Preamble: The three political theories of the Modern—Liberalism (in its broadest sense), Marxism, and Nazism—have led humanity to the condition of its current postmodernistic crisis…
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The following text is adapted from The World Family Declaration, an initiative of the World Congress of Families. Opening with the words “We the people of many lands and cultures,” the Declaration is grounded in Article 16(3) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states, “The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.” That language is echoed in 111 national constitutions, many of which repeat it verbatim. The examples below may give practical guidance to any involved in the monumental and important work of shaping a new constitution, but also will give the interested reader a better idea of what real constitutions around the world have to say on the topic of family.
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As part of its ongoing mission to unite and equip leaders worldwide to promote the natural family, the International Organization for the Family is also the parent organization of the World Congress of Families, an international gathering of pro-family scholars, politicians, NGOs, and friends which has been ongoing now for over 20 years. To date, there have been thirteen meetings of the World Congress of Families, with the most recent having taken place in Verona, Italy, in 2019. The second Congress was held in Geneva in November of 1999. It was a significant meeting in many ways, not least of which was the publication of the Geneva Declaration. The Declaration is now over 20 years old, and yet, it was almost prescient in its treatment of topics that are still shaping public discourse around issues of family today. Its principles suggest the language that could be used and adapted for constitutional purposes.
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The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, adopted as an international treaty in 1989, enjoys ratification by most nations on earth; the United States is the one notable exception. As the UNICEF website explains, this Convention “spells out the basic human rights that children everywhere . . . have: the right to […]
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Ms. Trude Strand Lobben was struggling with a difficult pregnancy when, in May 2008, she approached the Norwegian social services authorities for assistance. They suggested that during the first months of the child’s life she stay at a family centre for evaluation, where she could be offered additional support. Her son was less than a […]
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When Family Rights Are Undermined by Child Protective Services It was a case that should have been on the front page of every major newspaper, or the opening story on every newsfeed—a case that seemed to have more akin to a bad horror flick than to reality. In the spring of 2019, police arrested 18 […]
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The New Bio-Politics of Fertility It has been more than a century and a half since Charles Darwin first taught the world that all species—including human beings—are locked in an unrelenting, competitive struggle for reproductive success. Often translated into the grim phrase “the survival of the fittest,” the outcome of this evolutionary contest depends finally […]
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As a children’s rights advocate, I defend children’s universally-recognized right to life and right to their mother and father.[1] That means while I can (and do) sympathize with adults’ very natural desire to have children, when it comes to technological interventions and policies that require children to forfeit their rights, I side with the kids. I’m […]
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As expressed at the Cairo conference in 1994, reproductive rights are at the heart of population and development policies. Officially, these are not new rights, but rather clarifications concerning existing human rights: those guaranteeing to everyone full freedom to enjoy their bodies and their reproductive capacities. Over the years, and with dramatic upheavals in society […]
Read MoreTwo Speeches by Margaret Ogola (1958-2011) On June 12 of this year, Google honored the late Dr. Margaret Ogola with a “Google doodle” on the Kenyan Google homepage, on what would have been her 61st birthday. Margaret Ogola is best known for her award-winning novel, The River and the Source, which follows the life of […]
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