Written by: Mion Tsuchiaka

The Women’s Federation for World Peace International (WFWPI) held an educational webinar on May 25 featuring young professionals from Canada, Colombia, Ghana and Korea. The webinar was broadcast on Zoom and translated into French, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish and Korean, with a total of 70 participants. Ms. Lia Raquel Tavares Vieira, a young professional from Portugal and moderator of the webinar, started the webinar by welcoming the audience and introducing each panelist.

The first speaker, Ms. Adriana Muños Blanco, is a journalist, presenter and specialist in strategic communication with 12 years of experience in political and institutional journalism at the national level. She is a dreamer, inspirational speaker, entrepreneur and representative of the beauty of Santander women. She created the social movement Reina El Corazón to spread solidarity among people through her social networks and thus provide support to different foundations in the country because, as she says, “We all have something to donate: from time onwards.” Now, she is a professional model and dedicates herself every day to working in this new profession, with the message that dreams come true regardless of age. Ms. Blanco shared her life journey as she continues to challenge new opportunities to show the youth of her country the importance of believing in what you believe in and realizing what you are passionate about. “Don't compete with others, only [with] yourself, and remember to smile every day.” Her Reina El Corazón movement works tirelessly to weave threads of hope and create the social fabric of the country, influencing not only individuals but also the media, foundations, scholarships and support for those in need. 

The second speaker, Dr. Jerry Adjei Nmai, is a medical officer at the Upper East Regional Hospital in Bolgatanga, Ghana. A dedicated family man, he is driven by a deep desire to make a difference in society, particularly in the lives of orphans and disadvantaged children, by providing them with food, clothing and education. Dr. Nmai's journey is a testament to the transformative power of the Women's Federation for World Peace’s sponsorship, of which he is a proud beneficiary. He emphasized the importance of the role of youth in the family and society. “The youth are called upon to renew and refresh the current state of society, including leadership, innovation, skills, etc. The youth should push forward modern technology, education, politics and peace in the country.” Dr. Nmai shared his story and initiative to share the love he received from those around him by celebrating his birthday with special donations for the children at the orphanage in Ghana and doing this as a tradition every year. He said the act is his own way of giving back to the community and believes that if most young people do the same, it will help improve society. 

Ms. Lindsay Hampejsková is a former eye imaging specialist from The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada. Her impressive academic background includes an MSc in Public Health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, where she specialized in the prevention of global blindness. Her work has taken her to various continents, including Asia, Africa, South and North America and the Middle East. Notably, she spent over two years in Kenya and Pakistan, where she developed a national program for retinopathy of prematurity in Bangladesh. Currently, she oversees infection control in five Canadian hospitals while actively contributing to the development of international healthcare systems. Ms. Hampeyskova is one of those who changed her life 180 degrees by following her heart, starting out as a photojournalist but ending up working in the medical field and founding So Children Can See, an organization that helps children with eye problems to see a brighter future and live happier and more fulfilling lives. She shared her challenges and successes as a volunteer, missionary and entrepreneur and how daily encounters with people in different countries have shaped her outlook on life. She said, “The roles of youth in family and society are to bring adults back to God, communicate and connect without language, boundless dreams and thinking big, influence with altruism, help us remain adaptable, share God’s divine love, resilience, take over from where adults leave off and provide an opportunity for peace on Earth.”

Ms. Kyung Min Um is a full-time, full-stack software engineer at Goldman Sachs. She graduated from a university in Korea and the University of Bridgeport with a degree in Computer Science in the US. She worked as an Android developer (software engineer) from 2018 to 2020. She is also a development leader for KEA and a vocal group. Ms. Um explained what agile methodology is and how to work more effectively with a team in project management. She described several tools that she and her team use to achieve long and short-term goals and how they promote continuous improvement and boost team morale. “The retrospective meeting is important for team bonding, to socialize and create an open safe space to share and discuss as a team how to do better in future projects.”

The Q&A session was also one of the highlights of the webinar, allowing the presenters more time to share their personal life experiences and insights. All participants were asked the question, “What words would you like to say to the youth participating in today's webinar?” Each of the speakers agreed that everyone will have their challenges, but if you have passion, just keep moving and don't give up. Learn to fall and get back up, enjoy the process, and research how to do a better job.

The webinar concluded with an invitation to join the WFWPI Young Professionals Team, a dynamic group that meets bi-monthly every third Wednesday at 12 PM GMT. This team serves as a creative think tank internationally, practicing cultural diplomacy through the exchange of ideas, information, art, language and other cultural aspects to foster mutual understanding. By joining this team, everyone can actively contribute to this effort and make a real impact on the world.