2022 WFWPI Webinar for Young Professionals “Role of Youth in Family and Society”
Written by: Mion Tsuchiaka
“Young people should be at the forefront of global change and innovation. Empowered, they can be key agents for development and peace,” said Kofi Atta Annan, a seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations. Young professionals around the world are playing an active role in creating and promoting peace by making their voices heard for positive change, coexistence, and harmony. Young people are the builders of the future of their countries and the world.
On August 27, the Young Professionals Team of the Women's Federation for World Peace International hosted an insightful webinar with motivational young speakers from six countries, sharing their success stories and decision-making processes that have effectively addressed huge crises in various areas of life responsibilities. A total of 154 people participated on the Zoom and YouTube broadcast platforms. The program was divided into two sessions, featuring panels, Q&A sessions, and discussions. The webinar was interpreted into seven languages: Korean, Japanese, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Thai, and Chinese.
The first session was moderated by Ms. Jacqueline Sou Aber, a member of the WFWPI Global Committee in Education and Humanitarian Activities, who introduced the purpose of the event, which is to focus on the role of youth in the family and society in enhancing and contributing to the culture of the community and society. She said, “I hope that at the end of the webinar, you will discover something new for yourself that will inspire you to start making small changes toward the big dream of achieving peace in the world together.”
The first speaker was Ms. Shiuan Ru Wan, a climate activist from Taiwan. Originally from Hsinchu, Taiwan, Ms. Wang initiated a proposal in 2017 called "Phasing out the single-use tableware,” which caught the attention of the government at the age of 17. She is a senior student majoring in the department of Interior Design and a runway model. She was also a coordinator for the Open Government Plan. She wants to use her diverse skills and experiences to inspire the world to strike a balance between nature and humanity. Ms. Wang shared a story about how she, as a high school student, influenced Taiwan's environmental policy. She encouraged the audience, saying, “Even if we are young and lack experience, we still get a lot of energy to do the things we want to do. And we must not forget that we all live in nature. Not only the beach and forest are called nature, but the whole environment we call nature. Be more observant, dare to be different, and turn your passion into a driving force in your living.”
Ms. Hema Doraisamy, a second panelist and Director of My Global World, started by sharing her favorite quote from Nelson Mandela “The youth of today are the leaders of tomorrow.” Ms. Hema is in the education business affiliated with institutions from Switzerland, Denmark, and the USA. She does international and local student recruitment and marketing for institutions, respectively. She also lectures on Business Management subjects. Her specialization provides quality academic qualifications for busy mature working class personnel and young adults striving to achieve their career dreams. She learned the art of communication and staying positive from her parents, who are her mentors and inspirations in building a good career in the education business. Ms. Hema is passionate about empowering the community by spreading positivity and doing social work. She is an active charter member of the Rotary Club of Lake Gardens Kuala Lumpur and also a member of the Malaysia Positive Psychology Association. Ms. Hema emphasized that the foundation for success in life is the teachings and support of family. She concluded, “Do something good every day. It doesn’t have to be big. Even if you have helped one person, you’ve changed the world forever. A small act of kindness goes a long way.”
The third speaker was Mr. Joseph Ayoub, a Lebanese Armenian Architect born and raised in Dubai, U.A.E. He received his Bachelor of Architecture with Distinction from the Lebanese American University in 2018. Through local and international NGOs, he served and still serves in positions focusing on issues related to civic engagement, refugee camps aid, historic preservation, antiracism movement, environmental protection, and awareness projects. He supports empowerment projects that help build peace bridges in communities. Mr. Ayoub has lived for two years in Armenia for professional and volunteering involvement. He then moved back to Lebanon for three months, where he took part in several community projects in Beirut that were aimed to help recovery after the Beirut Port blast in August 2020. He currently lives in Dubai due to his work; however, he continues to be engaged in any developmental project, big or small, as a service back to his community back home. Ms. Ayoub shared tips for serving the community through communication and engagement. He concluded, “I’ve learned that every community has its unique characteristics. One thing that remains the same is our role in the community. I believe that the role of the youth has no limits or boundaries. We shape our own community. The more we work together, the more we can build bridges of peace between each other, regardless of where we come from, our professions, or our beliefs.”
