Journalists / Huckabee / Childcare / Singapore: Marriage Central - 3/22/07
Smartmarriages
smartmarriages at lists101.his.com
Thu Mar 22 14:20:21 EDT 2007
- COMMUTER COUPLES: SET YOUR TIVOS
- HUCKABEE ON THE "M" WORD
- ON CHILDCARE AND THE CONFERENCE
- MARRIAGE CENTRAL: SINGAPORE
########################
- COMMUTER COUPLES: SET YOUR TIVOS
> Diane,
> I just wanted to let you know we can call off the search... A family called
> me from your email that commutes from Florida to Philadelphia. They'll be
> perfect for the piece. Thank you so much for your help. Much much
> appreciated. The piece will air Wednesday night on NBC Nightly News.
> Christina
Set your Tivos, but main reason I'm including this announcement is to thank
those of you on the list that respond to requests like this from the media.
It is absolutely crucial to our mission - no way we can turn things around
without couples willing to share their stories. Journalists are the front
line soldiers but we must help them. So, my thanks to this commuting couple
and to all of you that respond to requests for help. - diane
##########################
- HUCKABEE ON THE "M" WORD
Presidential candidate, Mike Hucakbee, was on Bill Maher's Real Time this
week. When Maher asked whether Huckabee agreed with the recent statement
by General Pace that homosexuality is immoral, Huckabee replied:
"Frankly Bill, I'm a lot more worried about the fact that half the marriages
in this country are failing . . . I think what we really need to be doing is
focusing on how to make marriages stronger."
############################
- ON CHILDCARE AND THE CONFERENCE
> Dear Diane--
> We left our two children with friends last time and
> were SO glad. We, as a couple, went to tons of
> workshops separately and then the plenaries
> together. Just a personal preference, but it is
> such a HUGE event and great time for networking
> that it is nice not to have to have children and
> their care on your mind while you're trying to
> participate. It also shows people in your life how
> serious you are as a couple about strengthening
> your own marriage.
>
> Please send me another packet of brochures and
> pink cards (25-50 if you have them).
>
> Joy Kennel
> Terre Haute, IN
It also let's you offer to swap childcare with friends and suggest they take
their own "marriage vacation". And, any of you that "get it" about the
wonders of the conference, let me send you brochures or postcards. You're
definitely the ones to sell the conference. - diane
#############################
- MARRIAGE CENTRAL: SINGAPORE
New resource centre to be set up to promote, strengthen marriages
By Julia Ng
Channel NewsAsia
March, 21, 2007
(Bravo Singapore! Have to admit I envy these centers! - diane)
SINGAPORE : A new resource centre will be set up by the end of this year to
help dispense advice on married life.
It's called "Marriage Central" and it will be a one-stop centre for couples
to turn to if they're planning to get married.
The centre is also open to newly-weds as well as those who have been married
for a long time.
And you also get to have a say on what the centre should do - the National
Family Council is inviting feedback on how to make it effective and
relevant.
Keeping a stable, happy marriage is no walk in the park.
Lawyers Sukdave Singh and Anuradha Sharma, who have five children, make it
look easy.
But Anu, who handles divorce cases, said most marriages could have been
saved if there had been better communication.
And this is something the new Marriage Central will be promoting.
"I think Marriage Central is important because of the younger generation.
(Look at) the divorce rates are among the youngsters. Just a few years of
marriage and they throw in the towel over some stupid misunderstanding. Or
they'll usually come out to say they are incompatible and that's it. That's
not how a marriage should work. It's a give and take process," said lawyer
Anuradha Sharma, who has been married for 17 years and has five kids aged 4
to 16 years old.
The marriage rate in Singapore has been falling from 49.9 per 1,000
unmarried resident females in 2000 to 40.8 per 1,000 in 2005.
But the divorce rate has been rising.
About 6 out of 1,000 couples divorced in the 1990s. In 2005, the figure rose
to almost 8 in every 1,000.
The key to make a marriage last may change with time and depends on a case
by case basis.
But this is what the new Marriage Central should promote, according to
Ibrahim Bulat, who has been married to Fatimah Jaafar for over four decades.
"How we lasted this long - coming to 42 years this July - is that marriage
is not just a matter of love, it's both art and science. In a marriage, one
would have to have the basic foundation and knowledge on how to keep
families together," said Ibrahim Bulat.
Marriage Central will be set up at the Registry of Marriages by the end of
this year. It will be the one-stop centre for the public to get information,
and for family life champions to work together to promote and strengthen
marriages.
And it will take a holistic approach - addressing the needs of not just
married couples, but also young people.
It said it will not duplicate services currently provided by Voluntary
Welfare Organisations.
Instead, it'll work with them to coordinate and synergise efforts at a
national level to promote marriage wellness.
"It's really about enhancing the values and teaching young people the value
in long, trusting relationships. That's where we feel we should be working
on with various other agencies and ministries. MOE is one of them," said
Anita Fam, chairperson of 'Stengthening the Institution of Marriage'
Workgroup, National Family Council.
"And for our young men in NS (national servicemen), we'll be working with
MINDEF. We may roll out family life education with our young men, teaching
them the value of relationship."
Marriage Central will also encourage couples to seek help, such as
counselling, before it's too late.
It could benefit couples like Chia Puay Yong and his wife Janet, when their
marriage came under severe strain when their restaurant business ran up
millions of dollars in losses.
