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CivilSocietyPerspective:
FamilyOrganisationsattheLocal,National,
Europeanand
GlobalLevel–ThreeCaseStudies
LindenFarrer(COFACE),LorenzaRebuzzini(FDAF),LiveraniAurora
(FDAF),
Anne‐ClairedeLiedekerke(MMM),JillDonnelly(MMM)&Marie‐
LiesseMandula(MMM)
1
FAMILYPLATFORM(SSH‐2009‐3.2.2Socialplatformonresearchforfamiliesand
familypolicies):fundedbytheEuropeanUnion’s7thFrameworkProgramme
for18months(October2009
–
March2011).
WorkingReports
FundedbytheEuropeanCommission’sSeventhFrameworkProgrammeandco‐
ordinatedbyTechnicalUniversityDortmund,FAMILYPLATFORMgathersaconsortiumof
12organisationsworkingtogethertoarticulatekeyquestionsaboutthefamilyforthe
EuropeanSocialScienceandHumanitiesResearchAgenda2012‐2013.
Therearefourkeystagestotheproject.Thefirstistochartandreviewthemajortrends
ofcomparativefamilyresearchintheEUin8‘ExistentialFields’(EF).Thesecondisto
criticallyreviewexistingresearchonthefamily,andthethirdistobuildonour
understandingofexistingissuesaffectingfamiliesandpredictfutureconditionsand
challengesfacingthem.Thefinalstageistobringtheresultsandfindingsofthe
previousthreestagestogether,andproposekeyscientificresearchquestionsabout
familiestobetackledwithfutureEUresearchfunding.
ThisWorkingReporthasbeenproducedforthefirststageoftheproject,andispartofa
seriesofreports,asfollows:
EF1.FamilyStructures&FamilyForms
EF2.a)FamilyDevelopmentalProcesses
b)TransitionintoParenthood
EF3.MajorTrendsofStateFamilyPoliciesinEurope
EF4.a)FamilyandLivingEnvironment
b)LocalPolitics–ProgrammesandBestPracticeModels
EF5.PatternsandTrendsofFamilyManagementintheEuropeanUnion
EF6.a)SocialCareandSocialServices
b)DevelopmentofStandardsforSocialWorkandSocialCareServices
EF7.SocialInequalityandDiversityofFamilies
EF8.Media,CommunicationandInformationTechnologiesintheEuropeanFamily
CSOCivilSocietyPerspective:ThreeCaseStudies
Contents
Contents ...............................................................................................................3
Introduction ...........................................................................................................4
Forum Delle Associazioni Familiari: A Local and National Level of Action............5
Introduction .......................................................................................................5
Principles and Objectives ..................................................................................5
History ...............................................................................................................6
Organisation......................................................................................................8
The Means and Challenges of Co-operation with Public Institutions...............10
Mainstreaming Family Policies........................................................................12
Confederation of Family Organisations in the European Union: A European
Union Level of Action..........................................................................................13
Introduction .....................................................................................................13
Objectives .......................................................................................................13
History .............................................................................................................14
Organisation....................................................................................................15
The Family Dimension of European Policies...................................................16
COFACE’s Positions .......................................................................................17
Challenges ......................................................................................................21
Mouvement Mondial des Mères: A Global Level of Action..................................24
Introduction .....................................................................................................24
MMM in a Nutshell...........................................................................................25
Mission and Vision ..........................................................................................25
History .............................................................................................................26
Organisation....................................................................................................27
Activities ..........................................................................................................29
Barriers and Challenges..................................................................................31
From the Grassroots to the Policy Level .........................................................32
Conclusion: Commonalities and Consensus Principles...................................36
Bibliography ........................................................................................................38
Annex 1 – FDAF Member Organisations ............................................................40
Annex 2 – FDAF Conferences ............................................................................43
Annex 3 – COFACE Member Organisations.......................................................45
Annex 4 – Recent Positions Adopted by COFACE.............................................47
Annex 5 – Other Family Organisations Active at a European Union Level .........50
Annex 6 – MMM Member Organisations.............................................................52
Introduction
This report has been produced for FAMILYPLATFORM1, a 7th Framework
Programme project gathering 12 organisations working together to articulate key
questions about the family for the European Social Science and Humanities
Research Agenda (2012-2013). The brief of this report is to profile the activities
and political dimensions of family associations so that the range of stakeholder
representatives can be properly considered in the work of FAMILYPLATFORM.
To that end, this report consists of three case studies of the civil society
organisations involved in FAMILYPLATFORM: Forum Delle Associazioni
Familiari (based in Rome and operating at a local and national level in Italy),
Confederation of Family Organisations in the European Union (based in Brussels
and operating at a European Union level), and Mouvement Mondial des Mères
(based in Paris and operating at a global level).
The three case studies should not be considered a holistic overview or survey of
the field of family or social organisations. Instead, they represent a snapshot of
activity in the field of family organisations at the moment, describing how the
organisations support their members, interact with and attempt to influence
political institutions, negotiate the tightrope of receiving public funding while at
the same time adopting (sometimes) critical positions on those same public
institutions’ policies, come to decisions in a democratic manner, and what some
of the challenges and difficulties they face are.
Although the aim has been to present the organisations ‘dispassionately’, the
report has been written by authors from the organisations in question; it can do
no harm at all that some of the conviction and enthusiasm of these authors
shines through in this finished text.
Linden Farrer
Confederation of Family Organisations in the European Union
1 See http://www.familyplatform.eu.
4
ForumDelleAssociazioniFamiliari:ALocalandNationalLevelof
Action
Introduction
Forum Delle Associazioni Familiari (FDAF)2 was born in 1993 and became a
formal Pact among twenty-five Family Associations in 1995. Since then, FDAF
has gained increasing relevance at social and political levels. Around fifty
nationwide family associations are currently members of FDAF (Annex 1), which
is also organised at a regional level, with one Regional Forum in each one of the
twenty Italian Regions. An additional grassroots level is present in more than fifty
small areas (districts, provinces, and cities). FDAF has therefore become one of
the main political actors at the local and national level as regards family policies.
At a European level, FDAF became a member of the Federation of Catholic
Family Organizations in Europe (FAFCE)3, an umbrella association of Catholic
family organisations from various European Countries, in 1999. In 2006, the
close nature of the relationship between FDAF and FAFCE was cemented when
Giuseppe Barbaro (past Vice-President of FDAF), became the FAFCE Vice-
President.
PrinciplesandObjectives
Three principles lay the basis of the FDAF Pact:
1. families plays a significant role in society: therefore, the wellbeing of the
family and family members is not socially irrelevant;
2. the social role of families is called upon to find expression in the form of
political intervention: families should be the first to take steps to assure
that the laws and institutions of the State not only do not offend, but in fact
support and positively defend the rights and duties of the family; along
these lines, families should realise their potential as “protagonists” of
“family policy” and assume responsibility for transforming society;
3. the State shouldn’t perform functions that families can perform either
themselves or in free associations; instead, it should positively favour and
encourage - as far as possible - responsible initiatives run by families,
according to the principle of subsidiarity.
FDAF was born to recognise, promote and support a specific identity of family.
2 See http://www.forumfamiglie.org/.
3 See http://www.fafce.org.
5
This recognition and promotion is based upon consideration of the human being
as a person, and of the family founded on the following principles:
the family originated by a heterosexual encounter (male and female);
the family having social and public relevance and responsibility (which
calls for a public act – marriage);
the family oriented to a generative goal (parenthood, an educational
responsibility towards the new generation).
According to these principles, FDAF as a political and social player has the
following aims:
to support political decisions aimed at encouraging and sustaining family-
life;
to monitor administrative and governmental policies that can weaken or
damage families and take action to highlight them;
to encourage the creation and the development of associations among
families in order to increase their wellbeing;
to lobby for institutions to support family associations;
to build partnerships with institutions and other social players in order to
promote the family, always respecting the distinction of duties and
competences of each partner;
to promote a family-friendly society through conferences and cultural
events.
Regarding its inner governance:
FDAF is based on democratic values and rules, and favours free
exchange of ideas among Member Associations: this includes respectful
dialogue, shared planning, compliance to common decisions, autonomy of
each association;
FDAF adopts the principle of subsidiarity not only in political action, but
also as the inner governance system; therefore, it enhances synergies
and convergences among associations, in order to reinforce and support
them.
History
FDAF was born in 1993, and will therefore come of age in 2011. On the 5th of
November, 1993, during a public seminar in Rome, a consortium of family
associations presented the Vertenza Famiglia (Family Instance) to the
government in charge. For the first time in fifty years, the issue of family policy
was highlighted and openly proposed by associations in Italy. Two years later, a
book was released titled The citizenship of the Family in Italy – Family
6
Associations getting organized (Boffi (ed.), 1995), which contained theoretical
founding articles and speeches presented during the seminar.
In 1995, twenty-five family associations signed a formal pact - the Associates’
Pact -, where the fundamental values and objectives of FDAF were explicitly
listed and formally undersigned by all Member Associations. In the same year,
over a million Italian citizens signed a petition to the Italian Parliament in support
of Vertenza Famiglia, demanding that family policy become part of the political
agenda.
In 1996, FDAF was received by the Italian President in charge, Oscar Luigi
Scalfaro. In the same year, FDAF opened a permanent round table on family
policies with sixty Italian Deputies and Senators. Since 1998, FDAF has been a
permanent advisor in the Parliamentary Commissions on Tax Reform, Childcare
Services, the Education System, and Assisted Hatching (IVF).
In 2000, FDAF presented a petition to the Italian Gas and Energy Authority,
requesting favourable gas and energy rates for large families. In the same year,
the Prime Minister in charge, Massimo D’Alema, met FDAF representatives and
stated that “On family related issues, consultation with FDAF is always
necessary”. Some months later, FDAF entered the Consultation Cabinet for the
Finance Bill and the Commission on School Reforms and in June 1998, FDAF
was received in private audience by Pope John Paul II.
In 2001 FDAF collaborated actively in the promulgation of the Italian Law on
adoption4, one of the most advanced in Europe, because it considers family
relations as a necessary and irreplaceable means to build one’s own identity.
The fundamental criterion guiding the FDAF lobbying action was defence of the
right of each child to live in his/her family of origin. In cases where his/her family
of origin cannot give material and moral assistance, the child has the right to live
in a family.
In 2002, on FDAF initiative, the International Day of Families (promoted by UN in
1994) was celebrated for the first time in Italy. A conference on The family: social
subject and resource for the whole community was organised in co-operation
with Italian Ministry of Labour and Social Policies and Lazio Region. Since then,
FDAF has organised an annual conference or meeting on a specific topic
regarding family policy and family life (Annex 2).
In 2006, FDAF expressed its approval for two laws voted in the Italian
Parliament: the law on protecting minors against pornography on the internet,
and the law on joint custody of children for divorced and separated parents5. In
2007 FDAF was the promoter of a huge demonstration, gathering a million
people in Rome to defend and promote family rights. In 2008, FDAF presented
4 Law 149/2001.
5 Law 54/2006.
7
another petition, which was signed by more than a million Italian citizens,
demanding taxation reforms and in particular for the introduction of the tax
deductions system. In this document, starting from the acknowledgement of the
marriage-based family as a social subject and engagement in defending life from
conception till its natural ending, FDAF advanced two requests: reform of the
taxation system, introducing a family-based taxation system, and the possibility
for families to choose between public and private schooling.
Besides these lobbying actions at a national level, FDAF has organised
conferences, seminars and cultural events on family-related issues.
