WCF VIII 2014: Every Child a Gift: Large Families Future of Humanity

WCF VIII Program Draft February, 2014

World Congress of Families largest international network of hundreds of prolife and pro-family NGOs from over 80 countries of the world, The Howard Center is officially accredited at the United Nations Economic & Social Council WorldCongress.org All-Russian Charity Program Sanctity of Motherhood is one of the largest endeavors in Russia aimed at eliminating abortions, establishing the network of crisis pregnancy centers. It is run by the St. Andrew the First Called Apostle Foundation. Sm.cnsr.ru Saint Vasil the Great Charity Foundation is one of the largest private charity foundations in Russia with over USD 40 mln budget in 2012. Projects: Oblast Dobra Charity Program aimed at improving socio-demographic situation in Russian regions, Gymnasium, helping orphans. RusCharity.ru

Family is Central to ll Major Problems of Modern Humankind

Weakening of the Natural Family leads to loss of self-confidence and real citizenship and increased reliance on the welfare state
Decreasing population leads to economic crisis: current financial difficulties began in the US housing market due to the fact that baby boomers generation retired and no one could replace them

Economy
Demographic Winter

Main underlying reason for the break up of the Family and Demographic Winter is loss of faith

Politics
Welfare State

Religion
Loss of Faith

Drugs and alcohol abuse rates are much higher among adolescents who live in broken families, without fathers and with working mothers

Drugs
Alcoholism

Education

FAMILY
Crime
Violence

Low Performance

Evidence proves that children have much poorer performance if they grow in broken families, without fathers and with working mothers

Suicide
Euthanasia

Statistics demonstrate that teenagers have much higher crime rates and chances to go to jail if they grow in broken families, without fathers and with working mothers

Egoism
Hedonism

Atomized Ego and its selfish and hedonistic interests are central to the modern consumer society ideology that leads to destruction of the Natural Family

Data shows that children have much higher chances of committing suicide if they grow in broken families, without fathers and with working mothers

Strengthening Family is key to overcome Demographic Winter

Political & religious leaders on importance of the Natural Family and Demographic problems
Without exaggeration, the central problem of contemporary Russia is demography, strengthening the family, increasing the birth rate According to official statistics, every year more than a million women have abortions in Russia. If 20% change their mind? 200 000 lives saved! It is worth fighting. But the number of unrecorded abortions are much larger and difficult to assess
Natalia Yakunina President of Sanctity of Motherhood Program

Vladimir Putin President of the Russian Federation

... We use to say:" Russia's demographic crisis. "Help! Yes, it is necessary to populate this area, it is necessary to protect it ... If we do nothing, it will collapse on its own. Do you think that this is a problem only for Russia? Not at all. "
Vladimir Yakunin St. Andrew the First-Called Foundation

The purpose of the Oblast Dobra Charity Program is to show an example on the level of a region how an investment in morality can improve not only the demographics, but also directly the economy of the region. The success of the Program will allow solutions and technologies to be used all over Russia
Konstantin Malofeev St. Basil the Great Charity Foundation

We must once again make motherhood prestigious and honorable, surround the family and children with care of the whole society, to ensure that spending money on a child is natural, while on expensive unnecessary things - shameful. All of this will heal the mentality of people and increase its numbers

In order to change the situation with the demography in Russia, it is enough for every child conceived to be born. Then the whole issue will just disappear

Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Kirill

Archpriest Dimitry Smirnov Head of the Patriarch`s Commission on the family and protection of motherhood and childhood
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Demographic Situation Analysis and Forecasts

Pro-Life movement should be a priority in the fight for self-preservation of the nation
In Russia, total fertility rates are substantially lower than required for replacement of generations (1.5 births against 2.15 necessary for simple reproduction of population) According to official forecasts, in 2020, active female population of reproductive age will be lower than in 2009 by 38% 2

