WFWPI Webinar for Young Professionals "Role of Youth in Family and Society"
Written by: Mion Tsuchiaka
Women’s Federation for World Peace International held an educational webinar for young professionals from four countries of Israel, Zambia, Malta, and Ghana on May 13. They shared their success stories and decision-making processes in effectively dealing with huge crises in various areas of life responsibility. The webinar was broadcasted on Zoom, interpreted in Korean, Japanese, Spanish and French, with a total of 50 participants.
Ms. Laya Alqassas was a webinar moderator. She is a young professional from Jordan currently living in Korea. She started the webinar by greeting the audience and introducing each panelist.
The first speaker Mrs. Victoire Ben Zvi is currently living in Jerusalem, Israel, originally from Prague, the Czech Republic. In 2016, Mrs. Victoire Ben Zvi graduated from the Lycée Francais de Prague (French High School in Prague). After her experience in hospitality, she started her Bachelor's studies at the Institute of Hospitality Management in Prague, she graduated in 2021. During her studies, she took the responsibility as President of the International Association of Youth and Students for Peace Czech Republic and organized Character Education and service projects with youth. In 2021 she moved to Israel, where she joined her husband’s family business: You Need Coffee, a roasting house in the center of Jerusalem. Since December 2022, she has been managing one of the shops. She shared how she is developing the coffee business together with her husband with the internal purpose of creating a place of harmony in a divided nation. She emphasized the words of the WFWP Co founder Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, “Be the best in your field,” and how she is practicing this word in daily life by developing her heart and inheriting the teachings from elders.
Ms. Verocia Kaimba Chiluba is the second speaker from Zambia. She completed high school in Geneva, Switzerland, and wrote her GCSE and A-Levels in England. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master's in International Relations from the Central China Normal University in Wuhan, China. Although she is still in her infancy as a working professional, she has had an interesting educational set of experiences. She is trilingual in English, French, and Chinese and has worked as a professional female football player for the Zambian women’s U23 national team whilst teaching primary school part–time. She has worked as a translator for an Import and Export Company in Abantu. Manufacturing Firm, and currently works as a young female Diplomat. She has not yet had a long and illustrious career in any specific field however, experience across the board and the opportunity to Mingle with people from all walks of life has been the greatest experience. As she continues to grow and learn, she will continue to strive to be the best version of herself and a role model for young women across the world. At first, Ms. Chiluba briefly discussed her personal experiences and the lessons she picked up along the way as a young person. She said, “As young people, we are the ones who connect the past to the present and the present to the future. We take stories and traditions from the past as shared by the older generation. We use them to determine how to utilize the information and knowledge in the stories and cultural practices to build a modern and inclusive future, which recognizes the diversity and welcomes different perspectives.”
The third speaker was Mrs. Davinia Marie, a seasoned professional with over 20 years of experience in psychology, spirituality, and personal development. Her journey into these fields began at a young age when she was introduced to meditation, a practice that has remained a fundamental part of her life ever since. Over the years, she has explored various forms of energy healing, such as theta healing, shamanism, and reiki, all of which have helped her deepen her spiritual understanding and enhance her personal growth. Her fascination with the human mind, emotions, and behavior eventually led her to pursue a BSc Honours in Psychology, after which she went on to train in Gestalt psychotherapy. Throughout her career, she has been dedicated to helping people from all walks of life. She has worked as a supervisor for Malta's national helpline, training volunteers in the art of Active Listening and equipping them with the necessary tools, skills, and mindset to assist callers seeking help on a wide range of serious issues. Her passion for helping others led her to her current role as an Internet Safety Officer, which covers various roles, including Safer Internet Centre Officer, Helpline officer, and Hotline Analyst, where she works tirelessly to create a safer online environment for everyone, a special focus on protecting children online. She believes that everyone deserves to live a fulfilling life and strives to empower people to take control of their own well-being. Now, she is embarking on her life's calling as a life coach. Drawing upon her years of experience and training, she is dedicated to helping individuals overcome personal challenges and find practical ways to transform their lives for the better. With her unique combination of psychology, spirituality, and personal development, she is equipped to guide her clients on their journey toward living their best lives. In her free time, she enjoys meditating, following courses on personal and spiritual development, playing video games, and spending quality time with her two children and loving husband. She believes in leading by example and is committed to living a life of purpose, passion and positivity. If you're ready to take control of your life and unlock your full potential, she is here to serve you as a coach, healer, and cheerleader to guide you every step of the way. She expressed her concern as Internet Safety Officer “In today's world, we are more connected than ever before, thanks to the internet. However, paradoxically, this increased connectivity has made many people, especially young people, feel more alone and disconnected. The online world presents constant dangers, such as cyberbullying, non-consensual sharing of intimate images, grooming, excessive use, and gaming addictions. This cocktail of daily risks creates fear, anger, anxiety, and depression in today's growing generation. Suicide and self-harm cases are on the rise, and it is our responsibility to help those who are suffering from such disconnection from their happiness and well-being."
The last speaker was Mrs. Gebre-Michel, an Ethiopian based in Ghana. She emerges from a humanitarian, development, gender, peace, and security background. A registered Social Worker and an executive member of the Ghana Association of National Social Workers as well. She is also the Founder/Director of the SHEE-Humanitarian Foundation for Protection-Empowerment of Women and Children and a Capacity-Building organization. Her interest in serving humanity was generated by her nature and nurture. Moreover, working in the humanitarian, development, gender, peace, and security sectors birthed from her exceptionally youthful teenage days from sharing a wall with OXFAM (an org. that fights inequality to end poverty and injustice) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where she comes from. She told herself that this was where she would need to end up working. She effectively fostered that interest by working with the most vulnerable individuals who are in need of protection and assistance, including refugees in NGOs, CBO, the United Nations, and a few other organizations for a few decades, with a greater part of it serving with UNHCR in various capacities including Emergency Response, Care and Maintenance, and Durable Solutions phases. She holds BA in Social Work with Psychology MA in Gender, Peace, and Security. She also holds several diplomas, including Community Development and Adult, Youth, and Child Development and Education. She shared the inspiring words, “If we are happy and we are peaceful, your family is going to be peaceful. If your family is peaceful, then your community and your country can be peaceful. In order to bring peace in the world, educating women, forgiving, and partnering is essential.”
The question and answer session was led by Mrs. Kefilwe Lebepe, leader of the WFWPI Young Professionals Team. She asked several questions from the audience to the panelists. This gave more time for speakers to share their personal life experiences and perspectives.
The webinar was closed with the invitation to join the WFWPI Young Professionals Team, which conducts the meeting bi-monthly every fourth Saturday at 10 PM Korea time. This 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.