Organisation
Legal and Financial: FDAF is an umbrella association and is defined under
Italian Laws on non-profit sector6 as an Association for Social Promotion. In
practical terms this means that FDAF is enrolled in the official Register of
Associations for Social Promotion, managed by the Italian Ministry for Labour
and Social Policies. In 2000, the FDAF Foundation was created in order to be the
operative instrument for FDAF activities. The FDAF Foundation is enrolled in the
Register of Legal Persons at the Prefect’s Office of Rome.
FDAF is a self-financing association and draws its economic resources from free
contributions of Member Associations, projects financed by the State or the
Regions, partnership projects with local institutions, donations and other entries
linked to FDAF activities.
Members: FDAF represents fifty family associations (Annex 1) present at the
national level. Family associations willing to become a member of FDAF have to
present a formal admission request to be examined by the Advisory Board and
by the FDAF General Assembly in plenary session. New Member Associations
are asked to sign the Associates’ Pact and also the FDAF Statute. Association
fees are required yearly to both National Associations and Regional Forums.
Regional Forums: FDAF is organised in independent and autonomous Regional
Forums, which work at a local level. At present, 20 Regional Forums are active.
Regional Forums group together the representatives of Member Associations
and also representatives of associations that are only active at a local level, and
which therefore cannot be represented at the national level of FDAF. Regional
Forums are involved in partnerships with local public institutions, to different
stages in each Region, according to Regional Forum representatives’ skills and
capacities, and the possibilities of co-operation given by the different regional
welfare systems.
6 Specifically L. 383/2000.
8
Governance: FDAF is governed and supported by a President, two Vice-
Presidents, an Executive Board, and dedicated staff. The FDAF complete
organisational chart includes a Scientific Committee, and the Treasurer and Audit
Committee who are both in charge of financial and economic matters.
The President and the two Vice-Presidents are elected every three years by
Member Associations and Regional Forums’ representatives, during the General
Assembly in plenary session. The President is the legal representative of FDAF.
He/she presides and supports the Executive Board meetings and takes into
account Executive Board decisions. The president is also the “public voice” of
FDAF: he/she meets representatives of political parties and of institutions, and
also journalists. The President of FDAF is in charge of intervening in family-
related issues debated at national level by media or other relevant cultural
institutions and decision-makers.
The Vice-Presidents are chosen to represent both the Member Associations and
the Regional Forums: therefore, one Vice-President is a member of a national
association, and the other is chosen among the Regional Forum representatives.
Together, they work with the President to define objectives and priorities, and
they are also in charge of managing relations with all the Member Associations
and the Regional Forums.
The Executive Board is composed of eleven representatives of Member
Associations and Regional Forums who meet once a month. Each Member of the
Board holds one or more specific executive functions and the Board is in charge
of the organisation of every aspect of FDAF activity, including decisions about
political interventions, communications, and managing relationships with political,
social and religious parties. Representatives of the Regional Forums also have
the specific task of managing relations with macro-regions of the country (north,
centre and south of Italy).
The Scientific Committee is formed of eleven University Professors, involved in
research on family-related topics in the areas of Economics, Law, Sociology,
Psychology, Philosophy, and Media. The Scientific Committee provides scientific
support to FDAF initiatives and official statements.
The Treasurer, chosen from among Member Associations or Regional Forums
representatives, is in charge of fund-raising and financial accountability. An Audit
Committee is charged with controlling budget accuracy, according to Italian civil
and societal laws, while a Warranty Committee is responsible for settling
differences and disagreements among Member Associations. The FDAF staff is
composed of six persons and is managed by a General Manager, who assures
the continuance of FDAF action. FDAF Member Associations, Regional Forums,
the President and Vice-Presidents, the Executive Board, the Treasurer and the
Staff are gathered in General Assemblies, three or four times a year.
9
FDAF also supports and organises the work of various internal commissions,
which are established in order to discuss and propose projects or bills on specific
issues such as a Family Law Commission, a Media Commission, a Work-Family
Balance Commission, a School and Education Commission, and so on.
Commissions are composed of Member Associations and Regional Forums
representatives and are organised and supported by FDAF Staff.
TheMeansandChallengesofCo‐operationwithPublicInstitutions
FDAF has been working with public institutions from the very beginning, and we
can trace an outline of the relevance of this kind of co-operation: in short, working
with public institutions is a very important asset for an umbrella association like
FDAF, both from strategic and financial perspectives.
From the strategic point of view, the possibility of working in partnership with
institutions is a means of helping develop and influence family policies. FDAF
promotes distinction between family policies and other kind of policies, such as
social policies (linked to the wellbeing of individuals), education policies
(childcare services), and policies against poverty. Although all these kind of
policies can help families they are targeted at individuals, while family policy
deals with the relational dimension of persons linked together in a family.
Moreover, family policies consider the family as a factor assuring personal
wellbeing, stability and forward-looking attitudes in society.
In recent years, the Italian government has transferred competences on family
policies from national to regional and municipal levels. Therefore, FDAF has
been involved in promoting family policies at three different levels:
1. at national level, for concerns about national laws, taxation and other
general issues;
2. at regional level, for concerns about the schooling and health systems;
3. at local level, for concerns about services that determine the wellbeing of
families, such as social services, work-family balance services, mobility,
housing, and public parks.
According to this objective, FDAF represents its Member Associations’ views
when proposing partnerships with institutions, and is also very interested in
involving families at local level, so that families themselves can become real
actors of the change and can exert influence on it. The partnership with the
Municipality of Parma, where FDAF has been working with an explicit and
specific agreement is a good model of this. This collaboration between FDAF and
the Municipality of Parma is structured as follows:
collaboration based on a Strategic Agreement, signed in 2004: even
10
though the Municipality has changed political asset, the strategic
agreement has been maintained and further developed;
besides strategic and general agreements, agreements on specific issues
and projects have been signed from time to time when deemed
necessary.
Based on its experiences of working at these levels, and partnership with the
Municipality of Parma, FDAF advocates creation of two intermediate bodies in
the local administration:
1. an ‘Agency for the Family’, a very lean structure, operating in strong
connection with Municipal Departments to develop family policies linked to
the territory and the community;
2. a ‘Local Board of Associations’ at a local level: a consultative body in
which local family associations decide and act at a micro-level while
building a permanent network among the various family associations.
In co-operation with public institutions, FDAF has to meet many challenges,
synthesised as follows:
- FDAF promotes the social citizenship of the family: this is the first and
main challenge facing FDAF, as family is not seen by institutions as a
possible social player or a stakeholder to be taken into account.
- The enhancement of the family should be considered a common goal for
all of society rather than a private matter. Strengthening the family means
strengthening the whole of society.
- A real change in mentality is needed: from a problem solving approach to
the family driven by emergencies (the deficit model) to an approach that
can be defined as promotional (the empowerment model). With this
promotional approach policy makers become able to view the inner good
and the inner possibilities of solutions inside each problem. This can be
demonstrated with an example taken from the Italian situation: the
problem-solving approach deals with orphanages closing, the promotional
approach deals with the creation of care homes and family-based
communities. This change of approach can be applied to many family-
related issues, such as media consumption, work-family balance,
migration, etc.
- FDAF supports the transition from a welfare system mainly based on state
control and intervention to a welfare mix based on public-private mutual
exchange. In the welfare mix, family associations and the participation of
families in public life - in addition to freedom of choice as citizens - is
positively strengthened. Also changing the taxation systems to promote
associations can be considered a good step towards a welfare mix
system.
- The strengthening of local autonomies, a process which encounters many
obstacles in Italy, can also be considered a chance to create more
11
possibilities at local and regional level.
- For 15 years, FDAF has been active promoting campaigns to make
politicians more aware about family policies and to explain to politicians
and also to voters what family policy is, and the main issues of family
policies: protection of family ties, education, work, taxation, welfare
system, migration.
- FDAF is also promoting - in the public television service - an adequate
representation of the family and is involved in protecting the rights of
women and of all people under legal age.
MainstreamingFamilyPolicies
According to FDAF experience and its principles, family policies can be more
easily mainstreamed through a set of inter-related actions, in which institutions,
family associations, and economic players are all involved as main actors.
The following mainstreaming actions seem to us to be particularly urgent:
- definition of the role of the family in society and the protection of family
relations: there can’t be any effective family policy if the role of family in
society is denied or neglected;
- the development of family associations that involve families and
experiment in active citizenship;
- recognition of family associations’ role in society;
- creation of administrative and consultation bodies on family policy at all
levels (national, regional, local): a Ministry for the Family, Agency for the
Family, Board of Associations, etc;
- the possibility of building partnerships with all the social and economic
actors/stakeholders, such as economic organisations, and trade unions, to
find strategic assets in work-life balance;
- awareness campaigns to promote family-friendly and family-promoting
programming on Italian public television;
- the possibility of having public competitions for project-funding not only
based only on single persons, but also on families;
- development of migrant integration policies based on families, with
particular attention drawn to female and jobless migrants;
- a new “educational pact” between parents and teachers in schools and the
promotion of the role of families in school management.
12
ConfederationofFamilyOrganisationsintheEuropeanUnion:A
EuropeanUnionLevelofAction
Introduction
The Confederation of Family Organisations in the European Union (COFACE)7 is
an international non-profit association under Belgian law that raises awareness of
the family dimension of European policies, and promotes solidarity between the
generations and the interests of children within the European Union (EU). It
advocates policies of non-discrimination and equal opportunities between people
and family forms, and supports policies that promote equality between women
and men.
Objectives
COFACE’s key objective is to speak up for families in the European institutions,
with a view to ensuring that proper heed is paid to the family dimension of
European policies. With a view to achieving this, COFACE works in three
complementary directions:
as a spokesperson for family organisations it liaises with the European
authorities in all sectors relating to the rights and interests of families;
it informs national organisations of developments in the European Union,
and encourages greater awareness of the EU dimension;
it organises exchanges of ideas and experiences as well as mutual aid
between family organisations in different countries.
COFACE’s involvement in the PROGRESS programme8 (2008-2010) and in the
European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion9 (2010) has enabled
it to emphasise the role that families play in preventing social exclusion and
poverty, and the ways that they are being affected by the current economic crisis
in Europe. In addition to this current crisis, which is generating questions about
the viability of the European social model and the economic system as a whole,
other crises are just around the corner – such as sustainable development,
migration, and climate change. In all of these areas, COFACE is ready to raise
awareness of the implications that they have for families, and the active roles that
families can play in dealing with them.
7 See http://www.coface-eu.org/en/.
8 See http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=327&langId=en.
9 See http://www.2010againstpoverty.eu/.
13
History
COFACE is an offspring of the International Union of Family Organisations
(IUFO), which was formed in 1947 at the end of an International Conference of
Population and Family held in Paris. The IUFO was organised into ‘regions’, one
of which was Europe10 . When the Treaty of Rome brought the Coal and Steel
Community and EURATOM together to form the European Economic Community
of six-countries in 1957 - and the IUFO was itself just 11 years old - European
family organisations within the IUFO lobbied to create a separate arm for action
and lobbying of the new European institutions. The result of this lobbying was the
European Action Committee, founded in 1958.
