October 15, 2004

  • I can’t say it was the best organised international
    conference, but the Asia Pacific Family Dialogue was among one of the most
    enlightening.

    Supported by the Ministry of Women, Family and Community
    Development (Dato’ Seri Sharizat’s ministry) the 3-day meet saw nearly 900
    participants from a number of countries convening to draft a declaration on
    family. It will be presented at Doha International Conference for the Family,
    as a follow-up to the UN
    resolution on marriage and family life last December. 

    What’s interesting is the fact that this series of regional
    Family Dialogues is the brainchild of academics and NGOs backed by the Mormon
    Brigham Young University    .
    Yup, the Mormons. Endorsed by the UN, this initiative gave birth to the World
    Family Policy Center
    (located at Brigham Young) “to
    promote a positive, pro-family culture and counter the growing threats to
    religion and international family stability.”

    It’s hard not to notice that some of the carefully researched
    findings of the WFPC and their education activities were driven by a faith-based
    position. Seeing how other religious expressions have been squeezed out of the
    public square in this Muslim nation, you can imagine my amazement when I found
    out who the primary speakers were. I mean, you have researchers and experts in
    sociology, health, psychology, and bioethics from Brigham Young, Catholic
    organisations, and Focus on the Family sharing the same platform with NGOs from
    the Asia Pacific region, and a sprinkling of Muslim academics.

    One participant from Singapore
    voiced surprise at a presenter’s paper detailing Catholic education and
    faith-based initiatives for the preservation of family in the US. “Although we all agree religion is important, you won’t be
    able to talk openly about it in a public forum like this in     Singapore,
    what more an international one,”     she said.

    What would I give to see more of this interaction! In times
    as precarious as ours, all that stands between social breakdown and sanity
    could well be the family, so the panelists tell us. You just can’t dodge the
    implication of their research, and they were mighty impressive. The family is at stake. Seems to me, we all
    have a lot to learn from one another dealing with a
    cancer that respects no boundaries or beliefs.

    Drop in at my blogspot site for more.

dbctan

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