The Family Today: Transformations and Ethical Challenges

Darina Saliba Abi Chedid
International Center for Human Sciences - Unesco

Abstract

Addressing today’s challenges to preserve family as a fundamental basis of society is of vital concern for societies around the world. Focusing on the role of family as first institution and home where the system of human formation is conceived with defined ethics, is the most effective way to preserve human rights and to provide equal protection and fulfillment to all the family members in physical and mental health, in addition to wealth, monetary, intellectual and emotional stability. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights identifies the family as “the natural and fundamental group unit of society” and asserts that it is “entitled to protection by society and the State” (art. 16). A family therefore is formed as a result of the union of a man and a woman in marriage. Also, the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights recognizes the inherent dignity and of equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world. As human beings are social animals, and we live in a world of limited resources, we protect and fulfill ourselves through social structures, and the first social structure we live under is our family. Almost all of us are born in a family and the lucky majority of us die in a family. Therefore, the first institution that affects each and every one is the Family. The 1948 Declaration was inspired by determinedly anchored ethical and anthropological values consolidated by convictions regarding an objective moral order which were well-grounded at that time, and it responded to cultural, socio-economic and political circumstances in a given historical setting. The family today is facing many challenges and crises, and "Human Rights" should be facilitated in the face of the many aspects of the present difficulties. Challenges such as threats to survival, the "culture of death", violence, the lack of safety, under development, unemployment, migrations, distortions by the communications media, etc., can only be tackled successfully based on a conception of human rights that are developed through the family, thereby transforming the society that is generated in and by the family. One aspect of fundamental importance for the promotion of human rights is recognition of the "Rights of the family". This implies the protection of marriage in the framework of "human rights" and of family life as an objective of every juridical system. Knowing that family has a transformative power, it is broadly recognized that family plays a pivotal role in shaping the values of future generations and creating inclusive, peaceful, just and sustainable societies. To ensure that the next generation is ready to become ethically raised agents of change, the international community, governments and societies must invest in family ethics and preserve its fundamentals. There are several questions that deserves to be addressed again in an attempt to revive and understand the significant impact of the family fundamentals: What is a family? Who are its members? What is the role of the family? How are the rights of the family protected? How can we prevent discrimination? What is the relation between Work and the Family? What are the “10 commandments of the Ethical Family- the family ethics tablet” How to enforce the ethical tablet through the legal system and hold the members accountable through institutional reforms and ethical family values accountability of people Why is this important? How will we measure the success of our mission? Poor governance of the Family Institution is at the heart of the human abuse as it is considered almost sacred for anyone to peek through the walls of the family fort, thus all the members' wellbeing is in the hands of one or two members who hold the purse.

Presentation