This Committee was based at an office in Brussels paid for and run by Belgium’s
family organisation Ligue des Familles Nombreuses. In 1960, this became the
Family Action Committee to the European Communities (le COFACE), but
remained an informal entity under the control of the IUFO. Tensions between the
IUFO, which still had its own European regional arm, and supporters of a ‘de-
facto’ COFACE simmered, only to be finally resolved in 1979 when COFACE
became a confederation (la COFACE) in its own right, and a separate legal entity
under Belgian law. At the time it was agreed that COFACE would be an observer
member of IUFO and that both organisations would co-operate closely, though
over time contacts between the IUFO and COFACE have dwindled.
Since the earliest of days, COFACE has been actively publishing documents and
position papers, and building up a presence within the European institutions. A
major milestone was reached with the passing of the European Parliament
Resolution on European Family Policy in 1983, which was the first formal
declaration of family policy in its entirety by one of the European Community’s
main bodies. COFACE also lobbied actively for the establishment and first
meeting of the Council of Family Ministers. This first took place in 1989 and is
something that the Commission publicly credited COFACE for having achieved.
COFACE also established a series of European family conferences, the first of
which took place in 1987 under the patronage of the King and Queen of Belgium
and with the official sponsorship of the European Commission. These raised the
issue of the family dimension of European policies to the highest levels; three
other conferences followed in 1990 (Rome), 1993 (Brussels), and 1996 (Dublin),
and will be followed later this year (2010) by a conference in Brussels11 .
In the wider European Civil Society Organisation (CSO) ‘landscape’, the founding
of the Platform of European social NGOs (SocialPlatform) in 1995 was a
milestone in the campaign for a social Europe. SocialPlatform now has around
forty member organisations and has become a key player on the European social
10 See De Lestapis (1956) for an early account of the work of the IUFO. The IUFO is now known
as the World Family Organisation; see http://www.worldfamilyorganization.org/.
11 “Social inclusion of families and EU Policies: Where do we stand?” (14-15 October 2010); see
http://coface-eu.org/en/European-Year-2010/for-COFACE/EU-Family-Conference/.
14
policy scene. COFACE was actively involved from the beginning, and sits on
several of its governing bodies and working groups. The representativeness of
SocialPlatform, and therefore its constituent members, means that the EU
institutions consult it regularly, either by inviting delegations or organising
discussion meetings with its members. In addition to COFACE, there are also a
number of other organisations representing family organisations at a European
level; some of these are outlined in Annex 5 for context.
Organisation
COFACE is a pluralistic organisation, with around fifty member organisations
from twenty-two Member States of the European Union (Annex 3). These
member organisations may be generalist national organisations (Union Nationale
des Associations Familiales - France), regional organisations (Gezinsbond -
Flanders, Belgium), organisations with geographical bases (Unión de Escuelas
Familiares Agrarias - Spain), specialist organisations (Club of Large Families -
Slovenia), and those with a more ideological focus (Centre d'Action Laïque -
Belgium). COFACE unites these organisations and acts as their spokesperson in
the European institutions.
All member organisations pay a subscription fee and have the right to speak at
the once-yearly General Assembly, which is open to representatives of all
member organisations and decides on broad lines of action. The General
Assembly elects an Administrative Council, which is the most important executive
structure within COFACE. It has a maximum of two effective members and two
alternate members per country12 , elected for a four-year term of office. The
Council meets three or four times a year and for the purposes of day-to-day
administration, the Council elects a President, the three Vice-Presidents, a
General Secretary and a Treasurer who constitute the Bureau; the Bureau is
geographically and gender balanced. It is the Bureau’s job to monitor the
implementation of decisions taken by the Administrative Council.
Five working groups are open to all member organisations on key policy areas of
interest:
1. Family and social policies;
2. Inclusive policies for disabled and other dependent persons and their
families;
3. Consumer Protection, Services and Public Health Policies;
4. Education and information and communication technologies;
5. Exchange of information and experiences: mutual learning and capacity
building.
12 This depends on the number of members that COFACE has in each country at any one time.
15
Working Groups consist of fifteen or more members which meet twice a year.
The Chair, who is elected by the Administrative Council, publicly represents their
Working Group at internal and external events. Working Groups are responsible
for drafting reports, making recommendations, and after a co-ordinated period of
analysis and debate, propose COFACE position papers for submission to the
Administrative Council. Once adopted, these become the official positions of
COFACE, though it often takes more than one meeting of the Administrative
Council before they are finally agreed upon. This democratic process makes the
products usable by all members of COFACE.
The Secretariat, based in Brussels, coordinates the Working Groups, and
manages regular contacts with the European institutions, in particular the
European Commission, the European Parliament, the Council of Ministers and
the European Economic and Social Committee. It also communicates the
positions and messages of COFACE internally and externally and collaborates
with other important stakeholders at an EU level, such as with social partners
(business and trade unions) and other European NGOs. In practical terms, this
consists of daily work writing the newsletter, maintaining the website,
communicating with members, publishing documents and positions, contacting
the press, networking and working closely with a variety of other organisations
from inside and outside the field of the family, and financial related activities.
These tasks are currently carried out by seven members of staff: the Director,
two Policy Officers, two Project Officers, a Communications Officer and an
Assistant.
In addition to the everyday work of COFACE under the PROGRESS programme,
it is currently organising a high-level conference for the 2010 European Year for
Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion, and is involved in a number of other
projects including FAMILYPLATFORM (working towards development of a
research agenda on the family)13 , DAPHNE (aiming to raise awareness about
people at work who are victims of domestic violence)14 and FLABEL (conducting
research on nutrition labelling so as to develop clearer, more transparent and
understandable nutrition labelling)15 .
TheFamilyDimensionofEuropeanPolicies
Although the word ‘family’ is mentioned in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of
the Union (2000) and the Lisbon Treaty (ratified in 2009), the European Union
has no direct competence in family policy, and as a result Member States are
free to manage family policy as they deem fit. COFACE has consistently argued
that this approach is right and proper, and that family policy must remain the
responsibility of the national, regional or local government. Indeed, promoting the
13 See http://www.familyplatform.eu.
14 See http://coface-eu.org/en/European-Projects/Project-DAPHNE/The-Project/.
15 See http://www.flabel.org/en/.
16
family dimension of current European competencies is not a call for greater EU-
level powers: it is a call for the family dimension of established European
competencies and policies - be they economic, social, employment,
environmental or even agricultural - to be taken into proper account. COFACE
has been making this case ever since 1958.
As early as 1968 the European Commission observed that “Europe is not just
about industries, farmers and technocrats…It must also be for people…”
(European Commission Policy Statement, 1968). It was not until 1983, however,
that the European Parliament acknowledged a specific responsibility to families,
when it declared that “the European Community can no longer ignore the needs
of the family when formulating its policies…family policy should therefore become
an integral part of all Community policies” (European Parliament Resolution on
European Family Policy, 1983). And in 1994 the family dimension of the
European Union’s competencies was finally recognised by the European
Commission, when it accepted that “Even if not directly addressed to families,
most socio-economic and development policies and programmes invariably
affect families” (European Commission, 1994).
This has been COFACE’s raison d’être for over fifty years: raising awareness of
the family dimension of European policies, reminding policy makers of their
responsibilities towards European families, and promoting specific family-friendly
policies at a European level. Alongside a variety of other European level CSOs
and NGOs, COFACE has been actively promoting a social rather than a
business orientated Europe. It is COFACE’s view that there is a constant need to
keep reminding the institutions of their responsibilities and to ensure that they
have the input of family organisations from across the European Union when
formulating policy. This was the purpose of one of COFACE’s most recent
actions - publication of the 2010 Memorandum to the new Commission
(COFACE, 2010) - which listed eleven demands that reflect the outcomes of the
work done by COFACE’s member family associations over the past three years.
COFACE’sPositions
COFACE has contributed to a wide range of EU-level policies, including
maternity and paternity leave, support for family carers, childcare, domestic
violence, education, housing, indebtedness, consumer rights, and new
technologies.
The last few years have been particularly busy, with twenty positions and
recommendations adopted in 2009 alone on issues ranging from critical analysis
of the Framework Agreement on Parental Leave and the Role of maintenance
payments in combating poverty among lone-parent families, to Safer Internet and
Preventing over-indebtedness, personal finance education and action against
banking and financial exclusion (Annex 4). A few of these past and current
17
concerns are detailed below to indicate how COFACE and its members have
lobbied the European institutions on these matters:
Social Protection: Social protection covers the three elements of the ‘family
policy triangle’: resources, services, and time (COFACE HANDICAP, 2001), and
has been the subject of a number of meetings and publications (e.g. COFACE,
1998; COFACE, 2001). COFACE has consistently argued that housing benefits,
unemployment benefits, and child and family benefits, are all necessary supports
for families. It has argued that family benefits should be the right of the child and
be universal (non-means tested), which would ensure that whatever might befall
a family, the child still receives necessary resources; in addition, universality also
helps builds support in the wider population for the allocation of benefits. The
time element of social protection, which is receiving increasing attention at the
European level, includes the various kinds of leave available to families (such as
parental, maternity and paternity). Finally, the services element includes
childcare and specific support for families with special needs.
Although there are big differences between different welfare systems across
Europe, in no country do the benefits provided by governments actually cover the
real costs of having a family, and in some countries, such as Italy, one has to live
on or below the poverty line in order to be eligible to receive any support. While
trade unions have called for a minimum salary for workers, COFACE has joined
calls with other European-level organisations for a European minimum income,
arguing that this is necessary to protect those individuals who are not in work.
Disabled children: The European Commission was initially only concerned with
disability in relation to employment. COFACE raised the profile of the issue by
setting up a special commission on children and families with disabilities, and
later on hosted two European conferences on the topic of brain injury in 1987
and 1988, which grabbed the attention of the Commission. The outcome of this
flurry of work was the establishment in its own right of a European association in
its own right: EBIS (the European Brain Injury Society), co-founded by COFACE.
It continues to work actively with COFACE to this day.
Men and families: The role of men in families has been a high priority for
COFACE for many years. The issue was actually tackled first in Women’s Rights
and Family Policy (COFACE, 1985), which called for men to take a more active
role in the family to ease the burden on women. By 1994 the Commission had
also taken an interest in the issue of fathers, calling it a policy issue and devoting
considerable space to the phenomenon of ‘new fathers’ (European Commission,
1994).
The issue continued to attract European attention, and in 2006 COFACE
published the results of a project titled Men and Families, which argued that
“Examining men’s role in the family effectively means having to look at the
organisation of society in general, and particularly at the huge influence of
18
stereotypes and resistance to change… It is not just men’s role that is in
question, but that of women, too” (COFACE, 2006). A number of
recommendations were put forward, such as training for health workers and
educators, teaching gender equality as a national curriculum subject, and
framework agreements for different types of parental and family leave.
Internet: The widespread adoption and use of the internet over the last twenty
years has led it to becoming something of a hot topic for family organisations and
policy makers.
In 2008, COFACE published its position on the e-Inclusion of families and put
forward a number of recommendations on how to help bridge the digital divide.
More recently, COFACE published Safer Internet, which argued that parents
need support in their role as educations, and that education and co-regulation
are fundamental in tackling issues of internet safety. As part of this area of work,
several seminars have been organised by member organisations in different
countries, most recently a study day took place at the European Economic and
Social Committee on Families and New Technologies16.
The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP): The CAP was an integrated
Community policy from the outset, and it helped to shape the fate of millions of
farming and consuming families. As such, it was a key issue in COFACE’s earlier
days. COFACE contributed policy positions, took part in the Consumers’
Consultative Committee, and lobbied the Commission and Agriculture Ministers.
