Contact: Don Feder, Communications Director, 508-405-1337, dfeder@rcn.com; Judy Hodge, 815-964-5819, media@worldcongress.org; both with World Congress of Families

MADRID, Spain, Oct. 18, 2011 /Christian Newswire/ -- An International Planning Committee Meeting for World Congress of Families VI (Madrid, May 25-27, 2012) took place at the NH Eurobuilding Hotel in Madrid, October 14-15.

The Committee agreed to a theme for Madrid 2012 ("Family: Marriage, Children and The Future of Society"), topics to be discussed and logistics. The Committee also toured the Palacio De Congresos De Madrid, site of WCFV VI.

Approved topics include: The Case for Marriage, Strengthening the Family (including fatherhood and motherhood), The Culture of Life Versus the Culture of Death (including abortion and euthanasia), Demographic Winter, Sexual Revolution and the Family (divorce, co-habitation and pornography), Freedom of Religion, Freedom of Education (parent’s rights), Engaging the Culture (including the impact of the news and entertainment media on the family), The Homosexual Lobby and International Family Law and Policy (UN, EU, and international institutions).

World Congress of Families Managing Director Larry Jacobs commented: "The 2012 Madrid Congress will raise high the natural-family standard in a nation where the family has been under constant assault for the past 8 years.  The socialist Zapatero government  instituted same-sex marriage and adoption, eased access to abortion, lowered the age of consent and liberalized Spain's divorce laws, making it one of the most anti-family regimes in Europe."

Jacobs continued: "We're excited about having WCF VI in a nation with a vibrant pro-family movement, represented by HazteOir.org.  We anticipate significant attendance by pro-family groups from around the world but especially from Spanish-speaking countries.  Spanish and English will be official languages of the Madrid Congress."

The following participated in the International Planning Committee Meeting for World Congress of Families VI: Ignacio Arsuaga -- HazteOir.org, (Spain) and head of the local organizing committee for WCF VI, Lola Velarde -- Institute for Family Policies (Spain), Christine Vollmer -- Alliance for the Family (Venezuela), Natalia Yakunina -- Sanctity of Motherhood Foundation (Russia), Larry Jacobs -- WCF Managing Director, Don Feder -- WCF Communications Director, Geert-Jan Poker -- Familyfacts.nl (Netherlands), Lech and Ewa Kowalewski -- Human Life International (Poland), Fr. Jaroslaw Szymczak -- Institute for Family Studies (Poland), Silvio Dalle Valle -- Association for the Defense of Christian Values (Italy), Austin Ruse -- Catholic Family and Human Rights Foundation,  Bev Adair -- Family First New Zealand,  Mary-Louise Fowler -- Australian Family Association, Peter Westmore -- National Civic Council (Australia), Alexey Komov -- WCF Representatiive in Russia and CIS, Benjamin Bull -- Alliance Defense Fund, Dorothy Patterson -- Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Mary Ellen Smoot -- Women's Relief Society, Janice and Gil Crouse -- Concerned Women for America,  Roberta Kraft -- Windway Foundation, Susan Roylance -- Howard Center for Family, Religion & Society, Chris and Christine Carmouche -- GrassTopsUSA, and Preston Noell -- Tradition, Family & Property.

The Australian delegation provided an update on progress toward World Congress of Families VII, Sydney, May 15-18, 2013. The Committee also recommended Moscow as the site for WCF VIII, in the Kremlin in 2014 -- subject to consideration and approval by the Board of Directors of The Howard Center for Family, Religion & Society.

Information on World Congress of Families go to www.worldcongress.org.  To schedule an interview with WCF Managing Director Larry Jacobs, contact Communications Director Don Feder at 508-405-1337, dfeder@rcn.com or Judy Hodge 815-964-5819, media@worldcongress.org.

The World Congress of Families (WCF) is an international network of pro-family organizations, scholars, leaders and inter-faith people of goodwill from more than 80  countries that seek to restore the natural family as the fundamental social unit and the 'seedbed' of civil society (as found in the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948).  The WCF was founded in 1997 by Allan Carlson and is a project of The Howard Center for Family, Religion & Society in Rockford, Illinois.  To date, there have been five World Congresses of Families -- Prague (1997), Geneva (1999), Mexico City (2004), Warsaw, Poland (2007) and Amsterdam, The Netherlands (2009). 

World Congress of Families VI will be held in Madrid, Spain in May 25-27, 2012.