On May 25, 2006, to mark the International Day of Families, UPF Czech Republic hosted a conference featuring experts on family issues.
Nina Nováková, a former member of parliament and currently chairwoman of the Association of Christian Seniors, spoke on the topic “Family and the Search for One’s Own Identity.” She pointed out that humans are social beings who want to belong somewhere and need to know their identity and place in society. This is where the family plays a key role, as it provides an individual with their first identity and sense of belonging. Unlike a political party, a loving family strives for the genuine development of the individual; parents want their children to be better than they are themselves.
The next speaker, Aleš Hodina, founder of the International Institute for Family and Children, addressed the issue of parental separation and whether this means the end of a family. He pointed out that the main factor in marriage breakdown was financial issues: the state is not sensitive enough to sustain the family. He also commented that in the past, it was natural that children cared for their parents when this was required. There were no pensions until Otto von Bismarck introduced pensions for a select group, and this bond was broken. Today, the state contributes to pensions, and children no longer feel the natural need to care for their parents. It is Hodina’s opinion, that this is also one of the reasons why people do not want children.
Jana Jochová, chairwoman of Alliance for the Family, addressed the topics of marriage and parenthood. She noted that children are a reflection of our values. Society is ignoring the declining birth rate, which will be a major problem in the future. We need to restore the value of the family.
She went on to say that divorce means that family ties are severed, and children do not have a proper relationship with their grandparents. The state should not interfere in family matters and cannot replace the family which is a unique unit based on emotional bonds. The state can provide material support, but it cannot influence emotional relationships.
The next speaker was Martin Slezák, an attorney, representing the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (FFWPU) in the Czech Republic. In his presentation, he outlined the Federation’s view that the the family is a school of love where individuals can find the best environment for their spiritual and emotional development. He listed four types of relationships that an individual enters into within a family, ranging from children to parents. For these reasons, the family is important and must be protected and supported.
A small brochure brochure outling the FFWPU‘s main principles of family functioning was made available to the audience.
The final speaker was Juraj Lajda, president of the UPF in the Czech Republic who mentioned futurist Samuel Huntington’s book, The Clash of Civilizations, in which the author argues that in the future, conflicts will occur between different civilizations. Civilization is defined by language, culture, customs, religion, and self-identification. Civilizations go beyond political regimes or economic systems.
And it is precisely in this situation that families should play a significant role, Lajda noted. A family is founded on relationships of love; emotional and kinship bonds are formed, allowing many families to transcend cultural differences.
History teaches us that even as different cultures diverge from one another, families have always existed as the basic unit of human society and the nation and is the unit upon which humanity can survive.
The conference concluded with a lively discussion.