It also released two documents – The Common Agricultural Policy Revisited
(1981), and The Common Agricultural Policy – Policy Positions (1985). Both
reports stressed the need to put product quality and support for profitable family
farms top of the list. Despite sustained negotiations, powerful vested economic
interests blocked reforms that were acknowledged as necessary.
Today, COFACE has several members specifically representing rural families -
such as the Irish Countrywomen’s Association (Ireland), Familles Rurales
(France) and Unión de Centres De Acción Rural (Spain) - and also has other
member organisations that have a more general concern for issues that affect
rural areas, such as transport, education and services.
Demography: Despite all of the efforts of family organisations including
COFACE in other policy areas, nothing has done more to raise the family
dimension of European policy to policy makers’ attention than has concern about
demographic change in Europe17 . This concern leads directly to the
16 See http://coface-eu.org/en/Education-ICT/ICT/Study-Day-Families-ICT/.
17 Fertility levels are mentioned in a number of FAMILYPLATFORM reports, including Existential
Field 1: Family structures and family forms in the European Union (Beier et al., 2010) and
Transitions into Parenthood (Stauber, 2001), and give credence to what COFACE has been
saying about gender equality: namely, that countries with the most advanced social systems as
regards gender equality have the greatest levels of fertility.
19
FAMILYPLATFORM project, for which this report has been produced.
COFACE was active on demographic issues well before the European
Commission started taking a serious interest in the issue, holding its first
symposium on the subject as early as 1983. COFACE published Families and
demographic facts in 1986, sounding a wake-up call to “give families every
opportunity to have and raise children, thereby being free to make a dignified
contribution to population growth”. Concentrating on policy areas that have the
greatest impact on birth rates, the report gave recommendations on town
planning, employment rights, and youth unemployment amongst others.
COFACE has repeatedly resisted calls for demographic policies aimed solely at
increasing birth rates as ‘political goals which offend the dignity of the family’
(COFACE, 1984: 8); instead, it has made clear that “Any upswing in Europe’s
birth rate must be brought about by a more generous family policy which gives
each couple the chance to have the family they want” (COFACE, 1985: 24).
In 1983, COFACE organised a symposium titled Families, demography and
crisis, which attracted a fair amount of attention, and the French Government,
which at the time held the Presidency of the EEC’s Council of Ministers called for
a report to be drafted on the EEC’s demographic situation. This report, written in
1984, was referred to by the Queen of Holland, the French President, and the
German Chancellor. The ministers responsible for family affairs came together to
pool their national experiences, and in 1989 presented a report with the following
recommendations:
to pursue information actions, particularly through production and
presentation of regular information on demography;
include the family dimension in the establishment of appropriate
Community policies, for example in freedom of persons and equality
between men and women;
regularly exchange of information and views at a Community level on
major themes of common interest as regards family policy and
demography.
The issue continued to be of concern at the European level, with the European
Commission stating in 1994 that the “declining birth rate in almost all Member
States of the Union, fewer marriages, more couples living together and children
born out of wedlock, and a rising divorce rate” are “of considerable concern to the
institutions of the European Union” (European Commission, 1994: 5). In
September 2004, COFACE co-hosted a seminar on population issues with the
European Observatory entitled Social Situation, Demography and the Family.
Shortly afterwards the Commission published a Green Paper titled Confronting
demographic change: a new solidarity between the generations18 . This was
18 See
http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/employment_and_social_policy/situation_in_europe/c101
28_en.htm.
20
followed by a wide-ranging consultation and publication in 2006 of The
demographic future of Europe – from challenge to opportunity19, which led to the
setting up of the European Alliance for Families20 .
The Alliance was formally adopted by the EU’s highest authority, the European
Council in March 2007, to serve as a platform for the exchange of views and
knowledge on family-friendly policies as well as of good practices between
Member States. Practicalities establishing the Alliance included the creation of a
European Observatory on family (which has yet to be set up for budgetary
reasons), facilitating an exchange of views with social partners and civil society,
creation of a specific website, and promoting work on the situation of families and
family-friendly policies under the 7th Framework Programme – which leads
directly to FAMILYPLATFORM.
Challenges
Many of the challenges faced by COFACE at an EU level are shared by other EU
level CSOs:
the need to apply strict transparency standards to ensure that
organisations are fully accountable to their members, society, and to their
funders;
going beyond current membership and reaching out to new organisations,
particularly in the new Member States;
committing to promote and strengthen the geographical representation of
all regions of Europe;
working towards a better gender balance within organisations;
working actively to involve all members within the organisation, looking at
practices that work well, and building the capacity of member
organisations and CSOs more widely when appropriate (SocialPlatform,
2010).
Other challenges are specific to family organisations: foremost that family policy
is not a competence of the European Union. Despite constantly reminding
institutions of their responsibilities towards families, the European Parliament
Resolution on European Family Policy (1983), the resultant budget line on
measures in favour of families and children (1984), and the first Council of Family
Ministers (1989), the European Court of Justice ruled in 1998 that there was
insufficient legal basis for a budget line on family policy. This ruling changed
eligibility criteria for core funding grants that COFACE had enjoyed for close to
13 years and led to the family being dubbed a “negative priority” by certain
19 See
http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/employment_and_social_policy/situation_in_europe/c101
60_en.htm.
20 See http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/emplweb/families/index.cfm?langId=en&id=1.
21
Commission officials, leading to a period of much reduced activity at COFACE.
Although PROGRESS currently enables COFACE to run its five Working Groups,
employ staff, and be actively involved in shaping policy debate on the family in
relation to poverty and social exclusion, it is not clear what will happen when it
ends in 2013.
As already mentioned, COFACE does not call for family policy to become a
competence of the European Union, though it does call for its policies to take the
family into account. This is made more difficult by the fact that the political forces
present at a European Union level are not equally engaged on the issue of the
family: while some have shied away from involvement, others have been much
more involved. For COFACE, it is important that all political options engage in the
debate on family policies, and it is an on-going challenge to ensure that all
political options do engage with the family dimension of European policies.
The recent expansion of the EU has led to additional challenges facing
organisations at the EU level. In the family field at least, the shared experiences
of ‘old’ and ‘new’ Member Sates are understandably quite different, and different
views prevail regarding a number of contentious issues, requiring a period of
building-up of trust and friendship. Organisations in the ‘new’ Member States
face the additional challenge of a relatively undeveloped civil society – meaning
that CSOs in general face a more precarious situation, and are still undergoing
considerable change and development. The current economic crisis, and future
expansion of the EU, no doubt means that this will continue to be an issue.
COFACE tries to ensure that family organisations facing a precarious future are
supported, and that the knowledge and experience of more established
organisations is shared with those who have had fewer opportunities to organise
themselves. As stated succinctly by SocialPlatform: “The strength of European
organisations depends on the strength of their members. If these organisations
are not recognized and valued at national level, it is likely that their involvement
at EU level will be diminished…There is therefore a role for European networks
to empower national organisations not yet equipped with the relevant policy
frameworks to become efficient watchdogs at national level” (SocialPlatform,
2010: 5).
Increasingly, family issues are being approached from the perspective of equal
opportunities, non-discrimination, gender equality, the role of men in families, and
changes in life courses. With the 2010 European Year for Combating Poverty
and Social Exclusion, the focus has broadened more widely to the spread of
poverty, increasing inequalities, and social exclusion. EU enlargement has
thrown an even harsher spotlight on these problems, and social NGOs at a
European level have been working together to ensure that the new 2020
Agenda21 focusses at least some of its attention on the issue of disadvantage
21 This sets out the next ten year vision (2010-2020) of Europe's social market economy; see
http://ec.europa.eu/eu2020/index_en.htm.
22
and inequality. For organisations that have focused on these issues, the
challenge is to ensure the continued focus after the end of the 2010 Year.
Finally, in the current ‘age of austerity’, COFACE has been arguing of that cuts to
welfare budgets can easily fuel poverty. Pointing out that the social protection
systems of Europe have prevented a massive increase in poverty over the last
few years, it has argued that European governments must ring-fence social
protection systems from cuts, and therefore find alternative sources of finances
to tackle national deficits. One possible solution to this would be a tax on
financial and currency speculation, which would involve a redistribution of wealth
from the financial and speculative sector to individuals and families. For
COFACE, the redistribution of wealth at a time of increasing inequalities across
Europe is a question not only of equity, but of social justice too.
23
MouvementMondialdesMères:AGlobalLevelofAction
“One factor remains constant: the timeless importance of mothers and their
invaluable contribution to raising the next generation”
- Ban Ki Moon, UN Secretary General, 15 May 2009
Introduction
The family and - even more so - family policy, are sensitive issues at a national
level where there is the simultaneous need to maintain a fragile balance between
the privacy, free-choice and independence of an individual, versus the state’s
desire to ensure the wellbeing of its population. Organisations - whether they be
grassroots, community-based, or non-governmental -, often run by committed
volunteers attuned to the constraints, sensitivities and practicalities of such
personal intervention, can be much more effective at raising public awareness
and implementing family-friendly policies than public authorities. They can also,
in good working relationships with academic institutions and governments, alert
those advising and making social policy of unexpected consequences of policies
on the family.
When these issues are considered at regional and global level, the situation is
further complicated by transnational cultural, ethnic and religious diversity, and
the desire for national sovereignty. International activities always make it
necessary to put aside differences and find common ground. The highest
international institution - the United Nations - does not have legislative powers,
nor can it implement policies. Representatives of Member Nations in the various
sessions work together on the texts of thematic documents on which all 192
member states must agree, and only then may they choose to ratify the
document. Only NGOs can encourage their governments to implement what they
have promised to do in a given sphere. NGOs have significant power to ensure
that international directives are properly and fully implemented at the national
level.
For these reasons, the importance of civil society organisations working in
complementary collaboration with academic, national, regional and international
institutions should not be underestimated. This is how Mouvement Mondial des
Mères (MMM/World Movement of Mothers)22, sees its role at all levels: from the
grassroots, to policy implementation. MMM is an example of an NGO working
globally to support mothers and highlighting the importance of their social and
economic role in the heart of the family and beyond the home.
22 See http://www.mouvement-mondial-des-meres.org/.
24
MMMinaNutshell
MMM is an international NGO in General Consultative Status with the United
Nations Economic and Social Council and Department for Public Information,
while MMM’s European Delegation enables the organisation to work effectively
with the European Commission and European Parliament. For 60 years MMM
has federated associations from widely different backgrounds working with and
for mothers to ensure at least the basics of human security and improved quality
of life. The input of a mother and a father in bringing up children is - or should be
- symbiotic, equal, different but complementary. However, mothers believe that
they have a most profound and lasting influence from a child’s earliest moments.
For this reason MMM seeks to address many social issues through the natural
authority of mothers.
To reinforce its open, inclusive character, MMM defines itself as an independent,
apolitical and non-denominational movement. It is managed by mothers who
volunteer to organise, support and represent Member Associations throughout
the world: in short, MMM is run by mothers, for mothers and their children and
family. The wide range of issues covered by MMM reflects not only a mother’s
essential multi-tasking skills, but also the diversity of its Member Associations. All
of the different levels of activities - practical, and institutional and international
networking - enhance each other.
MissionandVision
The founding document of principles of MMM states: “A mother is the most
powerful influence on the life of the family and, therefore, on the cultural,
economic and social life of the nation. It is vital that public opinion and
policymakers recognise and value the irreplaceable contribution of mothers
throughout the world”23 . Therefore, MMM supports the action of mothers for
peace and human security by:
helping mothers as the first educators of their children to fulfil all their
responsibilities: family, professional, social and civic;
raising awareness and obtain recognition for a mother’s mission, the
social and economical value of her work with the general public and policy
makers, in laws and in international conventions;
fighting against different forms of violence, exclusion, discrimination and
exploitation that affect mothers.
