Family and Present Time - UPF Conference in the Czech Republic

T in the structure of the family – he Czech UPF chapter convened challenges and solutions. a conference on the family in the Czech Parliament. This was the In his presentation, he described the third conference on family issues fundamental structure of the family organized by UPF in the Czech including the vertical, horizontal and Parliament. individual orders which correspond to the order of the universe. A violation of The two previous conferences had these orders implies destruction of the focused on the themes of „Family and society and universe. Society“ (May 2014) and „Family in the 21st century“ (European leadership conference in October 2014). Over 80 participants could listen to the presentations of six members of the Czech Parliament and one member of the European Parliament, among other speakers. There was a vivid discussion after each panel, just like a small Parliament session. A wide public and a professional audience could listen to The next speaker was Dr. Jan relevant content concerning the family. Jandourek, a well-known Czech The conference was co-hosted with the The conference was opened by Dr. essayist, writer and theologian. He Civic Institute and supported by the Juraj Lajda, UPF secretary general spoke about the changes of the family Topaz organization under the auspices for the Czech Republic who mentioned in the last two generations. Dr. of Mrs. Nina Nováková, member of the that it was convened on the occasion of Jandourek compared the family under Czech Parliament. the International Family Day and the communism and today. During The purpose of the conference was to Global Parents Day, both proclaimed by communist times, the totalitarian inform and update the participants the United Nations. society could interfere with the family about hot issues concerning the family at any time. The family was like a He reminded that the family consists of in the Czech Republic and Europe. The hostage. Today we have a free society, a father, a mother and children as conference was divided into two panels. defined by the UN documents. He there are more opportunities in life.

The concept of family also changed. who want to interfere with it. Someone, There are more single individuals, a government minister or an official, people do not consider the family so has some idea how to educate children important and the passing of and tries to impose it on others. There experiences from one generation to are many cases when children are taken another is not considered so necessary. from families and given to others. Dr. The young generation can find all the Mach mentioned Norway and Great information on internet. The crisis of Britain. There is no reason to take away the traditional family is a result of the children from a family if one parent crisis of the traditional society. smokes, he said. The family should be the priority and the child belongs above all to the family. Her presentation was followed by Mrs. Pavlína Nytrová, a member of the Czech Parliament. She proclaimed that there must be a healthy family in order to have a healthy state. The family consists of man, woman and child, she said. Among all priorities, the family should be the first. If it is endangered, the state is also endangered. Nowadays people prefer to enjoy their lives and nobody wants to sacrifice for others. Individualism is growing, the only value is money and freedom tends toward anarchy. It is difficult to keep a Dr. Jitka Chalánková, a member of healthy family, she remarked, with the the Czech Parliament and a medical desires held by young people. The next speaker was Mr. Michal doctor, emphasized that a politician Education for parenthood should start Heres, a lawyer dealing with family should always give his/her voice on at school. She mentioned that last May law. He explained that each law is behalf of the family (at least conservative there was an auction of children in based on traditions and religion. politicians). The adoption of children by Brussels, and warned that this could Nowadays the family law is homosexuals is not correct, she said. The happen to our country. If we do not underestimated in the Czech Republic. more the state interferes with the family, educate our children properly, they will There is no specialization for family the easier it will be for parents to lose not take care of us when we become law. The courts should not decide about their children. Dr. Chalánková is very old. our children but parents should solve these problems by themselves. active in a cause where two children were taken away from a Czech mother in Norway.

The second panel was opened by Mrs. Pavlína Golasewská, a member of Mrs. Nina Nováková, member of the Dr. Petr Mach, member of the the Czech Parliament. She outlined Czech Parliament, mentioned that the European Parliament was the next speaker. A family consists of a father, a some of the factors, which trouble family is the only environment where families: loans (aggressive all three generations get on well. The mother and children, he said. It is advertisement), housing problems, problem arises when we try to redefine unfortunate that some trends attempt to destroy this concept. If we are aware various kinds of addictions (alcohol, the family. The relationships in the drugs, gambling), low education level, family are unconditional. The family is of the family breakdown and find out frequent promiscuity, mental diseases not a company, nor some fellowship, a which laws are destroying the family, then correction is possible. Various and adverse home environment (bad political party or a sports club. It is a relationships). She suggested some natural partnership based on feminist projects are financed by ways to improve the situation. E.g. a unconditional relationships. In the European money. The gender ideology wants to go beyond limits. In the family novelty of the housing law, financial family we have a principle of mutuality literacy, educating young couples to be and a principle of appropriateness. there is a lot of freedom and a free aware of their responsibility towards Nowadays we let the children decide environment that disturb some people, their children.

about important matters too early. Mrs. Surprisingly, the speakers represented Nováková introduced the term of the five political parties present in the “qualified parent”, meaning that one Czech Parliament. Both the coalition should voluntarily take on the duty to and opposition parties were be a parent. Finally, she stressed the represented. A variety of opinions could importance of sexual education and be heard, and we could thus contribute education for marriage and to the public and professional parenthood. discussion on family issues. Mrs. Nováková, member of the Czech Parliament, put on her web page the following words: “The conference on “The Family and the Present Time” created an unusual working, The last speaker of the conference was accommodating and friendly Mrs. Radka Maxová, member of the atmosphere, completely different from Czech Parliament and chairperson of that experienced during the Standing Committee on Family Parliamentary proceedings. Members Affairs, Equal Opportunities and Ethnic of Parliament from five different Minorities. In her introduction she political parties and one member of the mentioned that there are 581 000 European Parliament could openly incomplete families in the Czech discuss problems related to the Republic, a number she considered contemporary family. We did not The next speaker was Mr. Marek high. There is a general crisis of the coincide in many ways but were able Benda, a member of the Czech Western style family. The child needs to listen to each other. This was in Parliament. The family can survive if emotional education and all habits are contrast with the atmosphere we we keep our word and the passed down to the next generations. experience during Parliamentary determination we had at the beginning. There should be more emphasis on proceedings, for which the price is That is to say, we should have respect moral values – personal responsibility high, for it affects the quality of laws, toward our word and toward ourselves. and awareness that one is entering a the level of political culture and it Indeed, nobody should prescribe how bond and has to take care of children. raises the dissatisfaction of citizens. the family should behave. He The parents are responsible for the This conference showed that it does not mentioned that there is no borderline family and not the state. have to be like that”. between the rights and duties of Unfortunately, the family policy in the We hope that this conference will also parents. Czech Republic is not conceptual. influence lawmakers to support and protect the family.