Families are where we connect ourselves in relationships to past, current, and future generations. Every family’s life is different and the UN Family Programme recognises this, just as we have lots of different cultures, we also have different ways that people use to interact with each other depending on where they are from.

Each year, May 15th is observed worldwide as the International Day of Families. In 1993, the UN General Assembly proclaimed this date to be an opportunity to promote awareness of issues relating to families and to increase knowledge of the social, economic, and demographic processes affecting families. The United Nations Programme on the Family stresses the importance of having healthy and happy familial relationships.

This year’s theme of the International Day of Families is Families, Education and Wellbeing which focuses on the role of families and family-oriented policies in promoting education and overall well-being. In particular, the Day is to raise awareness of the role of families in promoting early childhood education and lifelong learning opportunities for children and youth.

The Day highlights the importance of all caregivers in families, be it parents, grandparents or siblings and the importance of parental education for the welfare of children. It focuses on good practices for work-family balance to assist parents in their educational and care giving roles. Good practices from the private sector in support of working parents, as well as youth and older persons in the workplace are also highlighted.

It also aims to discuss the importance of ‘knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development’ (SDG4, target 4.7).

The World Assembly of Youth (WAY), believe that the ideal of a family where fairness is initially nurtured is one of the most basic models in shaping the better tomorrow. They also encourage young people from all around the world to embrace gender equality in contemporary families in both their current family and the one that they will build in future.

As the coordinating body of National Youth Councils, it is one of their functions to work together as a family because they believe that family is a vital foundation of any individual’s positive development that will lead to overall betterment of societies. They treat everyone equally as we seek to create a more just world by empowering everyone, especially young activists from around the globe through a combination of cross cultural human rights.

Together with this year International Day of Families, they recap their encouragement to the youth to embrace the significance of family especially its role in education and achievement of Sustainable Development Goals. It is indisputable that family is the ‘basic core’ of their society.

HAPPY INTERNATIONAL DAY OF FAMILIES!