The specificity of MMM is that it works with issues of concern to mothers (and
therefore, women), the family and children: mothers are the living link between
23 Extract from the Mothers’ Charter, available at:
http://www.mouvement-mondial-des-meres.org/eng/identity/charter.html.
25
these sometimes conflicting roles. Mothers do everything that women do, but in
addition they have made a commitment to bear and raise children, which is a
huge investment in - and direct influence on - the future; this is a fundamentally
important dimension to add to the normal concerns and activities of women.
This is why the mother at the heart of the family and the community is an
effective resource for all family-focused stakeholders and why MMM encourages
the inclusion of mothers in decision-making processes at all levels, bringing to
this the benefit of their specific expertise as mothers. MMM believes that policy
beneficial to mothers can only be successfully developed with the direct input of
mothers. Mothers can be agents of peace – a source of experience, strength,
resilience, communication and mediation to help prevent, resolve and recover
from family and community dysfunction and to build an integrated and inclusive
society. This is what MMM seeks to encourage mothers, policy-makers, opinion
formers and the general public to recognise.
To date, most communities and societies have, however, not granted mothers
the corresponding public influence that their responsibilities and quiet on-going
actions deserve. Ultimately, mothers’ participation in public life might also give
their societies a better chance of survival in the long run.
History
MMM formed as a result of the work of the Feminine Civic and Social Union
(UFCS). The UFCS was active in France in the 1930s, raising awareness about
the problems faced by many mothers as they became increasingly active outside
the home. It demanded that mothers be given a truly free choice between going
to work and staying at home, and it is thanks to these pioneers that family
allowances were granted in France.
During the Second World War women met the challenge of fulfilling the
responsibilities of men while they were away at war; women, particularly
mothers, kept alive not only their family, but also their national economy and the
very fabric of society. But these women simultaneously had no say in the
decisions which had so devastated their lives. This experience led women to
realise that mothers are responsible for transmitting to their children from the
earliest of years the values of responsibility, respect and peace – they wished to
actively contribute to a peaceful future and to the economic and social
developments of the time.
In this spirit, the UFCS organised an international congress in 1947 at the new
UNESCO building in Paris, where delegates from 26 nations of the world
debated the theme: “Mothers Work for Human Progress”. Denouncing the
horrors of war, participants asserted their determination to repair the ruins, to
recreate conditions for lasting peace and to build a better world for their children.
26
At the close of the congress it was unanimously decided to found MMM and to
adopt the text of the Mothers’ Charter for its underlying principles.
In the aftermath of the war, there were still divisions between the peoples of
Europe, but MMM understood from the start the importance of an inclusive
approach to building a lasting peace. As MMM has developed links with many
countries, its vision has been shared by associations worldwide. In 1949 MMM
was granted Special Consultative Status to the Economic and Social Council at
the United Nations, and in 2004 MMM was granted General Consultative Status
– one of only 135 NGOs with this status out of over 3,000 non-governmental
organisations active at the UN. Since 2001, MMM has been developing a
working relationship with the European Union’s authorities.
Organisation
All MMM members ultimately refer to the Paris office which ensures the unity of
MMM in all its members’ mission and activities. However, the different elements
constituting the structure of MMM are all interlinked and communicate
extensively to ensure shared information, vision, experience and expertise.
The head office: MMM’s head office (‘the hub’) is based in Paris, and deals with
day-to-day administration and coordinates all MMM activities. It is staffed solely
by volunteers and the team based there currently consists of the Secretary
General and Treasurer, aided by mothers who volunteer to take on a specific
responsibility in the running of the organisation.
Internally, the hub:
communicates through a monthly electronic newsletter to all members,
through email and telephone communications, including international
conference calls;
informs, motivates and supports members;
develops training sessions for members to improve their associative skills;
assists in international representation of the organisation, acting as the
interface between the grassroots members and the representatives to the
international institutions whose decisions impact on their lives.
Externally, the hub:
communicates through the website;
ensures presence at international conferences, collaboration with other
organisations;
initiates research;
oversees publications;
organises international conferences and workshops;
27
investigates applications for membership;
raises funds for members’ projects and for awareness-raising work;
develops projects with members and other international organisations.
In addition to the hub, MMM sends representatives to the UN (New York,
Geneva, Paris, Vienna, and other worldwide locations for specific sessions) and
to the EU institutions.
Members: Members comprise associations adhering to the principles of MMM.
These include –
regional MMM associations, such as MMM Europe, which represents the
interests of the European Member Associations and works with the
European Commission and the European Parliament (see below);
national MMM associations, such as MMM France, MMM Lebanon, MMM
Mali, and MMM England (a grassroots association of local relevance,
linking mothers with local and national government and organising training
sessions, conferences, discussion groups, etc);
Member Associations, which include a wide variety of grassroots
organisations encompassing action in fields such as education, training,
health, rural development, social legislation, strengthening the family,
combating substance abuse, and supporting mothers in distress (Annex
6).
Individual mothers are also involved in MMM, working with MMM and fulfilling
specific tasks for MMM.
Board of Governors: The governing body of MMM is elected from the members,
both associations represented by an agreed delegate, and individuals. The
composition of the board aims to reflect the geographical spread and range of
different experiences of MMM’s members. The Board of Governors elects the
President, Vice-Presidents, Secretary General and Treasurer. The Board of
Governors –
develops MMM strategy to present to the members;
discusses how issues raised by the members should be dealt with;
deals with membership applications. Decisions of the Board are always
ratified by the members in General or Extraordinary Assembly.
Informal panel of experts and advisors: These are international specialists -
some MMM members, some not - on whom MMM can draw for specific advice
on sensitive issues, such as family policy in various countries, inter-faith
dialogue, law, mental health, and matters relating to security in its widest sense.
28
Activities
Grassroots Activities: International aspect of MMM’s activities make it
necessary to find common ground: that is the powerful influence of mothers in
their families and in their communities as agents of peace and security. The wide
range of MMM network’s grassroots activities shows the involvement of mothers
in multiple fields, such as education, health, social and economical development,
prevention.
Enfance sans drogue – France: Training mothers to speak effectively with
their children about drug abuse and raising awareness about this issue
amongst young people in schools.
Accion Familiar – Spain: Family counselling and support, drug prevention,
mother’s workshops, immigrants counselling, university Chair for the
family;
ONG Repères (“Reference Points”) – Ivory Coast: Raising awareness
among parents and training them about health and education issues,
informing parents about their role in preparing children to live in their
communities, training and information through ‘Life schools’, training
seminars and workshops, youth camps, conferences, forums, dinner
debates, round tables, open days, meeting places. Counselling: through
support groups, creative activities groups, health groups.
Ligue Marocaine pour la Protection de l’Enfance – Morocco: Defending
the rights of the child, promoting child health and education, training and
information in the field of mother and child, orphanages, facilitating
adoption, crèches, schools, day care centres, health centres, literacy
classes, development of a National Centre for the Mother and Child.
The Rural Reconstruction Foundation – Bangladesh: Agricultural
practices, woodland management, fish farming, rural economics, disaster
management and reconstruction. Literacy classes, women’s development,
health and hygiene, citizenship.
Fundalam – Argentina: maternal health, supporting young mothers and
raising awareness of the importance of the mother-child bond and
prevention of early pregnancies.
Interactions with the United Nations: As an NGO with General Consultative
Status to the UN, MMM seeks to –
participate in all high level meetings in New York;
produce oral and written statements;
attend information meetings, forums, commissions organised by the UN;
be an active agent in panel discussions;
actively participate in Working Groups on issues linked with the MMM
mission;
address petitions to the Secretary General office.
29
Representation and work at the UN and the EU involve a lot of interaction with
other international and European organisations. Although every organisation has
its own specific mission and identity, effective partnership including joint
ventures, petitions and statements are recognised as having the greatest impact.
MMM works with a wide range of Member Associations throughout the world and
is likewise challenged navigating the diversity of organisations it collaborates
with. Finding common ground and consensus is essential, but being at the
crossroads between women’s and family issues and contributing to groups
dealing with both these issues gives MMM broadened perspectives which are
most useful for an inclusive approach to family and mothers’ concerns.
United Nations and EU Representatives send MMM regular reports that the head
office summarises and disseminates to its members. Members are also invited to
attend UN and EU meetings on which they have specific expertise. They are also
asked to send regular contributions on issues proposed by the UN and EU
agendas to be relayed by MMM representatives in debates/working groups.
Contributions may also concern publications such as what is projected presently
by the branch of family affairs at DESA (ECOSOC Department of Economic and
Social Affairs) on “Family policy and men in families” and by FAMILYPLATFORM
at the EU on “The State of mothers in Europe”.
An important means of raising awareness of mothers’ issues, of transmitting
MMM’s message, of networking with other NGOs, and reinforcing MMM’s
network of members and partner organisations are conferences, and these have
included:
conference in Beirut (2003): The Role of Mothers in Peace Building and
Security;
seminar in Madrid (2005): Conciliating Family and Professional Life;
congress at UNESCO (2007, Paris): Mothers Work for Peace;
conference at the academy of Defence (2008, Oxford UK): A Secure
Society for the 21st Century – Why Mothers Matter;
session at the United Nations DPI (Department of Public Information)
conference in UNESCO (2008, Paris for the 60th Anniversary of the
declaration of Human Rights): Mothers, a cohesive force: Mobilising
mothers for the implementation of Human dignity and Rights for everyone
and fighting discrimination.
European Activities: MMM Europe has its own status as a Regional MMM
Association and represents the European members of MMM to the European
institutions. It is comprised of a team of volunteers with specific responsibilities.
When required by specific projects, MMM Europe hires a project manager paid
by the project commissioner. MMM Europe brings a global perspective to
European family matters, and –
30
brings the practical grassroots expertise of MMM members to the EU;
follows reports (initiative and legislative) presented and discussed at the
European Parliament and attends specific Parliamentary Commissions;
contacts MEP to discuss specific matters related to MMM’s mission;
writes position papers;
attends and participates in conferences, meetings and colloquia;
takes part in European projects;
communicates with its members through a web site.
Interactions with National Governments: Actions include –
MMM France, which maintains regular contacts with government officials,
deputies and ministries concerning women’s issues - raises awareness
and makes proposals - currently concerning parental leave and mothers’
pensions.
MMM Lebanon, which participates in an NGO network lobbying
government to reinforce women’s rights and more specifically campaigns
for the right of Lebanese women to transmit nationality to their children.
Donneurope Federcasalinghe (Italy), which has contributed to a law
protecting women’s rights in the context of domestic accidents and raises
awareness on issue of mother’s pensions.
BarriersandChallenges
Organisations such as MMM often face challenges, some shared by other global-
level NGOs and others specific to MMM.
Unpaid work: Whether it takes place at home or in voluntary organisations,
volunteering is often underestimated in its scope and impact. Volunteers must
reconcile voluntary service with their family and workplace commitments, and this
means that their valuable input is always part-time. Maintaining continuity and
follow-up is an additional priority and challenging task for their organisation.
However, volunteers show a deep understanding of and commitment to their
cause; they are grounded in the practical, and use their time effectively. In short,
they are not ‘just doing a job’: they give of themselves wholeheartedly to the
cause.
