This fall, Patti Ikegami from IFFD Canada has organized a series of sessions to enhance parents’ knowledge of IFFD in the global arena and enrich the views and challenges on family policies. Ignacio Socias, Advocacy Talent Acquisition at the International Federation for Family Development (IFFD), visited Canada in early December for a series of events, presentations, and meetings.
The visit aimed at effectively sharing the content of IFFD’s work with those collaborating with Family Enrichment Centers, while also gathering feedback for future initiatives and addressing the challenges faced by modern families, where he engaged with policymakers, university students, and academics to discuss family advocacy in a global context.
As the first goal of his trip, he delivered key presentations highlighting the pressing issues families are currently facing, particularly focusing on social, economic, and legal challenges. They were held in Montreal (Hotel Sheraton), Vancouver (Peter A. Allard School of Law) and Edmonton (Hotel Chateau Nova). His presentation focused on the importance of evidence-based policy-making to support families and how global trends impact local family dynamics while emphasizing the need for holistic family-supportive policies that consider the long-term impacts on children, working parents, and vulnerable family members.
In addition to his formal presentations, Socias made time to meet with university students across Canada. His goal was to engage the next generation of family advocates and encourage them to participate in meaningful dialogue about the future of family policy. His meetings included Riverview Centre (McGill University, Montreal), Parkhill Residence (University of Ottawa) and Glenwood Association (University of British Columbia, Vancouver). In those meetings, the conversation centered around the importance of evidence-based advocacy, how students can get involved in research on family issues, and the role of international organizations like the IFFD in advancing family well-being globally.
Another significant highlight of this trip was the visit to the Senate and House of Commons of Canada in Ottawa, where he met with several members of Parliament. His discussions with Canadian lawmakers emphasized the importance of placing family well-being at the heart of social policy, particularly in light of the challenges posed by economic inequality, changing labor markets, and social fragmentation.
