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THE REMARKABLE SUCCESS OF THE WORLD CONGRESS OF FAMILIES III IN MEXICO CITY
It was expected that approximately 2,000 people
would attend the World Congress of Families III held in Mexico
City, March 29 - 31, 2004. This was a great underestimation!
On opening day, the crowds kept coming - it was a wild, exciting
opening to the Congress where 3,200 people were in attendance.
Such a response was a strong indication of how seriously the
family is regarded around the world. Delegates from Chile,
Argentina, Peru, Switzerland, Ecuador, the African continent,
Qatar, Pakistan, India, Italy, Poland, France, Russia, the
Czech Republic and the Netherlands, to name just a few - representatives
from 67 countries in all - were in attendance at the Congress.
The Congress was also attended by many UN ambassadors from
a number of countries, as well as by other UN representatives.
The speakers, without exception, were outstanding.
The crowds were spellbound by the breadth and depth of the
messages given by such experts in their field. The Congress
was also greatly enhanced by the superb organization of this
massive event. For example, buses left and returned to the
hotels regularly every hour from 7:00 AM on. In order not
to delay the delegates, the buses were preceded by a motorcycle
policeman to clear the way in Mexico City's extremely heavy
traffic. There seemed to be no detail too small for the organizers!
The credit for the unbelievable success of this Congress goes
to the pro-family Mexican organization, Red Familia (Spanish
for Family Network).
Further, as delightful as it was to attend
this Congress to learn interesting facts on the family and
to meet old friends and make new ones, there were also two
very permanent tangible developments. The two permanent developments
were:
- The Official Declaration of Mexico City
Throughout the Congress, a Declaration Committee
(on which REAL Women Vice President, Gwen Landolt, served)
drafted a document putting forth a declaration on the family
as it relates to marriage, sexuality, children, bioethical
issues, population, education, the economy and religion. The
Declaration calls upon all world governments, international
organizations and social organizations to adopt the family
perspective based on the principles and recommended guidelines
adopted at the Mexico City World Congress. This Declaration
is of great importance, as the Declaration of the previous
World Congress II held in Geneva in 1999 was adopted, at least
in part, by several national governments - Mexico, Lithuania,
Poland and Ireland. We anticipate that the Mexico City Declaration
will also be adopted, but this time, by an even larger number
of world governments.
- Establishment of an International Family
Network
On the last day of the Congress, participants
were asked to assemble according to their geographical region.
The breakdown of the regions were Australia; Asia; India and
Pakistan; Africa; Europe; Latin America, and the U.S. and
Canada.
Each region elected an organizing committee
that will form part of the World Family Network that will
have its headquarters in New York City. This Committee is
to meet there on a regular basis.
The work of this Committee is to be organized around the
Mexico City Declaration. The Committee will receive reports,
evaluate proposals and make recommendations. It will also
establish a website http://www.profamilia.org/.
This site will publish information on available resources
on the pro-family cause in different languages. It will
post a bibliography, successful programmes established elsewhere,
materials and ongoing projects; in general, the site will
be of service to the international network of family organizations.
This international network for pro-family
organizations has been long overdue. The anti-family/life
organizations have been at this for a long time, so we have
much catching up to do. However, enthusiasm for the establishment
of an international pro-family network is extremely high.
It is expected that it will take a year or so to get this
network off the ground - but with the goodwill and genuine
interest, which were present in abundance at the Congress,
it is believed by many that the pro-family forces around the
world will have, at last, a solid, permanent organization
to make a large international impact.
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