Funding: Is always an issue, particularly in the current financial climate. It is
clear that regular funding is vital for the effective functioning of any organisation.
However, MMM only taps sources of funding that respect and preserve its innate
independence. MMM also encourages and helps its regional, national and local
associations to benefit from funding for relevant concrete projects.
Communication: With no travelling budget, it is difficult to help some member
association representatives with their travelling expenses. These expenses are
31
essential to ensure participation at MMM meetings and facilitate the “person-to-
person” contacts that provide the necessary cement to communication and
collaboration. In the same way, MMM staff members do not have a budget to visit
Member Associations in their own country.
Other concrete factors also impact on close communication with some members:
the international context of restrictive security measures for instance, does not
help members who wish to travel from reputably unstable countries. Obtaining a
visa, for instance, can turn into an exhausting hurdle of obstacles that
discourages people who already face difficult life conditions. Infrastructure in
some countries is not always reliable and this can be a challenge to effective and
regular collaboration.
Mothers: MMM’s mission is not always well understood: “Why would mothers
need help?” is a quote from correspondence with the UK Charities Commission
when MMM England applied to become a charity. Single, black, teenage mothers
can be considered a ‘charitable purpose’ but not mothers in general. And yet, we
find that they are in need, and ask for support balancing responsibilities inside
and outside the home. They need recognition for their investment in the future.
Discrimination: “What about fathers?” This is an accusation sometimes levelled
at MMM. The principles of MMM underline the importance of the different, but
complementary nature of the input of mother and father. While MMM encourages
and approves of any approach highlighting the role of both parents, MMM’s
specific mission is to focus on mothers. It is therefore important, to build good
collaborative relations with many different, but like-minded entities, to identify
common ground and to build effective working relationships with other
organisations. In this way, family-focused organisations can put an international
spotlight on the importance of the family.
FromtheGrassrootstothePolicyLevel
The following few examples of MMM’s work demonstrate how activities can
reach from the grassroots family level to the policy level, and how the
international reach of MMM benefits and enriches activities of its Member
Associations at local, national and regional level. At the same time this
interactive, dynamic relationship underpins our partnerships with other
institutions regionally (such as with the EU and NATO) and globally (MMM input
at the United Nations). The first example shows how MMM, working with
international institutions, integrates and stimulates the work of associations at
local, national, regional and international level.
From UNESCO’s Decade for a Culture of Peace to MMM Mothers’
Workshops: The starting point of MMM’s renewed focus on the role of mothers
in building peace and security was the implementation of the Decade for a
32
Culture of Peace programmed by the United Nations. UN Resolution 1325
(adopted in 2000), confirmed the “importance of the role of women in the
prevention and resolution of conflicts and in peace building”. It underlined the
“equal importance of their participation and total involvement in peace-keeping
and security”. Kofi Annan also declared: “In war-torn societies, women keep
society going. They maintain the social fabric… Women are often the prime
advocates of peace. We must ensure that women are enabled to play a full part
in peace negotiations, in peace processes, in peace missions”. MMM felt it
appropriate to highlight how women in their role as mothers can contribute to
peace building
In 2003, MMM organised a conference at the UN building in Beirut entitled The
Role of Mothers in Peace Building and Security. This event brought together 350
women, mostly mothers from all of the communities present in Lebanon. These
women, who had not been in contact in the 12 years since the war, started
talking to each other. The outcome was the creation of MMM Lebanon, which
aimed to continue this dialogue focusing on family and the role of mothers in
building a secure society. Another outcome of the Beirut conference was to raise
awareness among MMM members: they could see their local, national and
regional activities in the context of the international scene. The following year,
MMM made a presentation at the UN about this work at the Commission on the
Status of Women addressing the main issue of “Women's equal participation in
conflict prevention, management and conflict resolution and in post conflict peace
building” to raise awareness about the role mothers can play in building peace.
A further outcome of the Beirut international conference was its impact on the
work of MMM France. Research carried out by MMM France had identified that
mothers often feel isolated and less able to cope with their children. The
traditional “mother-to-daughter” transmission of parental skills falls short when it
comes to coping with new educational challenges in a fast changing world. A
relevant example is how to educate children to use new technologies: computer
equipment, videos, internet social networks, mobile phones – and the
subsequent increase of peer influences. A need of connecting with other mothers
experiencing the same type of situations was expressed. Starting with informal
discussion groups between themselves, a “mothers talk to mothers” workshop
activity was initiated: the facilitator, a mother herself, was there not for explicit
training purposes, but to help mothers realise that they have many innate skills,
can share experience and build mutual understanding.
MMM’s global outreach and activities helped MMM France to develop this action
one step further. After the Beirut conference, MMM France widened the scope of
workshops by implementing “Relay Mothers’ Workshops” targeting mothers in
difficult French suburban areas riddled with underlying community conflicts:
mothers at the heart of the family proved that they can help to build social
cohesion. An important part of the programme was the involvement of the local
authorities to give mothers the necessary recognition to reinforce their natural
33
authority as mothers and motivate them to become more proactive – not only in
their families but in their neighbourhoods.
Rioting in the suburbs of Paris in 2005 sparked heightened interest in MMM’s
workshops on social cohesion: the district of Colombes, where MMM workshops
had been running, would have been expected to be in the forefront of the
violence, but actually remained calm. This led the French government to sponsor
a survey and programme through the national Living Better Together Agenda
which was completed in 2008: a practical tool for collaborative decision-making
and joint action between the local actors and mothers to deal with dysfunctional
communities.
MMM’s 60th Anniversary Congress in 2007 at UNESCO Paris was titled Mothers
Work for Peace, and further highlighted this best practice among other MMM
members. The outcome was that many Member Associations, such as Spain,
England, Lebanon and the Ivory Coast, wanted to implement the workshops in
their own countries, addressing specific issues of concern to them, such as
integration for migrant women in Spain, or the prevention of recruitment to violent
extremism and radicalisation in England.
In 2008, MMM England hosted MMM’s international AGM and organised, in
partnership with the Institute of Statecraft and Governance, a conference at the
Defence Academy of the United Kingdom entitled A Secure Society for the 21st
Century – Why Mothers Matter.
The UK armed Forces are currently faced with the challenge of ensuring security
in a globalised world in which the nature of conflict has changed and has taken
on multiple forms (economic, technological, societal, and ideological) which far
exceeds a traditional mission of defence. This involves new approaches which
include the necessity of civilian input where the intervention of institutions has not
proven adequate and reactive enough: the speed of change outpaces the
capacity of the institutions to adapt. Subsequently, the Academy of Defence is
looking into strategies to anticipate conflict situations that would be best resolved
by the actors of civil society themselves, and therefore organises seminars of
research with civil society organisations such as MMM.
The conference was an opportunity to exchange and share experiences between
mothers belonging to MMM Member Associations, other community-based
organisations fighting violence and the UK Armed Forces on common concerns
such as violence, drugs, delinquency and extremism in society. Representatives
of the Armed Forces and the Home Office were particularly interested in MMM’s
programme of workshops for mothers in disadvantaged urban areas. An in-depth
seminar was organised by the Defence Academy and MMM England in which
MMM France made a presentation on Living Better Together Agenda –
powerfully highlighting the link between what is taught at home in the family and
behaviour in the community. MMM’s association in Spain has begun the
34
Entremadres workshops and plans to disseminate this model in Spanish-
speaking countries in South America, and Repères (Reference Points) in the
Ivory Coast plans is to use the model in their training for young people in
responsible parenting.
This example underlines how international partnerships and interaction at all
levels make MMM effective in its field of activity – enabling mothers to ensure
peace and human security for their children and families.
MMM Serbia in an advanced research workshop in partnership with NATO:
The second example shows that despite MMM’s multi-directional dynamism,
follow-up remains a major challenge which cannot always be met.
MMM Serbia - a grassroots association - had requested MMM’s assistance in
dealing with the emerging symptoms of trauma in their children. Partnering with
NATO gave MMM the opportunity of co-organising an Advanced Research
Workshop on Developing Strategies to Deal with Trauma in Children and
Adolescents: A Means of Ensuring Conflict Prevention, Security and Social
Stability (see ARM, 2005), precisely focusing on the case brought up by MMM
Serbia.
During the workshop, professionals and non-professionals from nineteen
countries looked at integrated strategies of practical activities in which non-
professionals complemented the work of professionals to deal with the
consequences of conflict in children and adolescents – as victims, witnesses and
perpetrators of this violence. It soon became apparent, however, that many
Serbian participants were themselves traumatised, and that this needed to be
addressed before any work on traumatised children and adolescents could
properly take place.
Attempts at organising workshops to address this trauma failed due to the great
difficulty of co-ordinating disparate agendas and availabilities of potential
volunteer facilitators, translators and workshop participants. MMM Serbia did
manage to develop a programme For children with children aiming to raise
awareness of children’s rights, and develop active participation of children to
local community plans with adults and helped by professionals in many Serbian
localities. One of the outcomes for MMM was providing MMM Serbia with tools
and contacts to implement the strategy but irregular contact up to 2007, and a
subsequent loss of contact with MMM Serbia has not enabled MMM to support
MMM Serbia towards a fully successful outcome.
Mainstreaming family policy at the global level – The Doha Process: A
powerful example of this effective, collaborative and global outreach is the Doha
Process that proves that very different transnational actors with a common vision
and mission can effectively bring family issues to the fore on a global level. The
Doha International Conference for the Family in 2004 was the culmination of
35
preparatory sessions held worldwide; MMM attended the sessions held in
Geneva.
The event celebrated the United Nations’ 10th Anniversary of the International
Year of the Family. It brought together global research and studies on the family
with the views and experience of representatives of civil society and international
institutions and organisations. The conference agreed the text of the Declaration
of the Rights of the Family as the reaffirmation of long-standing international
commitments to the natural family. This was ratified by the UN General Assembly
as the “Doha Declaration”.
MMM contributed a chapter to “The Family as a Source of Strength and Life-
skills: The Role of Authoritative Parenting in Building Resilience” (Loveless &
Holman (eds.), 2007), which was an outcome of this process of the Doha
International Conference for the Family. Collaboration in the Doha Process has
led to further involvement in international family-focused events. As it becomes
increasingly evident from research in many countries of the world that one of the
major signs of the disintegration of traditional values, attitudes and institutions is
the unprecedented breakdown of family - the foundation of social stability and
wellbeing - it is vital that cohesive and collective action is taken to reverse this
trend.
Conclusion:CommonalitiesandConsensusPrinciples
For MMM, promoting the family - with the mother as its pivotal force and a role
model in the community - must be a continual process at all levels. At the global
level, organisations such as MMM can stimulate and enable collaborative
projects between local, national, regional and international entities and can
continue to raise awareness in an attempt to mainstream beneficial family policy.
Such a sensitive and culturally specific issue cannot be the subject of “global
policy” – and probably not a regional one either. It is not just an issue of national
sovereignty, but rather of a national government’s intimate knowledge in
collaboration with civil society of the diverse families that make up its population.
MMM targets a wide range of sensitivities and cultures and mothers reflect this
immense diversity; their various concerns are addressed in totally different ways
around the world. In the EU, mothers’ needs could be a better conciliation of
family and work, to have the time to be with their children. In developing
countries, it would be developing resource generating activities to support
themselves and their children and an improved status as women.
Yet, experience shows that there are strong commonalities between all mothers
and this is what has to be highlighted in the search for “common ground” to work
upon. These strong commonalities, such as addressing and meeting children’s
needs, fuel the responsive and responsible attitude of mothers over the world.
