On Friday, April 18, 2008, from 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m., Tariq Ziyad and Krsnanandini Dasi, Co-Directors of the Dasi-Ziyad Family Institute participated in a Panel discussion at Cleveland State University discussing the implications of a newly released report, The Costs to Taxpayers of Divorce and Unwed Childbearing. Sharing insight, experience and hope were panelists, Steve Killpack, president, Community Endeavors Foundation, Luis Vazquez, Director, Strong Start for Cuyahoga’s Families, Gary Norton, representative from Cuyahoga County Commissioners office, Tariq Saleem Ziyad, Co-director, Dasi-Ziyad Family Institute (DZFI), Krsnanandini Devi Dasi, Co-Director, DZFI and Councilman Kevin Conwell, Ward 9.
Enthusiastic discussion about the report and what it means to Ohio and Cuyahoga County, the history and future of such a report and more combined with passionate, attentive audience members made the afternoon informative, educational and inspiring. Audience members requested more of these kinds of dialogs, particularly those moving our community to implement some collaborative and practical family-strengthening initiatives for reducing the enormous economic, social and ethical costs of this phenomenon.
An article about the report and the panel discussion appeared in the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Thursday, April 17, 2008.
The full report, press kit, and video of the National Press Conference, held in Washington, D. C., April 15, 2008, is available at http://www.americanvalues.org.
Dasi-Ziyad Family Institute has been encouraged to submit the video of our Cleveland panel discussion to YouTube. We’ll keep you posted.
