The most awaited event of 2018 for the National Association of Large Families (NOE) in Hungary was the 11th Family Congress with the theme Family Friendly Europe. The conference with a motto ’Family is our treasure’ was organised in the town of Veszprém from 11th-15th July.
Katalin Novák, minister of state for family and youth affairs, Gyula Porga, mayor of Veszprém and Katalin Kardosné Gyurkó, president of NOE opened the grand event at the Pannon University with 1200 participants.
At the international session on 12th July numerous presentations, speeches and talks were held with international experts about the situation of families in Europe. Renata Kachmarska (UN) detailed the topic of a Family Friendly Europe in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, while Ignacio Socias (IFFD) described the value of unpaid work and the three dimensions of poverty. Further significant topics were the role of parents and grandparents (Marina Robben – IFFD), the importance of the family – a mother’s perspective (Madeleine Wallin – FEFAF) and the heritage of Mária Kopp in current Hungarian family policy (Tünde Fűrész – Institute of Mária Kopp for Demography and Families in Hungary). Our international partners from ELFAC (European Large Families Conferderation) arrived from 5 countries to take part at the Congress.
The study sessions of the Family Congress unfolded privacy in a large family (on 13th July) and what children teach us (on 14th July). At the popular study sessions families had the opportunity to meet experts and professionals, raise questions and discuss specific issues face to face with them.
A further aim of organising the event was to provide physical and mental recreation for our member families. Following the study sessions in the morning, families had the possibility to visit the famous Veszprém Zoo, to see the sights of the town, and also to make excursions to the hills of Bakony and to Lake Balaton. The event also gave place to the final of the so-called Large Family Football Cup where each player did his or her best during the friendly championship.