36
They emphasise ‘common knowledge’, such as “Educate a woman, and her
whole family will be educated”, or that an overwhelming majority of micro credit
clients are women because of their reliability.
Moreover, awareness about the importance of women being part of decision-
making processes is increasing all the time and concerns every field of activity:
business, peace building, policy making and social issues. Implementation is
slow and patchy, but the top-to-bottom and bottom-up process from UN
resolutions to grassroots implementation and up again is nevertheless present
with challenging success stories and best practices which should inspire further
implementation.
Among women, mothers are a pivotal force in their families; they are the main
actors affected by family policy measures. For these reasons and in the context
of what has been said here above, women as mothers should participate in the
family policy making process. Mothers’ active contributions guarantee that family
policy measures adequately respond to the real needs of families.
In a search of general family policy guidelines in the frame of
FAMILYPLATFORM, MMM recommends that the direct contribution of European
mothers themselves be encouraged and facilitated. They represent the diversity
of cultures and are bonded by the strong commonalities. Consulting them and
integrating their expertise, not only at a professional level, but also as mothers in
decision taking processes, would not only conciliate the necessity of respecting
diversities, but also build common guidelines and consensus principles to help
EU countries in encouraging innovative, coherent and productive measures to
support families.
37
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38
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39
Annex1–FDAFMemberOrganisations
1. AAF – Associazione Aiuto Famiglia (Helping Families Association) offers
counselling for young people, engaged and married couples and divorced
parents.
2. ABC – Associazione Bambini Cerebrolesi (Mentally-disabled Children
Association) promotes the rights of children with mental disabilities and supports
the role of the family as the first care-giver of disabled children.
3. ACI – Azione Cattolica Italiana (Italian Catholic Association): promotes education
in catholic values for adults and children.
4. ACLI – Associazioni Cristiane Lavoratori Italiani (Christian Association of Italian
Workers) helps in building networks of mutual help, promoting active citizenship
and the family.
5. AFI – Associazione delle Famiglie (Families’ Association), promotes the
participation of families in civil society, and considers the family a primary
resource.
6. AFN – Azione per Familgie Nuove (Action for new Families) is involved in
promoting family-related values.
7. AGE – Associazione Italiana Genitori (Italian Parents’ Association) promotes the
active citizenship of parents in the community and in school-life.
8. AGESC – Associazione Genitori Scuole Cattoliche (Association of Catholic
Schools’ Parents) promotes the involvement of parents in school-life and the
freedom of choice in education.
9. AIART – Associazione Spettatori Onlus (Audience Association Onlus) protects
ethical and cultural interests of media consumers.
10. AIBI – Amici dei Bambini is a non-governmental organisation created by a
movement of adoptive and foster families.
11. AIFA – Associazione Italiana Famiglie ADHD helps and supports families with
children affected by Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
12. ALLEANZA CATTOLICA promotes family according to the social teaching of the
Catholic Church.
13. ANFE – Associazione Nazionale Famiglie Emigrati (National Association of
Migrant Families) helps migrant families.
14. ANNI – Associazione Nazionale Nuova Idea (National Association New Idea)
supports older and disabled people, and military families.
15. ANSPI – Associazione Nazionale San Paolo Italia – Oratori e Circoli (Saint Paul
National Association) supports young people in informal communities dedicated
to education and assistance (e.g. Oratori).
16. ASC – Associazione Salesiani Cooperatori, especially devoted to young people.
17. Associazione Comunità Papa Giovanni XXIII is an association of families
devoted to help marginalised persons: migrants, orphans, prostitutes.
18. Associazione Famiglie per l’Accoglienza is a movement of adoptive and foster
families.
19. Associazione Far Famiglia supports parenting.
20. Associazione Nazionale Famiglie Numerose (National Association of Large
Families) is a network of large families (4+ children, naturally born or adopted).
21. Confederazione Italiana Consultori Familiari di ispirazione cristiana is involved in
sexual education and counselling, for couples and young people: sexual and
fertility problems, prevention, education.
40
22. CHP – Associazione Charles Péguy (Charles Péguy Association) promotes
initiatives in support of childhood.
23. CIF – Centro Italiano Femminile (Italian Female Association) promotes the role of
women in society and in the family.
24. COLDIRETTI supports rural families and family-run rural enterprises.
25. Confederazione Italiana dei centri per la regolazione naturale della fertilità,
promotes the knowledge of methods for the natural regulation of fertility
26. CONFEDEREX – Confederazione Italiana Ex Alunni di Scuola Cattolica groups
together all the persons who formerly studied in Catholic schools.
27. FAES – an alliance of teachers and parents built in order to create schools in
which education is personalised and “tailored” on pupils.
28. Associazione Famiglie Separate Cristiane helps divorced and separated families.
29. Federazione Italiana ex allievi di don Bosco groups together all the persons who
studied in Salesian Catholic schools and their families.
30. FISIAE – Federazione Italiana Sportiva Istituti Attività Educative (National Sport
Association) promotes the educational aspects of sport.
31. GRIS – Gruppo di Ricerca e Informazione Socio-Religiosa (Research Group on
Social and Religious Information) promotes meeting and discussions on media
and information.
32. Il Melograno (The Pomegranate) promotes civil and social rights of widowed
people.
33. Istituto Pro Familia (Pro-family Association) promotes the values of family and
marriage
34. Istituto Santa Famiglia (The Holy Family Association) is a laical order for married
people.
35. KFS – Katholischer Familienverband Sudtirol (Catholic Families of Sudtirol)
promotes family in the north-eastern Region of Alto Adige in Italy.
36. Lega Consumatori (The Consumers League) monitors and defends consumers’
rights.
37. MCL – Movimento Cristiano Lavoratori (the Christian Movement of Italian
Workers) helps build networks of mutual help and promote active citizenship of
workers and the family.
38. MOICA – Movimento Italiano Casalinghe (Italian Housekeepers Association) is a
movement of housekeepers.
39. MPV – Movimento per la Vita (Pro-life Movement) it works in the national pro-life
field.
40. MRC – Movimento di Rinascita Cristiana (Christian Renewal Movement) is a
catholic cultural movement.
41. Movimento Tra Noi is a movement helping immigrants, especially young women.
42. NOI – Oratori e circoli parrocchiali, supports young people in informal
communities dedicated to education and assistance (e.g. Oratori) especially in
parishes.
43. OFS – Ordine Francescano Secolare is the laymen branch of Franciscan
movement.
44. RNS – Rinnovamento nello Spirito (Renewal in the Holy Spirit) is a catholic
movement of laymen and families.
45. Separati Fedeli is an association of people with a broken marriage, faithful to
catholic teaching.
46. SIDEF – Sindacato delle Famiglie is a pool that promotes the participation of
families in civil society, considering family as a primary resource of the society.
47. UCIPEM is involved in sexual education and counselling, for couples and young
41
people.
48. UFHA – Unione Famiglie Handicappati is a national association that supports the
role of the family as the first care-giver of disabled children.
49. UGCI – Unione Giuristi Cattolici Italiani (Italian Catholic Jurist Association) is a
federation of catholic jurists especially involved in marriage and family topics.
Source: http://www.forumfamiglie.org (in Italian).
42
Annex2–FDAFConferences
Each year on the 15th of May, FDAF has organises a conference to celebrate the
International Day of Families, promoted by the United Nations in 1994. The subject of
these conferences is listed below:
Year Conference
2002 The Family: A Social Subject and a Resource for the Whole Community
In collaboration with the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies and the
Lazio Region, the first conference focused on the importance of having an
explicit and coherent family policy at national and local level.
2003 The Family: A Challenge for the European Union
“The Family should be considered the basis of the social cohesion in the
European Union”. According to this statement, this conference focused on
how family policies can be delivered at European level.
2004 Work-Life Balance: A Family Choice, between Conditionings and
Opportunities
This conference focused on work-life balance, considering not only
difficulties, but also the richness that the family can bring to the economic
sector. Special attention was paid to choices that families make regarding
care and commercial care.
2005 Family and Care: A New Alliance
It is possible to raise children without families, though society has to
enhance its capacity and to support foster and adoptive families, in order
to give each child a right to live in a family.
2006 The Family: Cost or Investment?
This conference aimed to discuss good practice local family policies, in
order to promote new partnerships between public institutions and family
associations.
2007 Family Day: Family Builds the Future for Everyone
FDAF organised a huge demonstration of more than one million people in
Rome, in support of the family, the need of family policies, and calling for
no equalisation of marriage with other forms of living arrangements.
43
2008 The European Alliance for Families: the Family Associations as Main
Actors
This conference presented the European Alliance for Families, which is
also an alliance of the family with political institutions and other partners of
the civil society.
2009
The Challenge of Subsidiarity
Developing a social system based on subsidiarity is seen as the effective
means of promoting the action of family associations and the family as
social player. Attention was focused in particular on reform of the taxation
system, which is considered an urgent issue by Italian families.
2010 The Colours of the Family: Inter-Culture is the Future of Italy
FDAF aimed to underline that inter-culturality is a value for the whole of
society and that migrant families offer richness for the whole of Italy.
Moreover, the conference also focuses on family as the privileged place
where a peaceful encounter among different cultures is still possible.
Source: Provided by email.
44
Annex3–COFACEMemberOrganisations
Country Member Organisation(s)
AUSTRIA 1. Katholischer Familienverband Österreichs (Association of
Catholic Organisations of Austria)
BELGIUM 2. Association de parents et professionnels autour de la
personne polyhandicapée
3. Femmes Prévoyantes Socialistes
4. Fonds du Logement Wallon (The Wallonian Housing Fund)
5. Ligue des Familles (Family League)
6. Gezinsbond (League of families)
7. Centre d'action laïque (Centre for Secular Action)
8. Association Aidants Proches (Association of Family Carers)
BULGARIA 9. Center of Women’s Studies and Policies
10. Women and Mother Against Violence
CYPRUS 11. Pancyprian Organisation Polyteknon
CZECH
REPUBLIC
12. Sdruzeni Ochrana Nenarozeneho Zivota (Assistance and
Counselling for Women and Girls)
DENMARK 13. Børnesagens Fællesråd (The Joint Council for Child Issues in
Denmark)
FINLAND 14. Väestöliitto Ry (The Family Federation of Finland)
FRANCE 15. Aide à domicile en milieu rural (Rural Assistance at Home)
16. Association des paralysés de France
17. Association nationale pour le Spina Bifida et handicaps
associés (National Association for Spina Bifida and Associated
Disabilities)
18. Confédération syndicale des familles
19. Confédération nationale d’associations familiales catholiques
20. Familles Rurales
21. Familles de France
22. Union nationale des associations familiales (National
Association of Family Organisations)
23. Union nationale des associations de familles de traumatisés
crâniens (National Union of Families with Brain Injury)
24. Associations de parents d’eleves de l’enseignement libre
(Association of Non-Religious Teaching)
25. Union nationale des associations de parents, de personnes
handicapées mentales et de leurs amis
GERMANY 26. Arbeitsgemeinschaft Der Deutschen Familienorganisationen
e.V. (Association of German Family Organisations)
GREECE 27. Confederation of large families’ associations of Greece
28. Kendro Merimnas Oikoyenias Kai Pediou (Family and child
care center)
29. Panhellenic housewives union and family
HUNGARY 30. Movement of Hungarian Childfriends
31. Pro Familia
IRELAND 32. Irish Countrywomen's Association
45
ITALY 33. Associazione italiana genitori (Italian Association of Parents)
34. Movimento italiano genitori
35. Il coordinamento dei familiari assistenti "Clelia"
36. Associazione italiana per l'assistenza agli spastici
LATVIA 37. Latvijas daudzbernu gimenu biedrîbu apvienîba (Union Of
Latvian Large Family Associations)
LITHUANIA 38. Sos Vaikų Kaimų (SOS Children’s villages)
LUXEMBOURG 39. Association des parents d'enfants mentalement handicapés
POLAND 40. Fundacji domy samotnych matek z dziecmi (Foundation
Houses of Lonely Mothers with Children)
PORTUGAL 41. Associaçao nacional de familias para a integraçao pa pessoa
deficiente
42. Confederaçao nacional das associaçoes de familia (National
Confederation of Family Associations)
43. Liga portuguesa dos deficientes motores
ROMANIA 44. Fundatia familia si ocrotirea copilului (Family and Child Care
Foundation)
SLOVAKIA 45. Klub mnohodetných rodín (Club of Large Families)
SLOVENIA 46. Druzinska pobuda (Family Initiative)
SPAIN 47. Asociación general de consumidores de España (Association
of Spanish Consumers)
48. Confederación española de organizaciones de amas de casa,
consumidores y usuarios (Spanish Confederation of
Housewives and Consumers Organisations)
49. Confederación española de familiares de enfermos de
Alzheimer y otras demencias (Spanish Confederation of
Families with Alzheimer’s Syndrome or other Dementias)
50. Asociación Salud y Familia (Association of Family and Health)
51. Unión cívica nacional de amas de hogar de España (National
Civic Union of Spanish Housewives)
52. Unión de centros de acción rural (Union of Centres of Rural
Action)
Source: http://coface-eu.org/en/Member-organisations/COFACE-MEMBERS/List/.