A lively Q&A session at the end of the first session, with profound questions from the audience, allowed more time to learn about each speaker's personal work and experiences.
After a short break, the second session began with welcoming words by the moderator, Ms. Ryeojin Kuse, a member of the International Association of Youth and Students in South Africa. She soon introduced the first speaker, Ms. Patricia Matos from Portugal. Ms. Matos is a Head of Innovation at Global Media Group, holder of 18 media titles such as Diário de Notícias, Jornal de Notícias, Rádio ‘TSF’, and others. She is also the Head of Communication to the European Parliament, Local Assistant assigned to the MEP Francisco Guerreiro, non-registered deputy, and member of the European Greens Group. Ms. Matos also works as the invited professor of post-graduation globalization, diplomacy, and security at Universidade Nova de Lisboa and Instituto Military University. Ms. Matos continues to self-develop and is currently a Ph.D. student in Social Sciences, specializing in Political Science, at the Higher Institute of Social and Political Sciences in Lisbon. She shared with the audience her life experience of how journalism opened doors to new possibilities and challenges in her life and helped her to develop herself, become stronger, more confident in her decision-making, and always stay positive.
The second panelist was Mrs. Tamara Starr, who is a mother of three children and has been working as a journalist. She has always been passionate about training women to become leaders within their community and voter registration. She has worked for organizations such as NBC Universal, The Boston Globe, Pro Sound Music Magazine, NYS Music, NYPIRG, and WFWPI. Recently, she launched the lifestyle news website Emperial Samaritan with her former employer Patch.com. The focus is on sharing stories about those who are choosing to give back while encouraging others to do the same. She is also a Team Leader for Headcount, a non-partisan organization that uses music to register voters and promote participation in democracy. Mrs. Starr received her B.A. in Political Science from Binghamton University, M.A. in Broadcast Journalism from Emerson College, and UX/UI Design certification from the Columbia University School of Engineering and Applied Science. She explained that we can find our passion in life by simply thinking about what makes us happy and joyful. Mrs. Starr suggested staying focused and not doing too many tasks at once, as life is not a competition of the “best cause.”
The last speaker was an intern of WFWPI, Ms. Millie Cox. Ms. Cox is a linguist studying at Durham University. She has just completed her year abroad. She splits her time working and studying and was lucky enough to be a part of several fantastic organizations. In Paris, she worked as a teaching assistant at a bilingual primary school, and in Barcelona, she studied at Universitat Pompeu Fabra. In Madrid, she had the pleasure of working at a sports NGO Red Deporte which utilizes sport as a pathway out of poverty for disadvantaged children. Alongside these various roles, Ms. Cox had the fantastic opportunity to undertake internships with a female-empowered NGO Women Going Beyond where she provided content for online sessions for young girls and women in South East Asia. During her last internship with the WFWPI, most of her time was spent writing a research paper on the impact of art contests amongst children hosted by NGOs. Ms. Cox reiterated the benefits of participating in an internship, especially from a global perspective. "You definitely learn a lot about potential career paths, the type of work you are interested in, and whether you envision working abroad in the future. It is a great advantage to gain a few weeks or months of experience to learn how a company operates and how to be a member of society," she said.
The webinar concluded with closing remarks by Ms. Kefilwe Lebepe, lead organizer of the webinar and team leader of the WFWPI Young Professionals Team. She thanked all the speakers, saying, "Each story proved that young people have the power and potential to make a positive difference in their families and communities." She then invited all participants to join the WFWPI Young Professionals team and contribute their skills and power as youth leaders and future changemakers for a better community and a more peaceful world.
WFWPI Young Professionals’ Team is a creative think tank at the international level to practice cultural diplomacy, which is the exchange of ideas, information, art, language, and other cultural aspects in order to deepen mutual understanding. The team meets every other month on the third Saturday of the month at 1 PM UTC.
Webinar Recording Link
