(Bratislava) – More than 5,600 people have supported the joint appeal of the Forum for Public Issues, the Slovak Society for the Family and the Forum for Life to the new Government. The main aim of the initiative is to achieve “positive changes in the areas of the protection of life, family and dignified life for the citizens of the country”, which are part of the government’s agenda for 2016-2020. “In this way, we can actively participate in the creation of a pro-family and pro-life environment in Slovakia, thus contributing to the civilization of life and love”, explains Marcela Dobesova, president of Forum for Life. The NGOs request the implementation of concrete programs for the support of positive demographic development, the adoption of a “mass media law” to protect the values of family and marriage in society, more generous state benefits for large families, and the protection of marriage through the introduction of a 1-year “protection period” before divorce with professional help and mediation. The signatories to the appeal also ask for measures to be taken that would return a sense of public service to the health resorts that are currently undermined by corruption, and for the revision of the system of financing of public and private providers of social services to avoid any discrimination in this area. The representatives of the NGOs have already met with the representatives of several resorts of the Government. According to Marcela Dobesova, “we are optimistic about the development of future mutual cooperation”.