46
Annex4–RecentPositionsAdoptedbyCOFACE
Position Date
COFACE’s position on Sustainable development and families
May 2010
COFACE Memorandum for the new European Commission
April 2010
COFACE’s comments on the Consumer Rights directive
March 2010
COFACE’s position on Parenting and children at risk
March 2010
COFACE’s position on Early school leavers and the role of parents
March 2010
COFACE's response to the EC public consultation on the
preparation of a new EU Disability Strategy 2010-2020
January 2010
COFACE's response to the EC public consultation on the future EU
2020 Strategy
January 2010
COFACE response to the EU Consultation on the review of the
Financial regulation
December 2009
COFACE position on siblings and persons with care needs November 2009
COFACE position on the role of personal income taxation in
preventing family poverty
November 2009
COFACE position on the role of maintenance payments in
combating poverty among lone-parent families
November 2009
COFACE response to the EC Consultation on the Roadmap for
equality between women and men 2006-2010 and follow-up
strategy
October 2009
COFACE’s response to the EC Consultation on the report of the
Expert Group on Credit Histories
August 2009
COFACE’s response to the EC Consultation on Responsible
Lending and Borrowing in the EU
August 2009
COFACE’s response to the EC Consultation on Designating 2012
as Potential EY for Active Ageing and Intergenerational Solidarity
July 2009
COFACE’s critical analysis of the Revised Framework Agreement
on Parental Leave
June 2009
47
COFACE’s response to the Green Paper on the European
Workforce for Health
May 2009
COFACE’s response to the EC Consultation on Financial Inclusion:
Ensuring access to a basic bank account
April 2009
COFACE’s responses to the EC Consultation on EU action to
reduce Health Inequalities
April 2009
COFACE’s response to the Directive on Consumers Rights
March 2009
COFACE’s report on the Evaluation of National Strategies for Social
Inclusion and Social Protection
March 2009
COFACE’s recommendations on active inclusion, a tool for fighting
family poverty
March 2009
European Charter for Family Carers
March 2009
COFACE’s position on Safer Internet
March 2009
COFACE’s position on preventing over-indebtedness, personal
finance education and action against banking and financial
exclusion
March 2009
COFACE’s position on preventing over-indebtedness: the “positive
file” or the central credit history database
March 2009
COFACE’s position on the proposal for a European Parliament and
Council Directive on the application of patient’s rights in cross-
border health care
March 2009
COFACE’s position on reconciling family life, private life and
professional life to prevent poverty and social exclusion
December 2008
COFACE’s position on alcohol and families
December 2008
COFACE’s position on nutrition and obesity
December 2008
COFACE’s reaction to the revision of the Toy Safety Directive
December 2008
COFACE response to the European Commission Green Paper on
“Migration & Mobility: Challenges and Opportunities for EU
Education Systems” – Strengthening Support to Migrant Parents in
their Children’s School Education
December 2008
COFACE’s position on E-inclusion of families
December 2008
COFACE’s contribution on the return of women to the labour market
November 2008
48
Briefing on the texts adoptod by the EC on 3 October 2008
concerning work-life balance
October 2008
Response to the EC consultation on Directive 86/613/EEC on the
application of equal treatment of men and women for self-employed
workers and assisting spouses
July 2008
Response to the EC Consultation on Reconciliation of professional,
private and family life
March 2008
Response to the EC communication on “Modernising social
protection for greater social justice and economic cohesion: taking
forward the inclusion of people furthest from the labour market”
February 2008
Response to the EC Consultation on anti-discrimination
February 2008
Response to the EC Consultation on Europe’s social reality
February 2008
Source: http://coface-eu.org/en/News/Policy-positions-2010/.
49
Annex5–OtherFamilyOrganisationsActiveataEuropean
UnionLevel
European Federation of Unpaid Parents and Carers at Home (FEFAF)
“F.E.F.A.F
represents European at-home Parents and Carers at European Union level and at the
UN informs them of their economic, social, juridical and political rights contributes to an
exchange of information between its members is pluralist, non-party political and non-
sectarian works with European, African, Asian, North and South American NGOs is a
member of the European Platform of European Social NGOs and the European
Women’s Lobby”24 .
“F.E.F.A.F. requests from National Governments, Decision-making Bodies of the
European Union, and the UN
1. The recognition of the human, social and economic value of unremunerated “family-
based work” - of attention, care and education - carried out at home toward a dependent
relative: “CARE”
2. for those who carry out this unremunerated CARE: a social statute of their own
* to confer on them dignity and citizenship based on human and economic values;
* to ensure them of social rights (not linked to a statute of remunerated work)
whilst upholding established rights
* to reduce the risk of poverty and precariousness to which they are exposed.
3. a family policy guaranteeing the rights of families and children, taking into account the
needs and lifecycles of parents and children
4. collecting data in national and European statistics on At Home Women/Men, “carers”,
and the needs of families and of each of their members
5. the possibility of a true civil dialogue by giving European NGOs adequate legal and
financial means.25 ”
European Large Families Confederation (ELFAC)
“The European Large Families Confederation (ELFAC) was formally constituted in 2004,
gathering Large Families Associations across Europe. This Confederation represents
more than 50 millions of European citizens who belong to the nearly 9 million large
families. The idea of ELFAC was launched in the European Large Families Conference
that took place in Madrid (Spain) on 2 November 2002, and the decisive part of its
Statutes were agreed upon at a meeting held in Brussels (Belgium) on 25 October 2003.
The objectives of the Confederation shall be to represent the social and economic
interests of families with children, in general, and large families, in particular, as the most
appropriate environment for bringing up children, integrating them into society, and
providing mutual support and solidarity among generations; as well as the promotion,
24 From http://www.fefaf.be/qui_en.php.
25 From http://www.fefaf.be/que_demand_en.php.
50
development and unity of the movement of large family organisations”26 .
Federation of Catholic Family Associations in Europe (FAFCE)
“The Federation of Catholic Family Associations in Europe (FAFCE), is acknowledged
by the European Council as a Non Governmental Organisation with a participatory
status and has regular contact with European Union institutions such as the European
Commission and the European Parliament. The FAFCE serves as a European liaison
platform for exchange of experiences of pastoral care of the family and family policy
issues for its members. Our member associations provide important catholic expertise
and contacts on local level and the Federation serves as a European umbrella
organisation. Outwards we consider ourselves as a political representation for family
interests from a catholic perspective, on the basis of the Catholic Church’s Social and
Family teaching as well as of the testimony of faith and experiential knowledge of
Christians in Church and in society”27 .
26 From https://sites.google.com/site/webelfac/Home.
27 From http://fafce.org/cms/programm.html?&L=1.
51
Annex6–MMMMemberOrganisations
Continent/
Country
Organisation
AFRICA
Benin
Cameroon
Cameroon
Ivory Coast
Ivory Coast
Mali
Mali
Mali
Morocco
Mauritius
Nigeria
Rep. of Congo
Rep. of Congo
DR of Congo
DR of Congo
DR of Congo
DR of Congo
1. Survie de la Mère et de l'Enfant
2. MMM Cameroun
3. Femmes en action contre la pauvreté
4. ONG Repères
5. ONG Ehuzu
6. ADDEN Mali
7. MMM Mali
8. Association des Mères du Mali
9. Ligue Marocaine de Protection de l’Enfance
10. Mouvement Aide à la Maternité
11. MOMS CLUB
12. Mouvement des Mères pour la Paix, la Solidarité et le
Développement
13. Mouvement pour la Vie
14. ACADEC – Association Congolaise d’Appui au Développement
15. Association des Femmes pour le Développement de la
TSHOPO
16. EALE – En Avant les Enfants
17. Fondation BOAZ
AMERICA
Argentina
Argentina
Peru
Uruguay
USA
USA
USA
USA
18. Fundalam
19. Multifamilias
20. ADES Perou
21. Centro por la Promotion de la Dignidad Humana (CEPRODIH)
22. Solutions for Families
23. W.O.W. Worldwide Organization for Women
24. TeenStar U.S.A.
25. United Families International
ASIA
Bangladesh
Lebanon
26. Fondation de Reconstruction Rurale
27. MMM Liban
Europe
Austria
Belgium
Belgium
Belgium
Belgium
Bulgaria
28. ARGE Erziehungsberatung und Fortbildung – Fit For Kids
29. Femmes et Foyer asbl
30. La Ligne de Vie
31. Le Chant d’Oiseau
32. Liga Voor het Kind
33. FIMB – Femmes International Murs Brisés
52
53
England
France
France
France
France
France
France
France
France
France
France
Germany
Ireland
Italy
Italy
Italy
Luxembourg
Serbia
Spain
Spain
Slovakia
Ukraine
34. MMM England
35. Association pour le dialogue Mères Enfants (ADME)
36. Action des Mères pour une enfance sans drogue
37. Association Nationale pour l'Education Prénatale
38. Association Pour la Promotion de la Famille
39. Centre d'Education Pluridisciplinaire de la Personnalité (CEPP)
40. Droit@’Enfance
41. Fédération de la Médaille de la Famille Française
42. Femmes Actives et Foyer
43. Les femmes et les Enfants d'Abord, Secours aux Futures
Mères
44. MMM France
45. Verband der Familienfrauen und Männer
46. Mothers working at Home
47. ANEP Italia
48. Donneuropee Federcasalinghe
49. Holding Famiglia
50. Action Catholique des Femmes du Luxembourg
51. MMM Serbie
52. Accion Familiar
53. Associacion de Familias y Mujeres del Medio Rural
(AFAMMER)
54. Donum Vitae
55. DUMF Democratic Union of Many Children Families
Source: provided by email (similar list available from http://www.mouvement-mondial-
des-meres.org/eng/members/associations.html).
