stop internet being a means of harassing children, as part of work to protect the rights of the child I am 21 years now At 17 years old I was working on my on my Baccalaureate Another student copied my identity, and sent on email a porno video He wanted me to create porno pictures and then I would be left alone Rumours spread on blogs which included my phone numbers, saying I was open to sexual propositions This was a person was in my school I was very fearful I went to file suit and complain but the police were not supportive They just told me to close my Facebook account and change my phone number They said they could nothing without the identity of my stalker I went back to the police with my stalker’s ID and filed a suit He was annoyed and this spread on Twitter This led to the start of my depression and using alcohol and medication I then told my parents who helped me find evidence of my stalker One year later he was convicted He now has a social obligation to be cured The message is parents must be educated in Facebook and social networking sites, because this is not just physical violence but severe psychological violence We need to work on advising institutions such as the police, in how to assist families in this new area of crime The difficulty is around raising awareness of families and police because there is new technology emerging all the time It is difficult to keep up with this Title Paper Three: ‘Parents Primary Educators of Their Children’ (full text available in French) Speaker: Mr Alfred Fernandez, Director, International Organisation for the Right to Education and Freedom of Education The Universal Declaration on Human Rights (art 26) enshrines the right to education There is the respect of parents in choosing education institutions (European Convention) It is important that the CEDH Committee and pedagogy are relevant Parents are mentioned in terms of freedom of thought, freedom of religion and observing the moral education of children (art 18) There is also the right to the freedom of teaching and grants to public schools to achieve their mission The primary responsibility of parents is education of children, must respect their moral, spiritual and religious convictions We must separate access from freedom to education The obligation of this freedom must guarantee freedom of education and not just pertain to religious and philosophical education, but wider programmes of public teaching The capacity of civil society must not intervene to facilitate this process We need a new approach to govern this system and comply with obligations and rights There is another document, from the Council of Europe, that responds to private organisations There is contradiction of rights and freedom We must acknowledge the value of role of parents in civil society We must support families to work independently Money must accompany individual students not schools Choice must not been made in favour of the economic elite A new governance of school systems is required Paper Four Title: Overcoming the Consequences of the Humanitarian Crisis on the Wellbeing and Cohesion of the Family – The Syrian Refugees in Jordan (full text available in French) Speaker Three: Prof Cristina Castelli, Catholic University ‘Sacro Cuore’, Milan, Italy This paper concerns considering the family as resilience The example I provide is from Jordan I also work in Milan where Syrian refugees go through Six million people in Syria have been forced to leave 60% of these are minors 350,000 have been welcomed by Jordan There are psychological traumas in children and parents What have we been doing? We have provided Interventions in Jordan based on resilience, ‘to well develop [the children] and project themselves in to the future and survive trauma’ With refugees, we work with families, when at peace, there is intervention The risk and protection factors are identified and are recognised in a new environmental context We provide Skills Workshop and have produced a ‘Tutor of Resilience’ book We aim at supporting family cohesion The beneficiaries are - 16 years old and these recipients have experienced violence, torture, grief Families are places for support and care but in this new situation they are destroyed when confronted with children They are the ones that transmit values, traditions and rights – also identity Families play a fundamental role in recovery The intervention includes a ‘safety space’ so they can re-speak their history and recover some rights and traditions There are also formation courses for social workers which are so are important, so they work with local people in their own dialect and understand needs of children and families to give continuity to this Some tools are available such as psychocreative workshops For example, activities with children include: what protects you the most? They say family, but also have memories of Syria Roots are important and the family guarantees the roots They are asked also what you want to bring with you on a journey (internal and external resources)? Roots are linked to the identity and families There is ‘The Memory Box’ – put identity into a box This includes what they love and remember the most It is like the family Coat of Arms Based on this research, a correlation has been found between minors and incidences of resilience This allows them to be more tranquil and serene in their new situation We saw more pro-social behaviour and less hyperactivity and lack of concentration In conclusion: we need to reinforce the role of the family and role of this in resilience This is one who gives the stability and ability to adjust, emotionally This often occurs through the reinforcement of the habit of practising rituals carried out in Syria This is useful for stimulating these qualities and resilience CLOSING REMARKS Prof Mathias Nebel, Director, Caritas in Veritate Foundation This conference revealed: i) the extraordinary diversity and creativity inspired by Catholicism specifically, an inspiration to invent which originates in Christianity ii) Why Marginalisation reflected in the rapid transition to an “internet family” The forms of families that are sometimes highlighted are impoverished and relate increasingly to breakdown This creates the a new type of policy for new types of families Policies that empowerment of families and the cohesion of them too iii) that the interventions of the role and tasks of the family need measures and indicators iv) the capability of family resilience – effected by modernism and post-modernism v) Specific to the UN, elements of cultural diversity versus pluralism of the family, which can kill the fertility, which is connected to the family The family has the greatest possibility for creativity, to combat poverty and contribute to society as a whole The capability of the family has to be the best preventer of poverty form of fragile, need for aim at, Msgr Robert (Bob) Vitillo, Head of Caritas Internationalis Geneva Delegation Subsidiarity and solidarity are not just related to Catholic Social Teaching, but extend to international documents developed to promote the ‘new order’ and the promotion of the common good At times the application of these principles has been distorted by social and cultural tendencies such as a focus on individualism and materialism as opposed to the whole person The family is the school where people relate to each other This is about going back to basics as opposed to abstractions and ideologies While family love can often be misdirected, it has many strengths and weaknesses Take this fact into local, national and international advocacy and integrate I trained as a social worker There is a special bond between child and parent; even with parents who had abused them Linking with them, helped them through therapy, this focused on the family’s strengths and not their weaknesses This was a microlesson that was learned through psycho-therapy We need to bring back these positives to the UN and not take over the family through welfare supports 10