Our discussion with Dr. Ayesha Al-Qahtani about “The role of the father in instilling language, values, and religion in children.”
The Doha International Family Institute (DIFI), a member of Qatar Foundation (QF), has hosted a panel titled ‘Doha Briefing’ on the sidelines of the 57th Session of the Commission for Social Development. The event, which presented the ‘Civil Society Statement on Parenting’, was held on February 12 at the United Nations (UN) Headquarters in New York.
The panel was held in partnership with the Permanent Mission of the State of Qatar to the United Nations, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), and the International Federation for Family Development (IFFD). It aimed to provide a platform for key stakeholders to undertake policy dialogue, enabling greater understanding of the progress made and the challenges faced by families, and to exchange experiences and lessons learned concerning new evidence and innovations targeted at families.
The ‘Doha Briefing’ panel began with an introductory session delivered by Her Excellency Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani, Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the UN followed by Dr. Sharifa Al-Emadi, Executive Director, DIFI, opening remarks.
The ‘Doha Briefing’ was attended by Mr. Salim Al Enezi, Director of the Planning and Development Office, The Family Counseling Center (Wifaq); Mr. Ignacio Socias, Director of Communications, IFFD; Ms. Renata Kaczmarska, Focal Point on the Family, UN DESA; Mr. Ronald Ferguson, Director, The Achievement Gap, Harvard Kennedy School; and Ms. Eve Sullivan, Co-Founder and President, Parents Forum.
The panel also brought together organizations and NGOs such as the World Family Organization; International Federation for Home Economics; Focus on the Family Malaysia; Investing in Children and their Societies; Fathers in Africa; Ngala, Parenting with Confidence; and European Large Families Confederation.
During the session, attendees explored the measures that governments can take to support parents in performing the essential and socialization of their children, and to enhance all family members’ capacity for nurturing and caring for children. The session also explored the intergenerational transfer of knowledge and traditions to support adult children in caring for elderly parents, as well as grandparents caring for their grandchildren.
Participants additionally discussed the steps member states can take to support meaningful contributions of civil society organizations in the design, implementation, and monitoring of family policies and programs, removing barriers to the establishment, work, and funding of non-governmental organizations.
For Photo Album click here
To watch the session click here
The Doha International Family Institute (DIFI) has launched the OSRA research grant in its sixth cycle which is a research grant on Arab families and family policy related issues.
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