WFWPI Hosts Its 2020 Leaders’ Virtual Assembly
Written by WFWPI HQ Korea
WFWP International (WFWPI) held a three-day virtual Leadership Assembly last month, which took place from October 23 to 25. The WFWPI Assembly is hosted bi-annually by WFWPI HQ in Korea. Over the course of three days, WFWP regional leaders gather to conduct strategic meetings as well as receive special education on internal guidance. These Assemblies provide the space for leaders of WFWP to come together, re-align to the mission and vision of WFWP and its co-founder, Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, and report on the strategic plans for each region.
This year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, WFWPI decided to expand participation in the WFWPI Assembly by holding meetings virtually and broadcasting it live on Youtube. Over 770 regional and national leaders, members and guests from 88 countries registered for this virtual Assembly to participate in its three programs: strategic leaders’ workshop, webinar on women entrepreneurship, and webinar on peace and reconciliation in conflict zones.
The Assembly began with opening remarks made by Mrs. Julia H. Moon, President of WFWPI:
“We have much to learn and much to do as an organization and as individuals, in order to achieve the vision and mission that has been given to us by our Founder, Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon. I do hope that this virtual Assembly will be helpful to you and support you in your work.”
Dr. Sun Jin Moon, Senior Vice President of WFWPI, gave special remarks:
“All over the world, we seek true leadership and guidance to give us hope. However, sadly, we are more and more disappointed. The pandemic still has us tightly bound under its relentless grip and the world is desperately searching for hope! I am proud to say there is hope. I know of such a heroine and that is our beloved Founder, Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, the Mother of Peace. She has taken the vanguard role as the bearer of light and hope in these devastating times. She has lit the torch of truth, illuminating the darkness to reveal God’s call to each and every one of the children on earth, to find the answers deep within their hearts.”
The opening ceremony was followed by a strategic workshop which inclided presentations on the International Association of First Ladies for Peace (IAFLP) given by Ms. Blessie Dhakal, International Coordinator for IAFLP; communication & cooperation with UPF and FFWPUI given by Mrs. Alexa Ward, Vice President for WFWPI; and WFWPI’s 7-year plan given by Mrs. Paris Moon, Secretary-General of WFWPI. After the discussion, there was a special education session held by Professor Taek Yong Oh.
The Assembly culminated with two WFWPI Perspectives webinars, inviting women leaders and professionals from various spheres. Panelists spoke on the topics of women entrepreneurship and peace and reconciliation in conflict zones.
WFWPI Perspectives: “Women Entrepreneurship” webinar was held on Friday, October 23, at 8 p.m KST during which time a panel of women entrepreneurs shared their experiences in creating a successful business and presented their best practices and decision-making processes that have effectively helped to tackle the diverse areas of responsibility.
The webinar began with a welcoming address from the moderator, Mrs. Merly Barlaan, International Vice President of WFWP Asia, and entertainment from Ms. Floryn Rose Vergara, a Philippine singer who offered two songs: “Imagine” by John Lennon and “I Was Here” by Beyonce. Following the musical offering, the panelists gave their presentations.
Ms. Dalareich Polot, Founder and CEO of Ginto Fine Chocolates Corporation, remarked that “entrepreneurship is not [only about] having a profit or solving a problem but is a BIG mission to make an impact on [many] different lives. I believe that women can change the world through entrepreneurship, because women are compassionate, supportive, resilient, and most of all loving.”
Ms. Winnie Chao, CEO of Kumon Taiwan, shared how “this pandemic has deepened and further strengthened my belief in family education and the value of personalized learning programs. We need to make sure that students secure solid foundations, develop good learning habits, and enable them to apply self-learning abilities while studying beyond their own grade level materials. We are a family. We need to take care of each other and give each other our best support. We do everything with the hope that our next generation will benefit from it. Education can build great nations and a peaceful world.”
Ms. Dinah Bennett, Director and Global Lead for Enterprise Development, highlighted the differences in women entrepreneurship as “women are not the same as men when they’re thinking of starting businesses and running them. They have different experiences”. Bennet encouraged women to become entrepreneurs by giving advice on the four ingredients for success: idea and the market, motivation, resources, and abilities.
Ms. Audra Hajj, CEO of Angel Investment Networks, began her talk by openly sharing about her painful childhood, being placed in 32 foster homes by the age of 10. But with her life motto “every problem is a gift”, she was able to see the blessing behind her hardships and passionately shared about how her past enabled her to choose who she is today. Hajj also explained how to relaunch or open a new business in the digital era by sharing personal experiences of success.
Many participants commented that this webinar was full of knowledgeable and insightful panelists who gave powerful and inspiring speeches.
WFWPI Perspectives: “Peace and Reconciliation in Conflict Zones” webinar was held on Saturday, October 24, at 6 p.m KST. The webinar began with a welcoming address from the moderator Mrs. Mitty Tohma, National President of WFWP UK, and a musical rendition of the song “One Woman” produced by UN Women. The main focus of the webinar was highlighting women and youth across the world who have invested themselves towards creating a movement to promote positive change in their communities and the world.
Throughout the webinar WFWPI explored the challenges and victories of movements in conflict zones across the world, in order to grasp the capacity and challenges involved for women and youth when they take an active role in leading efforts for reconciliation and conflict transformation. Four panelists shared their best practices for success and the decision-making processes that have contributed to effectively tackling this enormous hurdle in their diverse areas of responsibility.
Dr. Maria Hadjipavlou, Associate Professor at the University of Cyprus, spoke on the Cypriot women’s peacebuilding efforts based on the activities and achievement of Hands Across the Divide and the Gender Advisory Team (GAT), that have used the UNSC Resolution 1325 to produce specific recommendations submitted to the Cypriot negotiators. Their efforts were acknowledged by former UN Secretary-General, H.E. Ban Ki-Moon, in 2010.
Dr. Naoko Kumagai, Professor at Aoyama Gakuin University, studies peace and reconciliation in conflict zones. Dr. Kumagai emphasized that the key to sustainable peace is to acknowledge the “role of youth in the prevention and resolution of conflicts”. She used Uganda as a case study, showcasing the critical role of youth in reconciliation and sustainable peace.
Dr. Anna Grichting, architect, urbanist, and musician, spoke on regenerating, rebalancing earth and co-creating peace with nature in border landscapes, based on her work to create the Peace Park at the DMZ between North and South Korea. Dr. Grichting also highlighted women’s unique role in peace and reconciliation at the DMZ, which she will be developing further in collaboration with WFWPI.
Many insightful questions were asked by the audience during the question and answer session that followed.
After the second webinar, the closing ceremony began and was moderated by Mrs. Paris Moon, Secretary-General of WFWPI. For special entertainment, the song “Hand in Hand” was covered by a young WFWP member, Ms. Laureen Mobo, and was accompanied by a video exhibiting recent humanitarian activities of WFWP worldwide.
The day’s event concluded with closing remarks from Mrs. Julia H. Moon, President of WFWPI, who thanked all panelists and participants for their involvement which has enabled WFWPI to conduct a highly fruitful virtual Assembly.
“I sincerely hope that the new friendships will last a long time and help to lay the foundation of a global women network.”
The 2020 WFWPI Assembly, despite the challenges of being held virtually, successfully embodied the spirit of hope for women to work and make an impact through love, peace, reconciliation, and service.