On September 19, the House approved, by voice vote, a resolution requesting the president to issue an annual proclamation for the observance of “Global Family Day, One Day of Peace and Sharing.” The House International Relations Committee approved the measure on September 13 (see The Source, 9/15/06).
Sponsored by Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), the resolution notes that, in December 2000, Congress approved a resolution supporting an international day of peace at the beginning of each year. In 2001, a UN resolution inviting all people to celebrate “One Day in Peace” each January 1st was adopted. Highlighting the link between stable families and stability in the global community, the resolution states that “Global Family Day, One Day of Peace” is dedicated to establishing greater trust among peace-loving nations and families everywhere.
Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) stated, “It is the family that is the basic unit of a civil society. The family is where our values are learned and carried out. Stability and peace in the global community can only be accomplished one family at a time. A special day where families worldwide can sit down to a meal and pledge to work locally for peace and to end injustice in their own communities will no doubt have a worldwide impact.”
Expressing the need “to come together as families to address the question of hurricanes and earthquakes, famine and genocide,” Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) said, “Global Family Day is the first major shared global event to annually celebrate the entire human family, its achievements, and its aspirations. Global Family Day is an important and necessary day set aside to represent the unity of the human family. At a time of war, hatred, poverty, and friction within our international community, Global Family Day reminds us to remain hopeful, to weather the stormy seas, to look for peace in the midst of the tempest.”