Number of births / deaths, abortion, and migration, millions1

4,5 4,0 3,5 3,0 2,5 2,0 1,5 1,0
Deaths Births
Abortion (official) Assessment of the actual number of abortions, including medical abortion 1

In 2020, dependency ratio in the working-age population will increase by 28% compared with 2010

During the period from 1990 to 2009 it is estimated that around 78.5 million abortions have been made, including 45.8 million registered ones During this period the population declined by 6 million, and without migration - more than by 12 million people If at least 20%3 of officially registered abortions resulted in childbirth, the population of Russia today would be at least 150 million people

0,5 0,0 1990

Migration

1992

1994 1996

1998

2000

2002 2004

2006

2008

The population of Russia without migrants, forecast to 2030, millions4

-1% 1,5 mln/yr

148

142

134

127 116

-21% (-32)

PRO-LIFE AND PRO-FAMILY MOVEMENT, WHOSE AIM

IS TO IMPROVE THE

DEMOGRAPHIC SITUATION AND THE PRESERVATION OF WOMEN'S REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH, SHOULD BECOME A CENTRAL PRIORITY OF IN ITS STRUGGLE FOR LONG-TERM SURVIVAL

RUSSIA

of the number of official abortions does not reflect the real dynamics of abortion, because only a small portion of abortions performed in commercial clinics are registered officially. According to expert estimates the total number of abortions exceeded the official by 2,5-3 times 2 Since 2010 the active reproductive age (20-29 years) will reach numerically small contingent born in 1990-ies. 1990 2000 2010 3 Reducing abortions by 20% is feasible and proven by examples, it is achievable with good quality work of psychologists with women in a state of crisis pregnancy 4 Based on the official forecast FSGS 2030

1 Dynamics

2020

2030

Pro-Life and Pro-Family Movement in Russia

Founded in 1993, today it includes dozens of organizations throughout the country
Organized movement in defense of life and family started in Russia in 1993 on the initiative of Archpriest Dmitry Smirnov on the basis of the Orthodox Medical and Educational Center "Life" (Archpriest Maxim Obukhov is its leader for 20 years already), and now has become part of the Patriarch`s Commission for the family, protection of motherhood and childhood Since 2007, the Foundation of St. Andrew is implementing the program "Sanctity of Motherhood", that include the network of the crisis pregnancy centers, work with the mass media, attraction of volunteers taking part in various actions to promote traditional family values. A key role in the work of the Foundation is played by Mr. Vladimir Yakunin and Natalya Yakunina St. Basil the Great Charity Foundation is one of the largest private charitable foundations in Russia, it aims to create favorable conditions for the growth and development of the younger generation in Russia, at the implementation of the creative potential of children and at using opportunities to support children's health care, at development of education, at strengthening of the family and child protection and assistance to the Russian Orthodox Church.
Russia`s largest charity foundations and Russian Orthodox Church departments defending the natural family

Foundation of Saint Apostle Andrew. Headed by Mr. Vladimir Yakunin

Founded in 1992. The Fund's activities cover a variety of areas of public life. In the field of family support, since 2007, t he Fund has been implementing a program "The sanctity of Motherhood." This all-Russian program, aimed at creating positive public attitude to the family, motherhood, fatherhood and childhood as the greatest values. As part of the "sanctity of Motherhood" program, numerous crisis pregnancy centers were created, a lot of media coverage generated and many volunteers were attracted to take part in various actions promoting traditional family values, actively promoting various ProLife projects in more than 50 regions of Russia.

Foundation of St. Basil the Great. Headed by Mr. Konstantin Malofeev

Foundation of St. Basil the Great - one of the largest private charity foundations in Russia. Fund budget in 2012 amounted to more than $ 42 million. Foundation projects include: comprehensive charity program " Oblast Dobra" - aimed at improving the socio - demographic situation in the regions of the Russian Federation, the College of St. Basil the Great. As part of the "Heart of a child" charity program, in collaboration with the Bakulev Center for Cardiovascular Surgery, St. Basil the grat Foundation implements charity projects. "Live , baby! " is a charity program of the Foundation of St. Basil the Great aimed at reduction of abortion rates in Russia.

