Commemoration of the 30th Anniversary of WFWPI in Turkiye
Written by: Zoe Bennett
In Istanbul, Turkey (Turkiye as newly agreed by the UN), an event took place on January 13, 2023 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Women’s Federation for World Peace International (WFWPI).
Twelve participants joined the event in person and 10 participants joined online via Zoom. On this occasion, Ms. Hatice Kunt, a longtime member of the Women's Conference for Peace in the Middle East, received the Global Women Peace Ambassador Award, from WFWPI. Ms. Kunt loves the earth, is an environmental activist and land owner. Dr. Feyza Basar, professor of International Law at Marmara University, honored the event with her presence.
A short video presented the vision and worldwide activities of WFWPI and Ms. Handan. Uncu Ito, a local representative of WFWP in Turkiye, gave her warm welcome remarks. She was followed by Dr. Zoe Bennett, International Vice President of WFWP Middle East, who recalled the aim of the co-founders, Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon and her late husband, Rev. Dr. Sun Myung Moon, when they created WFWP: Promote world peace through education, humanitarian work and reconciliation. She also explained the goals of WFWPI for the year 2023 and encouraged the audience to promote environmental sustainability and education for all.
The Chairman of the Universal Peace Federation (UPF) for the Middle East, Mr. Umberto Angelucci, greeted the participants and congratulated the awardee for her love for the creation. After the cake cutting, the President of UPF Turkiye, Mr. Binod Paudel, gave closing remarks saying that this year marks the 30th anniversary of Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon’s visit to Turkiye. He encouraged all WFWP members and especially mothers, to see Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon as a role model and work together to realize peace in Turkiye with a mother’s heart. He thanked WFWPI and the local team for hosting such a historic event.
In the end, the moderator, Ms. Michelle Paudel, closed the event by encouraging everyone to join in tasting the local international delicacies prepared for the occasion.
There is no official chapter of WFWP in Turkey yet. Nevertheless, there is a strong desire to develop one.
