WFWPI General Assembly & WFWPI Perspective Webinars

Written by: Mion Tsuchiaka

The WFWPI General Assembly is hosted by WFWPI Headquarters bi-annually and is a time where leaders from each WFWP region gather together for strategic meetings, attend special education on nurturing leadership and receive internal guidance for women leaders.

Since the implications from COVID-19 in 2020, WFWPI began to conduct the virtual assembly using Zoom and YouTube platforms to invite not only regional leaders but also national leaders, members and guests from across the country.

More than 621 participants from 83 countries registered for the virtual plenary sessions held on September 11 and 18, and participated in a program that included an Opening Ceremony, special reports on WFWP projects, regional reports on WFWP activities, special entertainment and two webinars on “Women Entrepreneurship” and “Peace and Reconciliation in Conflict Zones.”

The Assembly began with Opening Remarks from Mrs. Julia H. Moon, WFWPI President: “I want to thank you for your steadfast dedication and devotion to Heavenly Parents and True Parents. I am so privileged and honored to be amongst you. There is no high and low as we help and learn from each other, care for each other and grow together. This is the beauty of WFWP and it is a joy to be a part of this incredible organization!”

Dr. Sun Jin Moon, WFWPI Senior Vice-President gave special remarks: “I hold onto my mantra, the WFWPI co-founder’s words that “women will save the world.” I do believe that we can and will be the feminine voice and force of goodness, love, compassion, aid and wisdom to make that dream come true. I know that as mothers, sisters, and all feminine bonds, we are united by one common universal truth to live for the sake of others with a sincere culture of heart.”

The Opening Ceremony was followed by special reports discussing the current activities of the Giving for Good project, the Global Women’s Peace Network and a report of the UN-related activities in EUME.

The second day of the WFWPI General Assembly on September 18, began with a "Meet and Greet" session with the five groups from the Global Committee. The Global Committee is an integrated and interconnected international network of seven major development committees dedicated to implementing the WFWP vision.

This was followed by reports by the International Vice-Presidents and Secretaries-General from each region who presented on various WFWP activities on both the grassroots and high levels. Before the closing of the assembly, a special virtual entertainment was held with the song "Permission to Dance" by the K-Pop sensation, BTS. This was a collaborative project of talented people from all over the world, of all ages, who sent recordings of their unique performances. The energetic dance performances blew the audience away!

The General Assembly main sessions on September 11 and 18, both respectively culminated with a WFWPI Perspectives webinar. Women leaders and professionals from various spheres were invited as panelists to speak on “Women Entrepreneurship” and “Peace and Reconciliation in Conflict Zones.

“WFWPI Perspectives: Women Entrepreneurs” webinar was held on September 11, and introduced women entrepreneurs who have evaluated their ideas and created successful businesses, and to showcase best practice success stories and decision-making processes that have contributed to effectively tackling a huge crisis in diverse areas of responsibility. The webinar started with the welcoming address from the moderator, Ms. Marcia de Abreu, WFWP Regional Secretary-General of Europe.

Mme. Petronilla Molioo, a young entrepreneur in Samoa and recipient of the 2018 Queen’s Young Leaders Award, shared her journey with the FalaMasi Revival Project, a pilot project in Faleapuna to provide employment opportunities to young people by reviving traditional native handicraft skills, which was set up by her grandmother. It was a successful project that helped women to become financially independent and support their families.

Mme. Rarin Thongma, the CEO and founder of Christina Grey Group CoLtd and CEO, Founder and Designer behind O&B, a fashion brand that was launched in 2012, gave advice on how to start and develop a business: “Believe in yourself. No one will understand your business more than you. Don’t let anyone’s opinion or insight influence you without thinking about it thoroughly even if they’re a professional or an expert in that field.”

Mme. Fipe Preuss, the co-founder of Living Koko, a Bean to Bar & Cacao Creative Space specializing in inclusive chocolates, drinking cacao and cacao husk tea, shared: “Our best practices for our business revolve around the fundamental principles- authenticity, transparency, creating a No-waste manufacturing space and ensuring we approach all spaces ready for Talanoa – a Pacific island concept of deep communication.”

The second webinar on “Peace and Reconciliation in Conflict Zones” started with a welcoming address from the moderator Mrs. Moriko Hori, International Vice-President of WFWP Japan. The main focus of the webinar was featuring women and youth across the world who have taken many steps towards creating a movement to promote positive change in their communities and the world. Through the webinar, WFWPI explored the challenges and victories of movements in conflict zones across the world, to understand the capacity and challenges for women and youth when they take an active role in leading efforts for reconciliation and conflict transformation.

Three panelists presented their best practice successes and the decision-making processes that have contributed to effectively tackling the enormous crisis in their diverse areas of responsibility.

H.E. Nongnuth Phetcharatana, Representative of Thailand to the ASEAN Women Peace Registry (AWPR), shared “I would encourage the continued support at local, national, regional and international levels to help remove barriers to women’s participation in policymaking and policy implementation and to empower them with capacity- building, knowledge and opportunity. It is important to note that through increased participation of women in such processes, a gender perspective will be more effectively mainstreamed in the area of peace and security.”

Hon. María del Carmen Quintanilla Barba, Founder and President of AFAMMER, Women and Families in the Rural Area Federation in Spain, said “AFAMMER has been working for 39 years in a determined way to make the rural environment a more visible place, with more opportunities and a clear future for all those who want to develop their lives in it. This participation in national and international forums has led us to intervene so that families and women living in war zones could recover the illusion of living when their life expectancy was doomed to the fortune of gunfire.”

H.E. Paulo Pisco, a Member elected by the Electoral Circle of Europe in the Portuguese Parliament, shared “The international community should do its best efforts to avoid all kinds of instability and violation of human rights. [They] should follow very closely the situation of women and girls and, in the situation of Afghan refugees, should show its best solidarity. That is our duty as fighters for peace.”

Many great questions were asked during the Q&A session, giving the speakers more time to share their thoughts and ideas on practical solutions for peace.

The WFWPI General Assembly has become an international networking platform for women around the world, empowering them to continue working together to realize the WFWP's vision of creating an environment of peace and well-being for future generations and people of all races, cultures and religious creeds.