Patriarch`s Commission on Family, motherhood and childhood. Headed by Fr. D. Smirnov

Synodal Commission of the Russian Orthodox Church, founded in 2011 to develop and implement a system of measures to overcome the crisis of family values in society and develop church family support . Now active in 50 dioceses are church family protection centers, and there are 14 shelters for pregnant women and women with children who find themselves in difficult situations, there are 30 parish kindergartens, and 20 leisure camps for families. In the 90 dioceses (60 of them in Russia) there are regional representatives and coordinators of the pro-family activities. In 25 dioceses there are pre-abortion consultation centers, that advise women to give birth to their children.
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World Congress of Families (WCF)

It is the Olympics of the international Pro-Life movement supporting the Natural Family
World Congress of Families represents the most extensive and widespread association of a large number of organizations advocating for the preservation of the natural Family. Members of the Congress are opponents of the childfree movement, the radical feminists and various "sexual minorities". The Congress officially declares that the Family is the union of man and woman without any other options. The main objective of the Congress is to coordinate and unite all the healthy forces working for the strengthening of the Family and Childhood
The idea of periodic meetings of people sincerely concerned about the deep crisis of the Family and search for its rebirth as the fundamental unit of society, was born in Moscow in 1995, during the visit by Dr. Allan Carlson (author of the well-known throughout the world Manifest "Natural Family). Thanks to the enthusiasm it has created, the idea was quickly put into practice. A year later, in 1997, th e first World Congress of Families was held in Prague. So far 7 World Congress of Families have been held in various parts of the world, attracting thousands of defenders of Life and Family from all over the world.
Past Congresses
1997 Prague
700 participants | 20 countries

Congress publishes a monthly Newsletter

The Congress brings together hundreds of permanent members and 3 dozen partner organizations

1999 Geneva 1600 participants | 65 countries 2004 ic

3300 participants | 75 countries

2007 Warsaw
3900 participants | 60 countries 2009 Amsterdam 3800 participants | 63 countries 2012 Madrid

3500 participants | 56 countries

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2013 Sydney 2300 participants | 42 countries

Sep 10 Grand Opening Ceremony at Kremlin, Sep 11-12 Cathedral Congress Hall (Sections, Closing Ceremony)
WCF VIII can be a powerful stimulus for the development and strengthening of Pro-Family trends in Russia and the CIS
Kremlin Palace (5 000 persons) Christ the Savior Cathedral Hall (1 300 persons)

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Would be a platform for exchange of experience and ideas with the leading international organizations

Main Congress Hall of Russia, site of USSR Communist Party Congresses; sound, light, technical equipment, 2 minor halls included in rent price

Beautiful Hall with press-conference, minor rooms and banquet facilities in one complex, possibility to get substantial price reduction via Patriarchate. Sound, light and other technical equipment included in rent price

+
Extensive public and government relations campaign in the media, raising public awareness of the issues

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Cooperation with government, religious and commercial organizations, work with sponsors

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Improvement of the country's international image and boosting tourism

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FAMILY SUPPORT MORALITY REINFORCEMENT DEMOGRAPHY IMPROVEMENT ABORTIONS REDUCTION BIRTHRATE INCREASE
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Day 1 of WCF VIII - International Parliamentary Forum

September 10, 2014 (Wed). Venue: State Duma Russian Parliament

Organizers: State Duma and WCF Goal: arrange a meeting and personal contacts of the Russian politicians with the leading international group of influential conservative pro-family politicians, public policy experts and experts from all continents, discuss possibilities of cooperation and share experience.

