“Families From Within”: BackgroundThis web site is the continuation of a participatory project honouring family life that has involved hundreds of people over many years. The purpose of the project is to provide a forum for families to relate their experiences and life conditions, and encourage exchange between them. Those who contribute stories do so not as professional writers or analysts, but simply as family members: mothers and fathers, children and grandparents. Now that it is online, you are invited to join the family and participate too! (See an expanded list of topics on the “To Come” page.) The project does not make value judgments on testimonials received. They simply reflect, as widely and impartially as possible, on the experiences of today’s families. In the final analysis, real family specialists are those who live family life day by day, through both difficult and joyous times. In 1994, during the International Year of the Family, the project “gave birth” with the publication, in collaboration with Médiaspaul, of a book, Families From Within, the result of many families sharing their realities: past and present, positive and negative. Excerpts like those you see here were chosen from thousands of letters and photos received. Watercolour illustrations were made from some of the photos, of which 200 or so are in the book and a smaller sampling are here on the Web site. Who’s baby is this? A collective
one! But the people at Pentafolio Multimedia are taking care of
it from day to day: We would like to thank all who have already participated by writing, by sending photographs, by passing on their enthusiasm to friends, family and colleagues, and by encouraging us to carry on through many sleepless nights. The fact that the book is actually in print is something of a victory for the family, and we intend to carry on the torch through this Web site. Many, many people believed in the project and kept it going. They are present in every page of the printed book and in every byte of this Web site. Thank you all for being a part of this enlarged family experience. We sincerely hope readers will find in these writings the comfort, amusement, inspiration and reflection the writers intend to share. |
Colette
Coughlin, project coordination and public relations|
Illustrations
© 1994 Jean-Emmanuel Allard |