Nearly 10 thousand people walked in procession through the central streets of the capital to declare the need for a systemic reform of the state family policy. The All-Ukrainian March for the Rights of Children and Families was held on Saturday, June 2, from Sofia Square through Independence Square and to the Verkhovna Rada. This is already the third such event, organized on the initiative of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations, the Institute of Religious Freedom reports.

According to various estimates, from 7 to 12 thousand people joined the March. This year, the event was held under the slogan: “Happy family is healthy Ukraine!” It was intended to draw the attention of society and authorities to the moral and spiritual foundations of family and marriage as a union of men and women necessary for the harmonious education and healthy development of children.

Participating in the March were the heads and representatives of the Roman Catholic Church, the UOC-Kyivan Patriarchate, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (MP), the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, the All-Ukrainian Union of Churches of Evangelical Christian Baptists (AUC ECB), the Ukrainian Christian Evangelical Church , Armenian Apostolic Church, Ukrainian Free Church of Evangelical Christians, Religious Administration of Muslims of Ukraine, German Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ukraine as well as heads and representatives of other churches, including those from other regions of Ukraine.

The March participants distributed information flyers, which emphasized the need to promote state family policy in order to combine efforts of the authorities and the public to prepare young people for marital life and responsible parenthood, addressing the demographic crisis and popularizing the adoption of orphans, responding to abortion and domestic violence issues. (Quelle: www.risu.org.ua, 3. Juni 2018)