International Family Day Activities Celebrated Tonight in Fujairah

Fujairah Family Fun

The Fujairah Municipality is sponsoring tonight an evening of entertainment, competitions and fun for all members of the family.

It commences at 5pm on Thursday 19 May 2011 at Fujairah’s Al Bustan Hall.

International Family Day

The International Day of Families is a United Nations initiative and this year it is held on 15 May 2011.

Countries and states take a flexible approach and celebrate the day when it seems to best fit the local calendar.

2011 Theme

Since 1996 each year has a theme worked out by the UN.

In 2011 the theme is Confronting Family Poverty and Social Exclusion.

Annual Message

Here is the message (in English) for this year given by the UN Secretary General:

(Here it is in Arabic).

Far too many families endure chronic, punishing hardship. Lacking jobs and the means to make ends meet, adults are unable to provide adequate nutrition for children, leaving them with lifelong physical and cognitive scars. Other family members can suffer neglect and deprivation. Poverty continues to claim the lives of hundreds of thousands of women each year in childbirth.

Social exclusion is often at the root of the problem. Discrimination and unequal access to social services deprive families of the opportunity to plan a better future for their children.

Certain types of families are at particular risk, including large families, single parent families, families where the main breadwinners are unemployed or suffer from illness or disability, families with members who suffer discrimination based on sexual orientation, and families living in urban slums or rural areas. Indigenous and migrant families, as well as those living through conflict or unrest, are also on the front lines of marginalization and deprivation.

A number of governments have adopted family-focused strategies, including cash transfer programmes, child allowances, tax incentives and specific gender and child sensitive social protection measures. An expansion of these policies, which can improve the nutrition and educational status of children, can help end cycles of poverty that persist across generations.

On this International Day of Families, let us resolve to support families as they nurture the young, care for the old and foster strong communities built on tolerance and dignity for all.

Thanks to the Fujairah Municipality for this initiative. Shukran Jazeelan!

Geoff Pound

This article is also posted on the Fujairah in Focus—Facebook Page.

Image: The picture is by 14 year old Juehao Wu, USA and it was recognized in the UN International Children’s Art Competition. It has this caption:

“Poverty occurs all around the world. It is serious but there are many ways to end it. Such ways include a better education for the future generation, good agriculture to prevent starvation by planting more crops, getting loans from banks to start more businesses and provide more job opportunities. Last but not least, we have to avoid warfare and violence. Poverty has affected many generations negatively, including ours, and right now, it is all up to us to end poverty and make the world a better place to live.”