International Day of Families

“You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them. Desmond Tutu. In many societies across the globe the family can be described as dysfunctional. As a consequence a number of social problems have been impacting all societies, from the Global South to the Global North. Thankfully, there has been a number of intervention programmes aimed at rescuing families. The family can be described as a group of people who are related by blood, marriage and or adoption. However, we should not restrict ourselves to this sociological definition of the family. Let us expand our meaning of the family to include the workplace, school, church or even at play. We give support to others daily via the various roles we play. In return we are also supported by others in our time of need. The United Nations (UN) ought to be lauded for the foresight in its declaration for observing International Day of Families. The International Day of Families is a special day that is observed on May 15th every year. It is a time when we recognize the importance of families in our lives and society. The family is a critical agent of socialization through which the values and norms of the society are passed from one generation to another. 2024 Theme: Families and Climate Change. The United Nations (UN) states that climate change negatively impacts the health and well-being of families through increased pollution, while extreme weather events exacerbated by climate change, such as hurricanes, droughts and floods, often lead to forced displacement and loss of livelihoods for families and individuals. Such events impact agricultural productivity and access to water, intensifying hunger and vulnerability. They cause economic disruption in industries sensitive to climate impacts such as agriculture and fisheries. Without drastic action, adaptation to and mitigation of the impacts of climate change will become increasingly difficult and costly. It is also very important that we empower families through education, changing consumption habits. Additionally, advocacy is critical for meaningful and effective climate action. Families pass values across generations, so instilling sustainable habits and climate awareness in families from an early age is important. Integrating circular economy principles into early childhood education can help build a sustainable economic model based on minimizing waste and regenerating natural resources. The UN adds that families as consumers and advocates can drive the transition to a circular economy. The 2024 International Day of Families aims to raise awareness of how climate change impacts families and the role families can play in climate action. Through family and community initiatives, we can foster climate action with education, access to information, training and community participation. Interestingly, 2024 marks the 30th anniversary of the International Year of the Family. Global Fertility. The global fertility rate the average number of children born to a woman in her lifetime fell from 4.84 in 1950 to 2.23 in 2021 and will continue to drop to 1.59 by 2100, according to a new study. Women are having fewer children as more and more females embark on higher education. In the 1970’s Jamaica through the National Family Planning Board had a very successful public education campaign in which two children were the standard. Jamaica continues to face a low birth rate problem with the total number of live births in the country declining sharply over the last 20 years. In 2021, there were 31,276 live births compared to 40,508 in 2010 and 56,134 in 2000. Overall, Jamaica’s crude birth rate, which is the number of annual live births per 1000 population, declined by 10.2 percentage points from 21.7 per 1000 population in 2000 to 11.4 per 1000 population in 2022. It therefore means that governments will be forced to revisit their family planning campaigns in order to encourage more women to have children. How to Celebrate International Day of Families. Celebrating the International Day of Families can be a festive and meaningful experience with various activities that promote bonding and appreciation. Events and activities organized on this day vary widely across the globe. These include workshops, seminars, and exhibitions to strengthen family bonds and improve family-oriented policies. These initiatives celebrate the family’s values and strive to enhance living standards and social progress. Canada, for example observes Family Day annually. Appreciatively, more countries are seeing the benefits of observing special days to celebrate families. Without a doubt this is the way forward to build inclusive and sustainable societies. On this the International Day of Families, let us be mindful that this unique day provides an opportunity to promote awareness of issues relating to families as well as to increase the knowledge of the social, economic and demographic processes affecting families. In the words of Joan Baez, no man is an island, no man stands alone, each man's joy is joy to me, each man's grief is my own. Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and or gender issues. waykam@yahoo.com @WayneCamo © #InternationalDayofFamilies