"I think it's a very useful network for married couples, or people who are
thinking of getting married, because we can share our experiences with
them," said Puay Yong, a father of four children.
- COMMUTER COUPLES: SET YOUR TIVOS
> Diane,
> I just wanted to let you know we can call off the search... A family called
> me from your list that commutes from Florida to Philadelphia. They'll be
> perfect for the piece. Thank you so much for your help. Much much
> appreciated. The piece will air Wednesday night on NBC Nightly News.
> Christina
Set your Tivos, but main reason I'm including this announcement is to thank
those of you on the list that respond to requests like this from the media.
It is absolutely crucial to our mission - no way we can turn things around
without couples willing to share their stories. Journalists are the front
line soldiers but we must help them. So, my thanks to this commuting couple
and to all of you that respond to requests for help. - diane
##########################
- HUCKABEE ON THE "M" WORD
Presidential candidate, Mike Hucakbee, was on Bill Maher's Real Time this
week. When Maher asked whether Huckabee agreed with the recent statement
by General Pace that homosexuality is immoral, Huckabee replied:
"Frankly Bill, I'm a lot more worried about the fact that half the marriages
in this country are failing . . . I think what we really need to be doing is
focusing on how to make marriages stronger."
############################
- ON CHILDCARE AND THE CONFERENCE
> Dear Diane--
> We left our two children with friends last time and
> were SO glad. We, as a couple, went to tons of
> workshops separately and then the plenaries
> together. Just a personal preference, but it is
> such a HUGE event and great time for networking
> that it is nice not to have to have children and
> their care on your mind while you're trying to
> participate. It also shows people in your life how
> serious you are as a couple about strengthening
> your own marriage.
>
> Please send me another packet of brochures and
> pink cards (25-50 if you have them).
>
> Joy Kennel
> Terre Haute, IN
It also let's you offer to swap childcare with friends and suggest they take
their own "marriage vacation". And, any of you that "get it" about the
wonders of the conference, let me send you brochures or postcards. You're
definitely the ones to sell the conference. - diane
#############################
- MARRIAGE CENTRAL: SINGAPORE
New resource centre to be set up to promote, strengthen marriages
By Julia Ng
Channel NewsAsia
March, 21, 2007
(Bravo Singapore! Have to admit I envy these centers! - diane)
SINGAPORE : A new resource centre will be set up by the end of this year to
help dispense advice on married life.
It's called "Marriage Central" and it will be a one-stop centre for couples
to turn to if they're planning to get married.
The centre is also open to newly-weds as well as those who have been married
for a long time.
And you also get to have a say on what the centre should do - the National
Family Council is inviting feedback on how to make it effective and
relevant.
Keeping a stable, happy marriage is no walk in the park.
Lawyers Sukdave Singh and Anuradha Sharma, who have five children, make it
look easy.
But Anu, who handles divorce cases, said most marriages could have been
saved if there had been better communication.
And this is something the new Marriage Central will be promoting.
"I think Marriage Central is important because of the younger generation.
(Look at) the divorce rates are among the youngsters. Just a few years of
marriage and they throw in the towel over some stupid misunderstanding. Or
they'll usually come out to say they are incompatible and that's it. That's
not how a marriage should work. It's a give and take process," said lawyer
Anuradha Sharma, who has been married for 17 years and has five kids aged 4
to 16 years old.
The marriage rate in Singapore has been falling from 49.9 per 1,000
unmarried resident females in 2000 to 40.8 per 1,000 in 2005.
But the divorce rate has been rising.
About 6 out of 1,000 couples divorced in the 1990s. In 2005, the figure rose
to almost 8 in every 1,000.
The key to make a marriage last may change with time and depends on a case
by case basis.
But this is what the new Marriage Central should promote, according to
Ibrahim Bulat, who has been married to Fatimah Jaafar for over four decades.
"How we lasted this long - coming to 42 years this July - is that marriage
is not just a matter of love, it's both art and science. In a marriage, one
would have to have the basic foundation and knowledge on how to keep
families together," said Ibrahim Bulat.
Marriage Central will be set up at the Registry of Marriages by the end of
this year. It will be the one-stop centre for the public to get information,
and for family life champions to work together to promote and strengthen
marriages.
And it will take a holistic approach - addressing the needs of not just
married couples, but also young people.
It said it will not duplicate services currently provided by Voluntary
Welfare Organisations.
Instead, it'll work with them to coordinate and synergise efforts at a
national level to promote marriage wellness.
"It's really about enhancing the values and teaching young people the value
in long, trusting relationships. That's where we feel we should be working
on with various other agencies and ministries. MOE is one of them," said
Anita Fam, chairperson of 'Stengthening the Institution of Marriage'
Workgroup, National Family Council.
"And for our young men in NS (national servicemen), we'll be working with
MINDEF. We may roll out family life education with our young men, teaching
them the value of relationship."
Marriage Central will also encourage couples to seek help, such as
counselling, before it's too late.
It could benefit couples like Chia Puay Yong and his wife Janet, when their
marriage came under severe strain when their restaurant business ran up
millions of dollars in losses.
"I think it's a very useful network for married couples, or people who are
thinking of getting married, because we can share our experiences with
them," said Puay Yong, a father of four children.
**************************
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