REPORT
WORLD CONGRESS OF FAMILIES REGIONAL CONFERENCE, ACCRA, GHANA 2019
World Congress of Families (WCF) is a coalition that promotes Christian rights and values internationally. It brings together all pro-life and pro-family advocates and believers. The core purpose is to deepen the awareness of the importance of families to national and global development. It seeks to unite and equip leaders, organisations, and families to affirm, celebrate, and defend the natural family (man, woman, and children) as the only fundamental and sustainable unit of society. It organises regional conference for greater participation of groups from that region. This year it was organised for English speaking Africa in Accra, Ghana, from 31st October to 1st November, 2019.
The conference sought to establish an active collaboration with government officials, the media, academia, religious and traditional bodies, civil societies, NGOs and interest group to deliberate intensely on the state of the family and its place in the African states’ development (wcfaccraghana.org). Accordingly, on the 30th of October, the organizers addressed Ghanaian parliament on the issues that weaken African traditional family values and how to confront them. The Conference was organised by Family Renaissance International (Ghana), CitizenGo (Kenya), and Family Watch International (USA). The Family and Human Life Unit (FHLU) of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria was in attendance, represented by the Secretary to the Unit, Sr. Mary Rosanna Emenusiobi IHM, some diocesan Family and Human Life Coordinators, and others.
The Conference’ theme, THE AFRICAN FAMILY AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: STRONG FAMILILES, STRONG NATION, was timely considering the modern day challenges against human life, marriage, and the family, especially in Africa. Conference speakers were drawn from Africa, Europe, and America. The president of World Congress of Families, Brian Brown, was among the Keynote Speakers. Over 500 participants in attendance listened to quality presentations that revolved around the family and were happy to go home with right tools to tackle these challenges.
Among the highly educative presentations were:
- REVISITING THE PARADIGM OF MARRIAGE,
- FAMILY AND PARENTING FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT;
- THE TRENDS ATTACKING THE NATURAL FAMILY:
- THE LGBTQ AGENDA (LEGAL, MEDIA, PSYCHIATRIC, PSYCHOLOGICAL, MEDICAL PERSPECTIVES);
- THE UN’S COMPREHENSIVE SEXUALITY EDUCATION;
- ABORTION AND POST-ABORTION SYNDROME, COMPREHENSIVE SEXUALITY EDUCATION: AFRICAN PERSPECTIVE;
- PLANNED PARENTHOOD: ITS INTERNATIONAL AFFILIATES IN AFRICA;
- HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE FAMILY: MYTHS VS FACTS,
- and others – a total of 15 presentations.
These were not only revelatory, but highly enriching and enlightening. Participants were enthusiastic with strong resolutions to be more proactive in facing these challenges in their respective countries: Ghana, Nigeria, Uganda, Sierra Leone, and Cameroon.
Sr. M. Rosanna Emenusiobi IHM
Secretary (FHLU)
