GENEVA -- In an emotionally charged closing session here late Wednesday, hundreds of delegates from 45 nations representing the world's major religions approved a three-page document calling on "all persons, families, social organizations and governments throughout the world to respect and uphold the institution of the natural human family."
By what appeared a unanimous voice vote, some 1,575 participants in the World Congress of Families II approved the "Geneva Declaration" to be used as a show of force in crafting local, national and international legislation designed to protect the traditional family.A vote on the measure was also conducted by ballot, though results of the official balloting were unavailable at press time.
Such formal consensus among pro-family advocates on language dealing with the moral "rights and wrongs" of wide-ranging issues including human sexuality, the right to life, population control, education of children and the role of religion in family life is "unprecedented," according to Alan Carlson, general secretariat of the World Congress.
The document defines the "natural family" as "the fundamental social unit" and marriage as "the voluntary union of a man and a woman in the lifelong covenant of marriage."
Pro-family advocates gathered at the congress say they have been fighting individual battles over family issues in their own nations and on the international level for years. They see the declaration as a key element to draw on showing international support for their views in future lobbying efforts and policymaking.
Before the voice vote, delegates throughout the convention hall were asked to hold hands as a show of solidarity. Cheering and chanting erupted following the verbal affirmation, with many delegates in tears.
The balloting followed three days of presentations by politicians, academics and religious leaders detailing the economic, social and moral cost of legislation that they say has legalized anti-family policies, including abortion, widespread government distribution of contraceptives, same-sex marriage and employee benefits, euthanasia and children's "rights" to be free of parental control.
Thomas Atwood, president of the U.S.-based Family Research Council, drafted the initial document -- using input from 10 committee members who are delegates to the Congress -- before the meetings in Geneva began Monday. During the week, two public hearings were held on the document, with hundreds of commentsand suggestions taken by the committee from delegates regarding content and language, Atwood said.
He told the assembly before the balloting that "I'm certain there will be no one in this room that will totally agree with" everything in the document. "But we are a coalition, and that is the nature of coalition-building. I believe everybody will agree with almost everything. That is certainly the greatest challenge that we faced."
Kathryn Balmforth, an attorney and director of the World Family Policy Center at Brigham Young University, served as secretary to the drafting committee, which included scholars, politicians and religious leaders.
She said one of the biggest decisions the committee faced was "tactical. We all want the same thing. There was some discussion over whether we were more effective talking from a faith basis or make secular arguments.
"With a faith-based perspective, you face the challenge that people may immediately dismiss what you're saying if they don't accept faith-based arguments. At the U.N., secular arguments are virtually the only ones accepted, but if the (audience) is pro-family organizations, then faith-based arguments have great appeal."
Balmforth said the committee had considered drafting both secular and faith-based versions of the document but simply ran out of time.
Religious representatives who served as delegates to the congress included Catholics, Russian Orthodox, Muslims, Jews, Protestants and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. There were repeated references during the three-day congress to the definitive disagreements that the denominations have, both with each other and within their own communions.
Before the balloting, Father Nicholas Balashov, Moscow representative of the Moscow Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church, said that observers must not discount the wide-ranging divisions in theology and practice among the faiths. Yet, he said, he supported "the attempt to bring together people from such different cultural and religious traditions. We have in common some very important ideas about the family.
"But there exists some degree of danger to use the same words" that for many "may have different meanings. It will be simply some sort of diplomacy which may not be so productive, but nevertheless, we must try to do the best for defending the family together."
When the ballots to affirm the declaration were distributed, Father Balashov voted yes.
A youth declaration was also drafted by teen and young adult delegates to the congress. It was also read to the delegates and unanimously approved on a voice vote. Youth delegations are becoming increasingly important in international policymaking forums, Carlson said.
So sweeping was the agreement, Carlson said, "history may someday" laud the effort.
The three-day congress was capped with an Alan Osmond-produced fireworks show set to music over Lake Geneva, which is adjacent to the Noga Hilton, thanking the city for hosting the event.