15th May, 2013
The seventh World Congress of Families kicks off in Sydney today under the theme of "Happy Families, Healthy Economy".
More than 100 speakers, from Australia and overseas, are presenting at the conference. Keynote speakers include Bradford Wilcox, director of the National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia, who will be looking at the advantages of two parent families, Dr Janice Shaw Crouse, a senior fellow at the Beverly LaHaye Institute – thinktank for Concerned Women for America, who will be speaking on the importance of man-woman marriage and Dr Ted Baehr, founder of US-based Christian film review website Movieguide.
John Anderson, former deputy prime minister in Australia, will also be addressing the conference on the cost of family breakdown while Professor Ian Harper, one of Australia’s most prominent economists, will be speaking on the subject of ‘healthy economy – growth with a purpose’.
Lawrence Jacobs, managing director of the US-based World Congress of Families, says it’s the first time the conference has been held in the Asia-Pacific region.
"This is the largest gathering of pro-family leaders in academia, education, politics, business, medicine, media, culture, religion and law," he said. "The congress seeks to strengthen the natural family, the economy and civil society."
On Friday night, the conference will host the world premiere of the film, Return to the Hiding Place, which tells the story of a Dutch Resistance fighter, Hans Poley, in World War II who found refuge at Corrie ten Boom”s house. The conference runs until Saturday.
– DAVID ADAMS
