The Best Parent Is Both Parents

EQUAL PARENTS' WEEK
September 26, 2005 - October 2, 2005

Mission Statement

Issues Behind the Message of Equal Parents' Week

Joint Statement by Participants in Equal Parents' Week 

EPW Documents 
A complete set of documents for participants-
informational and handout materials

SIGN UP: Organizations Holding Public Activities, i.e., Candlelight Vigils, Purple Ribbon Activities, etc. 

SIGN UP: Individuals Who Will Hold Home Vigils

Quotes in Support of Equal Parents' Week

The Children's Rights Council and its Chapters

Roll Call: Statistics of Denied Access

Links to Other Organizations

About Shared Parenting

___________________________________


The message each purple ribbon sends is a message of equality, responsibility, and values. The message behind the message is one of civil rights, conscience and love.

JOIN IN SENDING THE MESSAGE 
OF EQUAL PARENTS' WEEK 

The Children's Rights Council, as International Sponsor, invites family members throughout the world to unite their voices in making the message of Equal Parents' Week, "The Best Parent Is Both Parents" an international mandate.



EPW DOCUMENTS
A complete set of documents for participants- informational and handout materials
        Public Candelight Vigils
      Home Candlelight Vigils
      "5 Candles Reading" for Candlelight Vigils 
PURPLE RIBBON ACTIVITIES
ORDER EQUAL PARENTS WEEK FREE RIBBONS (see prices for T-shirts & other items)
ADD A PURPLE RIBBON TO YOUR WEB PAGE


 

WHAT IS EQUAL PARENTS' WEEK? 

Equal Parents' Week is an event which sends the message that parental rights and responsibilities must be shared equally by both parents. The purple ribbon is the symbol which sends this message. People are urged to send this message by wearing purple ribbons and tying them everywhere they can be seen. 

Equal Parents' Week is a civil rights movement and a human rights movement. Equal Parents' Week advocates that equality is not just a legal concept. The right of both parents to function as a parent, the right of children to be raised and nurtured by both parents, and the right of familes to exist and function as a family, are rights inherent and inalienable to all families. The Equal Parents' Week mandate for equal parent status is a mandate for the time it takes to love, nurture, and teach our children our values the only way we can...a mandate for the ability to be a parent...and a mandate for justice. 

The Children's Rights Council encourages everyone to support National Parents Day in recognition of its important mission to strengthen the role parents play in children's lives and advocating family values, objectives shared by the focus of Equal Parents' Week. 

"Parents' Day serves as a catalyst for creating awareness, programs, events and activities to support parents, strengthen families and build communities...to make [parents] aware of the important role that they play in not only raising their children, but the future leaders of our nation." 
Belinda Rollins 
President 
Parenting Coalition International
We all need to care about what happens to parents and children when they walk into court We as a society all share the responsibility for creating a system which makes the principle "the best parent is both parents" a reality by embracing the civil rights that protect unmarried parents and their children individually, as well as their right to exist and function as a family. It is long overdue that we recognize that "the best interests of children" cannot be met unless we maximize the ability of both parents to raise and nurture their children and afford children the maximum parenting effort and involvement each parent is willing and able to contribute in raising their children. 

Equality imputes values: civil rights, conscience, and responsibility. We all have a responsibility to keep families together by promoting a system that values and protects both parents Families will be in crisis until the unconditional love and sacrifice, the need for both parents and for families to continue to function as families, individual self-respect and respect among all family members, are lived by each of us, and promoted and protected by our laws and by every component of our local and national governments and justice systems. 

NOTE TO ALL ORGANIZATIONS: All organizations are required to endorse the "Joint Statement by Participants in Equal Parents' Week" (see link on left) which sets forth fundamental principles of Equal Parents' Week, including the principles of equal sharing of parental rights and responsibilities by both parents and joint custody. 

INTERNATIONAL EVENT OF SOLIDARITY 
TO SEND OUR MESSAGE

A Moment in our Hearts, 
A Moment of Solidarity.

INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC & HOME CANDLELIGHT VIGILS
Thursday, September 29, 2005  7:30 pm 

PUBLIC CANDLELIGHT VIGILS

As an international event, we are asking all organizations to join in "A Moment in our Hearts, A Moment of Solidarity" by holding as many public candelight vigils as possible throughout the world. 

All candelight vigils will be held on the same date and at the same time:  Thursday, September 29, 2005 at 7:30 p.m 

Please contact the International Coordinator to let us know you will be holding a public candlelight vigil. Please use the link to the left (Sign Up: Candlelight Vigils, Purple Ribbon Activities, Etc.) to sign up via email .  Please be sure to provide ALL the information requested in the link when signing up in order for your candelight vigil to be counted. 

HOME VIGILS 

We are urging all people who cannot attend a public candlelight vigil or who do not have one taking place near them to share in "A Moment in our Hearts, A  Moment of Solidarity" by holding their own "Home Vigil" and light a candle in their home for at least 15 minutes, on Thursday, September 29, 2005 at 7:30 pm, the same date and time as the public candelight vigils will be taking place.  A Home Vigil can be held by anyone, it can be held by a single person living alone, and include as few or as many people as you wish, so please invite as many of your family and friends as you like! Encourage your family and friends to participate in your Home Vigil, or to get involved by holding their own Home Vigil

Please contact the International Coordinator to let us know if you will be holding a Home Vigil, and use the link to the left to sign up.  Please be sure to provide ALL the information requested in the link when signing up in order for your Home Vigil to be counted
 

               WHAT CAN YOU DO?

Tie as many purple ribbons as you can
      everywhere they can be seen
Spread the word to your friends and families to
      tie purple ribbons and hold candlelight
      vigils to send this message
Organize a public candlight vigil or hold
      your own home vigil
Organize any other public activity with
     purple ribbons, i.e., picnics, gatherings,
      rallies, etc.
 Network with other organizations to 
      encourage their participation with purple
      ribbon activities and candelight vigils 
....YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL EQUAL
          PARENTS' WEEK TO TIE YOUR PURPLE RIBBON!
....KEEP A PURPLE RIBBON TIED OUTSIDE YOUR
         HOME TO SEND A MESSAGE EVERY DAY!
 

ADD A PURPLE RIBBON TO YOUR WEB PAGE

Join in sending the message of Equal Parents' Week, and in sending the ongoing "Message" and "Message Behind the Message" that each purple ribbon sends. The purple ribbon is our symbol of the Equal Parents' Week ongoing movement of solidarity advocating parental equality and advocating protection of the civil rights of all family members by all levels of our government and justice systems. 

For Further Information, Please Contact: 

Patti Diroff, International Coordinator for 
Equal Parents' Week, Children's Rights Council 
Telephone: (909) 591-3689 
PattiDiroff@att.net

FOR INFORMATION ABOUT THE CHILDREN'S RIGHTS COUNCIL
Children's Rights Council, International Office
(301) 559-3120 
crcdc@erols.com 

Or a Local Chapter of the Children's Rights Council Nearest You
 
 
OTHER IMPORTANT ACTIVITIES 
TO SUPPORT:
Parenting Coalition Internaitonal
CRC Noncustodial Parents Quilt
CRC's National Children's Day
Annual National Stepfamily Day: September 16 

 

accesses since January 1, 2001