International Day of Families in Chisinau promotes inclusion and nonviolent parenting
Chisinau will host a festival on May 16 to celebrate the International Day of Families. The event, titled "Families, Inequalities and Child Well-Being," will emphasize family diversity, social inclusion, and intergenerational closeness.
The Minister of Labor and Social Protection, Natalia Plugaru, emphasized in the show "Bună Dimineața" on Moldova 1 that the festival aims to convey a message that all families matter, regardless of their structure. This includes families with mothers, fathers, grandparents, and extended family, as well as those where children are raised by foster parents. It is essential to celebrate families in all their diversity.
Inclusion is a significant theme of the festival, which is why there will be dedicated spaces for children and families with special needs. This includes children or families with visual or hearing impairments or certain locomotor disabilities. As the minister pointed out, there will be specific activities designed for these families, reinforcing the message that every person and family matters, regardless of their abilities or disabilities. The festival is dedicated to family and social inclusion, ensuring that everyone knows they have the right to family and to be included in society.
Additionally, there will be activities aimed at connecting grandparents and children to foster intergenerational learning. Natalia Plugaru remarked on the existing gap between young people and the elderly in the Republic of Moldova. The festival seeks to bridge this gap, as many children are raised by their grandparents or alongside them. The elderly have much to share with the younger generation, while young people can also teach their elders about digital skills.
To support parents amidst contemporary challenges, the festival will include practical workshops focused on conscious parenting. These workshops will emphasize the importance of eliminating violence and adopting empathetic communication, which are essential tools for raising mentally balanced and physically resilient children.
The minister concluded by stating, “We are also aiming to offer parental education courses to families in the Republic of Moldova during this festival. This is an important initiative, and we will have a designated area for these courses. Depending on their children's ages—whether babies, older children, or teenagers—parents will have the opportunity to discuss with specialists how to face various challenges, how to care for a small child, or how to navigate the complexities of parenting teenagers. We do not learn how to be parents in school or at university; we often leave it to life to teach us, but that may not be the best approach.”
International Day of Families will be celebrated on May 16 in Chișinău, beginning at 10:00 AM, with an extensive program of events at the Botanical Garden. Family Day activities will continue at 1:00 PM in the Great National Assembly Square, and similar activities will take place in other localities across the Republic of Moldova throughout the weekend. On May 13, the Government approved an Action Plan for all districts of the republic in this regard.