Speakers: members of the Russian Parliament (State Duma and Federation Council), U.S. Congress, European Parliament, Australian, Mexican and US Governments, Philippines Senate, etc.
Mass media: leading Russian and international newspapers, magazines and TV channels. Agenda: 10.00-12.00 International Parliamentary Forum at the State Duma 12.00-12.30 Press-conference at the State Duma

Day 1 of WCF VIII - Preliminary Program

September 10, 2014 (Wed). Kremlin Palace of Congresses - 5 000 people
09.00-10.00 Registration (Kremlin) 10.00-12.00 60 leaders of NGOs speak 2 minutes about their pro-family activities

12.00-13.00 Lunch, Exhibitions of children`s drawings, booths of pro-family NGOs, charity bazaar, etc. 13.00-15.30 Grand opening and Plenary session. Theme Every Child a Gift: Large Families Future of Humanity (Greetings of Russian President, H.H. Patriarch Kyrill, Russian Government officials, Religious leaders, Allan Carlson, Vladimir and Natalya Yakunin, Konstantin Malofeev and other VIPs) 15.30-16.00 Coffee-break
16.00-18.40 Plenary Session continued. Leaders of the largest international pro-family organizations 8 Co-Conveners speak 20 minutes each: Allan Sears (Alliance Defending Freedom), Jim Daly (Focus on the Family), Austin Ruse (C-FAM), Brian Brown (National Organization for Marriage), Justin Murff (CBN), Johann Huleatt (Bruderhof), Sheri Dew (Deseret Book Publisher), Patrick Slim (Fundacion Incluyendo Mexico). 18.40-19.00 Coffee-break 19.00-20.30 Concert (Sretensky Choir, Byzantine and Georgian Choirs, Russian folk songs, dance and music, etc)

Day 2 of WCF VIII. Sep 11 (Thu). Christ the Savior Cathedral - main hall
for 1 300 people and 5 parallel break-out sessions for 200-300 people
10.00-11.30 Plenary Main Hall: Russia as the leader of the pro-family movement (Konstantin Malofeev), Pan-Russian Pro-Life Program (Natalia Yakunina), Children of Russia (Pavel Astakhov), Economic model for marriage (Philip Blond), Demography (Anatony Antonov) 11.30-12.00 Coffee-break

12.00-13.30 5 parallel breakout sessions: 1). Pro-family legislation (Elena Mizulina chair, Kevin Andrews, Jaime Mayor) 2). Demography (Don Feder chair, Steve Mosher, Mark Regnerus, Nick Eberstadt) 3). Religious Liberty and the Family (Ben Bull - chair, Gudrun Kugler, Roger Kiska, Paul Coleman) 4). Threat from International Institutions (Susan Yoshihara - chair, S. Slater, Sophia Kuby, Bill Saunders) 5). Sanctity of Motherhood (Natalia Yakunina chair, speakers from the regions of Russia and CIS)
13.30-14.30 Lunch 14.30-16.00 5 parallel breakout sessions: 1). Pro-Family Business (Alexey Komov chair, Vicente Segu, Olivia Nunez, Antonio Trueba) 2). Solving Problem of Orphans (Tom Minnery chair, Kelly Rosati, Dorothy Patterson, Justin Murff,) 3). Family and Education (Mike Donnelly chair, Pavel Parfentiev, Mike Farris, etc.) 4). Fighting against pornography (Miriam Grossman chair, Mary Eberstadt, Denis Davydov, etc.) 5). Regional pro-family projects in Russia & CIS (Vladimir Mischenko chair, speakers from the regions)

16.00-16.30 Coffee-break 16.30-18.00 Plenary Main Hall: Parental Rights are Human Rights (Mike Farris), Same-Sex Marriage (Robert George, to be invited by Brian Brown) 19.30-21.30 Premiere of a pro-family movie (Ted Baehr)

