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Old 15th February 2009, 11:35 PM   #4
Ageing Grace
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Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 738
Re: marriage is good, how do we get the message across?

Hilary, our politicians are forever trying to influence family life & education - to cut a predictable story down to its obvious essentials: the polls tell them they're out of touch with everyday life, so they commission some more research about everyday life. Then they use this to create 'family' NGOs, launch 'family' election platforms, and to introduce 'family' legislation.

My opinion on all this is doubtless clear - but Jenny's right, in that the NGOs inform policy as well as public opinion, and channel the budgets.

The initiatives that look sound to me - like parenting courses, relationship & marriage education, better creche provision, more emotional/psychological assistance, babycare vouchers and so forth - are woolly & easily subverted: either they don't get off the ground or they're hijacked by single-agenda NGOs.

I don't know whether it's better in other countries (naturally, each has its strengths & weaknesses). Just possibly, our legendarily free press makes such frustrating processes somewhat more visible. In any case, Jenny's question is very valid - in the UK at least.

It could be rephrased: "How do we persuade governments to support marriage and families?" But that's an age-old question, and has been subverted as many times as it's been answered ...
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