QNA
Doha
The 30th anniversary of the International Year of the Family Conference, which will kick off on Wednesday under the title ‘Family and Contemporary Megatrends’, is a call to action, a platform for presenting new and sustainable visions for the future of the family in the contemporary world, and a forum for understanding and keeping pace with the transformations and challenges facing families, Dr Sharifa Noaman Al Emadi, executive director of the Doha International Family Institute (DIFI), a member of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, has said.
Dr Emadi said the conference would provide an interactive platform for policymakers, academics, experts, and stakeholders to discuss and exchange ideas on the latest evidence-based studies in order to come up with a deep understanding of the impact of megatrends, such as technological, demographic, and climate changes, and international migration, on the structure of the family.
The International Year of the Family Conference will be held from October 30 to 31 at the Qatar National Convention Centre.To be preceded by a youth summit on the 29, the conference will bring together leaders from different countries of the world.Dr Emadi termed the conference as an opportunity for dialogue and discussion about the future of the family, and an invitation to the international community, organisations, stakeholders and decision-makers to support and empower the family at the global level and enhance international awareness of its crucial role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, with a focus on issues related to mental health, education, and children’s well-being, hoping for building strategic partnerships to develop innovative solutions that ensure the prosperity of current and future generations.
She explained that the conference will discuss demographic trends, such as declining fertility rates and ageing societies in sessions that will review the challenges and policies aimed at increasing fertility, and those that can improve the balance between work and family life. The DIFI executive director pointed out that innovative solutions will be proposed and presented by experts and participants with the aim of enhancing these policies.
In addition, existing and required policies regarding the impact of digital technology on children’s well-being will be addressed, while reviewing appropriate solutions on how to benefit from new digital technologies and programmes, social media and their impact on marital relations, as well as the impact of artificial intelligence on family privacy, and its role in empowering people with disabilities, with a special focus on upgrading education and learning tools for adults and children, including design and planning for elderly care, she added.
The discussion in the climate change axis will centre on designing family-friendly cities and solutions that rely on natural resources in the surrounding environment to deal with contemporary challenges, such as forced migration resulting from climate change, food insecurity, and environmental anxiety, she said.
On the outcomes of this conference on future policies, Dr Emadi stated that the conference’s outcomes are expected to contribute to drawing a clear roadmap for the next 10 years in relation to family support and protection policies at the local and international levels.
This map will focus on developing innovative policies that respond to the challenges of demographic and technological transformations, the impact of climate change, and international migration in order to ensure the stability and prosperity of families in the face of these transformations.
The conference, she added, will seek to provide comprehensive recommendations aimed at enhancing family empowerment programs and developing legislation that ensures the protection of families from future challenges.
Regarding the local and international interest in the conference, she said this important event would witness a large turnout, as several international entities have contacted them to express their desire to participate in the conference’s activities, adding that there is a long list of those who wish to participate despite the limited number of sessions and the number has exceeded 2,000 visitors, excluding those invited.