Day 3 of WCF VIII. Sep 12 (Fri). Christ the Savior Cathedral - main hall
for 1 300 people and 5 parallel breakout sessions for 200-300 people
10.00-11.30 The rebirth of faith in Russia (Metr. Hilarion or Fr. Dimitry Smirnov), The Roots of the Sexual Revolution (Miriam Grossman), A Creative Minority (Lord Jonathan Sacks, UK), Pro-Life: The Wave of the Future (Austin Ruse). 11.30-12.00 Coffee-break
12.00-13.30 5 parallel breakout sessions: 1). Case Studies from the Marriage Fight (Brian Brown - chair, France, Spain, Croatia, US) 2). Fighting Abortions (Natalia Yakunina chair, Archpriest Maxim Obukhov, Ewa Kowaleska) 3). Ex-Gay Movement (Bobby Lopez, Doug Mainwaring, Joe Dallas, Don Schmirrer, Arthur Goldberg) 4). Dangers of Sex Education (Rebecca Ali-Gouiva, Sharon Slater, etc.) 5). Youth Pro-Family Movement (Yulia Kinash chair, speakers from Russia, CIS and abroad - TBD)

13.30-14.30 Lunch 14.30-16.00 5 parallel breakout sessions: 1). New technology (Denis Davydov chair, Ignacio Asuaga, Darien Raffey, Ned Ryan, Thomas Peters, James O'Keefe, Lila Rose, David Lejeuene, Hilarion Shakhovskoy) 2). Large families (Allan Carlson - chair, Maria Hildingson, Mark Regnerus, One of the Duggers, Tom Christiansen of United Families International) 3). Roots of Sexual Revolution (Allan Carlson, Alexey Komov, Robert Reilly, Gabriella Kuby) 4). Key Role of the Mass Media (Ted Baehr - chair, Jack Hanick, Ken Ferguson) 5). Formation of the Russian Congress of Families (speakers from the regions of Russia and CIS - TBD)
16.00-16.30 Coffee-break 16.30-18.00 Plenary Main Hall: The Emerging Grand Alliance (Luca Volonte),.Family Values in the Movies (Mark Burnett, to be invited by Tom Minnery) 18.30-19.30 Closing Ceremony. Awards giveaway: Movieguide (Cinema), Mass Media (TV, radio, blogs, etc), profamily photo contest, children`s drawing contest, awards for scientists and scholars, awards for family-friendly businesses and regions, awards to the large families, etc. 20.00-22.00 Gala dinner for international guests (venue to be chosen)

WCF 2014. Day 4 optional (for international guests)

September 13 (Saturday). Visit of the St. Sergius Trinity Lavra Spiritual Heart of Russia
10.00-11.30 Transfer on buses from Moscow to Sergiev Posad (50 km from Moscow) 11.30-13.00 Excursion in St. Sergius Trinity Lavra 13.00-14.30 Lunch 14.30-16.00 Transfer on buses to Moscow

Four Regional WCF Conferences on the way towards WCF VIII: Feb Philippines, April Bolivia, May Georgia, June - Serbia
Regional WCF Conference in Manila, The Philippines
(Asia Pacific Region)

Organizers: Kit and Fenny Tatad

Dates: Spring, 2014 (TBC) Regional WCF Conference in Santa Cruz, Bolivia

(Latin America Region)

Organizers: Miguel Moreno (The Leadership Institute) Dates: April, 2014 (TBC) Regional WCF Conference in Tbilisi, Georgia

(Caucasus Region)
Organizers: Levan Vasadze

Dates: May, 2014 (TBC)

Regional WCF Conference in Belgrade, Serbia

(Balkans Region) Organizers: Dveri Srpske (WCF Partner)

Dates: June, 2014 (TBC)

Preparatory Events and Activities on the way towards WCF VIII: 7 Main Directions (part 1 of 2)
I. Scientific, expert and educational communities involvement.
1. Series of the specialized scientific & practical conferences on the family-related dimensions of the modern science and state policies. Topics: Family-friendly education; Pro-family and pro-life approaches in reproductive health care and family medicine; Family & Economy in the XXIst Century; Pro-family state policies; Pro-family cultural and media activities. Objective: gathering pro-family experts, their involvement into active scientific work, publicizing the pro-family science among general public, involvement of the best experts into preparation of the WCF VIII as the prospective speakers, involvement of the universities into WCF VIII preparation (as participants of partners).
2. Pro-family events and programs for the educational specialists on the regional & national level. Family-friendly School/Kindergarten contests. Launching the non -governmental accreditation program for educational institutions Family-friendly Kindergarten/School/University. Objective: Drawing educational institutions and community into movement towards WCF VIII.

