Welcome
The International Anglican Family Network (IAFN) is one of the Networks of the worldwide Anglican Communion. It is a forum for the exchange of information about the challenges facing families in different countries and cultures and the practical work being undertaken by churches and individual Christians. …More
The Aims of the International Anglican Family Network
Since 1991, IAFN’s work has focused on the production of three newsletters per year on issues affecting families. The aim of the newsletters is to set challenges and problems in an international context and to give information about practical projects and work being done by churches and communities to help. Articles are written by people from many different countries within the Anglican Communion. The range of topics covered in the newsletters: eg Street Children, Fathers and Families, HIV/AIDS, Children and War, Community Families, demonstrate the many areas where individuals and groups, often linked with churches, are active in responding to families in need. The newsletters provide an educational resource for both the developed and the developing world, helping all to learn more about the resources and dedication of the many women and men within the worldwide Anglican family whose work is often unknown. Their stories provide a stimulus for greater understanding and further action.
The IAFN newsletters are printed as an integral part of Anglican
World, a main magazine of the Anglican Communion, and the text of
the articles is also available on the website.
A more recent development has been the holding of regional consultations. The first was in Nairobi in 2003 which enabled delegates from different parts of Africa to come together and discuss the difficult and important issue of Violence and the Family. A further consultation was held in Seoul in October 2007, in partnership with the Korean Church, when delegates from different countries in Asia considered the impact of Globalisation on Family Life highlighting issues such as migrant workers, the bride trade and family violence. See the Consultations page for more information. See the Consultations Page for more information.
Current Newsletter
This newsletter follows the consultation organised by the Family Network in co-operation with the Anglican Church of Korea and held in Seoul n 2007. It includes articles based on papers presented by several of the delegates. These tell of the impact of global economic forces on families in Korea, Hong Kong, Japan, The Philippines, Singapore and Australia, with the growth in the numbers of women and men working away from their homes and the resulting pressure on them and their families. The article from The Philippines shows how the bride trade, with women seeking to escape poverty through marriage abroad, can result in their exploitation and abuse. Additional articles from Argentina, Bangladesh and UK make clear that problems caused by agribusinesses and migrant working are by no means confined to countries in Asia, but occur in many parts of the Communion. Efforts are being made by churches and specialist organisations such as the Asia Pacific Mission to Migrants to help migrant workers through centres offering support, advocacy and friendship. Globalisation may well be here to stay but we need to be aware of its negative effects on many families, and the prayer of those at the Consultation was that their deliberations will encourage all parts of the Anglican Communion to work to support families in whatever situation they find themselves and so demonstrate the love of Christ in action. …Read online
Anglican World Magazine
