Celebrating All Parents

Today, June 1, we celebrate all parents throughout the world as we observe the UN’s annual Global Day of Parents. UPF International is hosting a webinar on June 2 to commemorate this special day.

The importance of parents’ role in the family has increasingly come to the attention of the international community in recent years. In 2012, the UN General Assembly established Global Day of Parents to emphasize the critical role of parents in rearing children and recognize that the family has the primary responsibility of nurturing and protecting children. Global Day of Parents provides an opportunity to “appreciate all parents for their selfless commitment to children and their lifelong sacrifice towards nurturing this relationship,” states the UN.

True Parents, co-founders of UPF, have also emphasized the importance of the parent-child relationship and family values, establishing in the Unification movement a Parent’s Day and Children’s Day, among others. As the backbone of the family and the foundation of our communities and societies, parents are fundamental to creating a healthy, thriving world. Through parental care and support, children’s health, education, and emotional well-being is enhanced, contributing to the overall function of society.

True Parents also shared that the original parent — our Creator and Heavenly Parent — teaches us how to practice true love within the family. They shared that in order for children to have full and harmonious development, they must grow up in a family environment of happiness and love.

“Children are the fruit of love,” said True Father in a 1973 speech at Belvedere in Tarrytown, New York. “Your children are not your own, but God’s ... You, yourselves must be returned to God, and after returning all you have back to God on the vertical level, you will be elevated to that standard ... to be given those things you can enjoy as your own.”

“If you have such an attitude ... on this foundation, you will be able to celebrate on the family level, tribal level, national level, and worldwide level,” he said.

The UPFI webinar will feature two esteemed psychology professors from the University of California, Berkeley, whose research has shown that parent effectiveness and happiness increases when a couple’s relationship is strengthened. The professors will discuss the irreplaceable role and responsibilities of parents, and share best practices from around the world that have increased couple cooperation and effectiveness as a parenting team. Topics such as “Why Parents’ Job is So Critical and So Hard” and “Strengthening the Couple to Parent Better Together” will explore the challenges of parenthood and new approaches to helping parents.

With more than two billion parents in the world today, educational programs and campaigns continue to emerge to encourage stability within nuclear families. Let’s celebrate Global Day of Parents with reflection and gratitude toward our own parents and Heavenly Parent!

You can register here for UPFI’s Global Day of Parents webinar on June 2 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. EDT.