An Evening With Parliamentarians (WFWP Vienna)
Written by: Renate Amesbauer, Claudia Ditel and Lilly Gundacker
On September 8, Women’s Federation for World Peace (WFWP) Austria, together with the Universal Peace Federation (UPF) and the generous support of Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (FFWPU) hosted a dinner for a delegation of Parliamentarians from Mali, Africa.
The delegation consisted of five members of the Parliament of Transition and a lady secretary, who attended the 5th World Conference on Speakers of Parliament in the Vienna Austria Centre from September 8 to 10.
The dinner with Parliamentarians was coordinated through the cooperation of Mr. Mamadou Kone, Honorary Consul and Representative for the Chamber of Commerce of Mali to Austria and neighboring countries.
Ms. Renate Amesbauer, President of WFWP Austria, welcomed the guests and spoke about the history of cooperation with Mr. Kone at side events and conferences at the United Nations (UN) in Vienna. The common topic was the value of education and the importance of strengthening youth and women, to develop a healthy society in each nation.
Mr. Peter Haider, President of UPF Austria and Director of International Association of Parliamentarians for Peace in Europe and the Middle East (IAPP EUME), introduced UPF and IAPP, which were founded in 2005 and 2016, respectively.
Dr. Maria Riehl, Director of WFWPI Office for UN Relations in Vienna, emphasized the importance of incentivizing the grassroots movement of women in spreading a culture of peace and friendship among different cultural and religious backgrounds. Dr. Riehl noted that one of the main focuses of WFWPI Vienna’s office is the prevention of crime and drug trafficking through education and empowerment.
Hon. Assorid Ag Imbarcaquane, the first Vice President of the Transition Parliament, is a Parliamentarian with 30 years of experience. He introduced the other members of the delegation, each of them members of the transition committee. Hon. Imbarcaquane shared about his experiences with the co-founders of WFWPI, Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon and her late husband Rev. Dr. Sun Myung Moon. Hon. Imbarcaquane became an Ambassador for Peace in 2010, helped establish IAPP in Mali and even accompanied his President to Korea in 2014 and 2016. He expressed utmost appreciation of the high values emphasized by Rev. Moon, especially valuing the family. Hon. Imbarcaquane shared how in their Parliament, all people from different religious backgrounds work together and “it is not the religion that someone belongs to that is important, but the character of the person.”
Mr. Hamidou Trarore, member of the Transformation Committee, has been highly involved in the field of social development since 1976.
Ms. Oumon Sanogo, Secretary of the Parliament, highlighted what Dr. Riehl mentioned prior, namely the crucial role of women’s grassroots organizations. Ms. Sanogo explained how Mali tries to uphold inclusivity and women in Mali are involved in peace and reconciliation practices. She also emphasized that women are traditionally peacebuilders and because women are the main victims of conflict, they should be involved in the reconciliation process.