II. Media-community involvement.

1. Mass-media contests: Family-friendly Media; Pro-family and family values publications; Inmportant Contribution into Moral Media-Space development; Informational support for pro-family activities. Objective: Strengthening profamily dimension of Mass-Media, search for the information partners for the WCF VIII. The final stage of the contests (presentations with the prizes) would be during the WCF VIII. 2. Buliding the independent pro-family media space: Launch of the pro-family internet media projects, drawing the positive attention of the public to the pro-family coverage, protection of the natural family, covering WCF VIIIrelated topics.
3. Launching WCF 2014 Russian press-center, developing positive media-relations, providing wider coverage of the WCF VIII and its preparatory events. Chance to form pro-family Media alliance/coalition involving WCF VIII information partners (Media for Family).

Preparatory Events and Activities on the way towards WCF VIII: 7 Main Directions (part 1 of 2)
III. Business-Community involvement:
Launching under the aegis of the WCF in collaboration with the similar foreign project the Pro -Family Business certification/accreditation program. Pro-family business policies contests (best family-oriented products and services).

IV. Strengthening the religious dimension of the pro-family activities

Traditional religious communities involvement into WCF VIII preparation. Religious WCF VIII preparatory events initiation (towards Family and Religion section at WCF VIII) such as The Orthodox Christian Family, Family and Childhood in Islam etc. Objective: to involve more Russian religious communities into the movement towards WCF VIII, stressing the religious and spiritual dimension of the family values for the general public.

V. Strengthening the Regional dimension of the family policy

Regional & local pro-family contests/conferences as the WCF VIII preparatory events, strengthening the pro-family policies in the regions/cities. Family-friendly Region/City contests. Objective: Involvement of the regional official/elites into WCF VIII preparation, presenting them the main topics/ideas of the Congress.

VI. Strengthening pro-family activities of NGOs.

NGO contests: Efficient practical work in family or family/moral values strengthening/protection; family support/help programs; Programs for revival/safeguarding of the family and moral values.

VII. Involvement of the neighbor countries (CIS) to the WCF VIII prepatation.
Strengthening dialogue & collaboration with the pro-family organizations/movements of Ukraine/Belarus/Moldova ets., building through them the dialogue and communication with their national state authorities, launching local missions of the WCF VIII organizing committees under the WCF Representative for Russia/CIS aegis. Strengthening the neighbor countries pro-family international presence at UN/CoE level.

Sponsor Packages: Platinum - $150 000 Gold - $ 60 000 Silver - $20 000
Please contact WCF VIII 2014 Organizing Committee: Alexey Komov, WCF Representative in Russia and CIS, a.komov@worldcongress.ru, tel. +7 495 960 04 60
World Congress of Families largest international network of hundreds of prolife and pro-family NGOs from over 80 countries of the world, The Howard Center is officially accredited at the United Nations Economic & Social Council WorldCongress.org All-Russian Charity Program Sanctity of Motherhood is one of the largest endeavors in Russia aimed at eliminating abortions, establishing the network of crisis pregnancy centers. It is run by the St. Andrew the First Called Apostle Foundation. Sm.cnsr.ru Saint Vasil the Great Charity Foundation is one of the largest private charity foundations in Russia with over USD 40 mln budget in 2012. Projects: Oblast Dobra Charity Program aimed at improving socio-demographic situation in Russian regions, Gymnasium, helping orphans. RusCharity.ru