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It is a striking fact that jealously sovereign nations are eager to acknowledge that the fundamental unit of society is not the state. The constitutions of Malawi and Namibia track language from the United Nations Universal Declaration of Rights stating that “the family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society.” Similar language with slight variation (some prefer the words “constituent” or “element” rather than “unit”) is found in the constitutions of Burundi, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Iran, Ireland, the Kyrgyz Republic, Madagascar, Moldova, Portugal, Sao Tome, and Seychelles. East Timor elaborates: the family is “society's basic unit and condition for the harmonious development of the person.”
Other nations employ biological imagery to assert the autonomous and indispensable nature of the family. “Families are the cells of society” says the constitution of Vietnam, while the Burkina Faso constitution describes the family as “the basic cell.” Cuba and Ecuador call it “the fundamental cell,” while Armenia terms it “the natural and fundamental cell.”
Sometimes the family is described
with language emphasizing not only its individual autonomy but also its central and controlling role. Qatar, Saudi Arabia,
and Yemen proclaim the family to be the “nucleus” of society. For Angola and Colombia, the family is the
“basic nucleus,” and for Chile and Nicaragua it is the “fundamental nucleus.” Guatemala’s
terminology is similarly evocative of life and growth, but using a fuller description: the family is “the primary and
fundamental genesis of the spiritual and moral values of the society and, the State.”  |
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Other nations view the family as a kind of footing or support for society
and the state. The constitutions of Bahrain, Costa Rica, Egypt, Estonia, Lithuania, Somalia, United Arab Emirates, and
Uruguay all recognize the family as the “basis of society.” El Salvador and Papua New Guinea classify it
as the “fundamental basis of society.” Rwanda calls it the “natural basis of Rwandan society,”
while the Central African Republic refers to it as “the natural and moral basis of the human community.”
Chad similarly depicts it as “the natural and moral base of the society.” Yet other constitutions prefer to speak of the family as the “the foundation
of society,” as do Azerbaijan, Brazil, Equatorial Guinea, Haiti, Libya, Paraguay, Tajikistan, and Turkey. Andorra
designates the family as “the basic foundation of society,” while Cameroon acknowledges it as “the natural
foundation of human society.” The Philippines calls it “the foundation of the nation,” while Niger
affirms it to be “the natural and moral foundation of the human community.”
Such impressive statements constitute a powerful testimonial to the wisdom of the ages, echoing Confucian thought, that the family is irreplaceable and indispensable to civilization. It is the cell, the nucleus, the basis, and the rock foundation of human peace and happiness. Impair or injure or obstruct the family, and you have jeopardized the larger society. |