International Day of Families

On December 8, 1989, the 44th United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution proclaiming 1994 as the International Year of the Family. The 1993 New York special meeting proposed that May 15 be the International Day of Families , in order to increase government decisions and the public’s awareness of family issues, and promote family harmony, happiness and progress.

Development History

The family is the “basic cell” of society. Since the 1980s, the number of families in the world has increased sharply, reaching 1.03 billion; the size of families has been shrinking; the divorce rate has generally risen. In the United States, 1 out of every two married couples has been married, and in Western Europe, one third of marriages The divorce is over; the problem of population aging is getting worse. The number of people over 65 in the world has reached 350 million, and people over 60 in Europe account for one-fifth of the total population. People’s family concepts are also changing. These family problems have brought a huge impact to the society, and have increasingly attracted the attention of the international community.
On December 8, 1989, the 44th United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution proclaiming 1994 as the “International Year of the Family”   and determined its theme as “The Family: Motivation and Responsibility in a Changing World” Its inscription is “to establish the smallest democratic system at the core of society”. Since then, relevant United Nations agencies have decided to use the pattern of the roof covering the heart as the symbol of the “International Year of the Family”, showing that people use their lives and love to build warm families. The purpose of the International Year of the Family is to raise governments, policymakers and the public’s awareness of family issues, and to promote the formulation, implementation and supervision of family policies by various government agencies.
In February 1993, the United Nations Commission for Social Development made another decision. Since 1994, May 15 will be the “International Day for Families” . The establishment of “International Day of the Family” aims to improve the status and conditions of families and strengthen international cooperation in protecting and assisting families.

Purpose of establishment

  • Family meaning

The family is the most important part of human society and an individual unit that has an important impact on human society. From a long time ago, sociologists, psychologists, and related experts have attached great importance to the role and status of the family in the composition and development of society.
The family has a special meaning and status, and the family emerges in response to the needs of people. People need the same kind of care and compassion according to their instinctive characteristics, and the family is a collective built to meet this natural need of people.
The combination of men and women is in line with human nature. It can not only deepen the relationship between the two parties, but also make them perfect for each other. And lay a solid family cornerstone through them. It can also establish new relatives, and this nepotism has played an important role in strengthening the social foundation in the long history of mankind.
Therefore, the family, as the most influential unit in society, plays a pivotal role in solving the crisis that puzzles the human society.

  • Family status

Many sociology experts and educators believe that the family has an important influence on the establishment of spiritual peace, the consolidation of cultural and social relations, and the growth of future generations. In addition, as the main members of society, the family can protect young people and future generations from the corruption of society’s bad phenomena.
In the past half century, especially in the past 20 years, the family has undergone major changes in societies in various countries. The main reason is that the family has been caused by work, migration, information development, social, economic and other relations, as well as war and social inequality. The foundation is shaken.
Of course, the shake-up of the family foundation has not only led to an increase in the divorce rate, but also brought many disadvantages to society. For example, young people leave their families and enter society. Due to psychological imbalance, they start to create violent incidents in the society to show their inner dissatisfaction or This is comforted.
The survey showed that in the 1990s, the traditional family foundation in the United States had completely collapsed. Then came “cohabitation”, “single-parent family” and “bachelor”. The rate of a satisfactory family life dropped from 25.6% in 1990 to 23.3% in 2000. According to statistics from the American Family Federation: 30% of children in the United States are illegitimate children. In addition, a survey of American society shows that 77% of young people go astray due to family reasons, such as stealing, taking drugs, and fighting. Statistics also show that from 1960 to 1995, violent criminal activities by teenagers without parental care increased sevenfold. In addition, in conflicts and wars in other parts of the world, the family has become the first victim. It is self-evident that the family has been destroyed by war and brought many troubles to society. Therefore, if we have not adopted a series of correct programs and measures to consolidate the family foundation and restore the social spirit and cultural value, then we will not be able to solve a series of social problems.
Today, international organizations including the United Nations, UNESCO, UNICEF, and many other governmental and non-governmental organizations are making various efforts to improve the cultural and educational level of countries around the world.