DOHA INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR FAMILY STUDIES AND DEVELOPMENT
The Doha International Institute for Family Studies and Development (DIFSD) conducts research and promotes scholarship on the legal, sociological, and scientific basis of the natural family as the fundamental unit of society.
Its initiatives seek to implement the Doha Declaration, an internationally recognized reaffirmation of Article 16 (3) of the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which reads: "The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State."
The Institute contributes to Qatar Foundation's community development mission through its policies and programs that build on the concept that a framework of strong, stable families facilitates dialogue and harmony at all social levels.
It achieves its objectives through regional family conferences, academic research, publications, inter-disciplinary studies and policy initiatives. In 2006, DIIFSD, in partnership with local experts and government agencies, convened four regional conferences in the cities of Vienna, Nairobi, Kuala Lumpur and Stockholm.
DIFSD has created a unique on-line library, called the Global Family Matters Information System (FAMIS), as a family-related research resource. It has also created a series of documentaries that explores practices and behaviors contributing to well-functioning families and societies.
A series of three volumes from the 2004 Doha International Conference for the Family considered global events that affect the natural family. The 2004 Doha conference marked the 10th anniversary of the United Nations 'International Year of the Family'.
For more information about the Doha International Institute for Family Studies and Development, visit www.fsd.org.qa