2022 WFWPI General Assembly a huge success
Written by: Mion Tsuchiaka
“Let us continue to raise our voices for unity and promote peace across borders,” said Dr. Julia H. Moon, President of the Women's Federation for World Peace International (WFWPI), at the 2022 General Assembly on November 12.
The General Assembly is an annual event that brings together WFWP leaders, members, and guests from around the world on one international platform for global networking and sharing reports on international and regional activities. This year the General Assembly featured various programs, including keynote speeches, surprise events, inspiring entertainment, and sharing of best practices.
All sessions were open to the public, with nearly 400 people worldwide joining each session live via Zoom and YouTube.The webinars were interpreted in five languages: Korean, Japanese, French, Spanish, and Thai.
The first part of the program was moderated by Ms. Najette Chouchane, WFWPI's young professional and art creator from the United Kingdom. Ms. Chouchane opened the Meet & Greet session, a time for all participants to break into small groups and mingle with friends and colleagues, old and new. Ms. Chouchane then welcomed Dr. Paris Moon, WFWPI Secretary General, who formally opened the meeting with warm greetings as she welcomed the audience.
Dr. Julia H. Moon gave the opening remarks. She said that she is very proud of the way WFWP has evolved throughout these past 30 years by rising to the challenges and building a strong platform and network of women leaders who are working together all over the world. She thanked all participants for “making the world a better place through the small acts of kindness and empathy in your daily lives. She continued on to say, “Our world is becoming more and more closely connected, and conflict and war should not separate our hearts and our common dream of peace.”
In her welcoming remarks Dr. Sun Jin Moon, Senior Vice President, shared, ``I am guided by the words of WFWPI co-founders, ‘women will save the world.’” She also stated, "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 a reality. I know that as mothers, sisters, daughters, and feminine bonds, we are united by one common universal truth, to live for the sake of others with a culture of true heart.”
Mrs. Grace Kisile, Administrator of the in New York, moderated the surprising program. The surprise program was organized in response to the retirement of the International Vice President of WFWP Europe, Mrs. Carolyn Handschin, who was stepping down. A special video with warm messages from IVP colleagues was shown, and a plaque of appreciation, flowers, and small gifts were presented. Mrs. Handschin was thrilled by the surprise and expressed her gratitude for working with the European team for more than a decade. She promised to work even harder in her capacity as Director of WFWPI Offices for UN Relations. WFWP IVP, EU Senior Advisor, and IAFLP EUME Regional Coordinator in the future.
The surprise event concluded with an entertaining performance by Universal Ballet's "Miri-nae-gil - Pas de Deux," a new work presented at the 2021 Korean Ballet Festival by Universal Ballet's Artistic Director Liu Bing Xian, which incorporates one of the most complex human emotions, "Jeong," the opposite but inseparable emotion of love and hate.
The first part of the program had reports from WFWP IHQ and the WFWPI UN Office. Dr. Marta Carvalho shared her experience as part of the editorial team for the WFWPI 30th-anniversary book project. Mrs. Merly Barlaan, Dr. Maria Riehl, and Mrs. Carolyn Handschin reported on current activities and projects organized by the WFWP UN offices in New York, Geneva, and Vienna, respectively.
The second part of the program began with a healing session led by Dr. Isabel Costa, a happiness therapist from Portugal. This session included a 20-minute inner child meditation, which allowed many participants to relax, look into their hearts, and calm their minds. Mrs. Lilly Gundacker from Vienna, the moderator of the second part of the program, introduced the assembly's last and most important program, a sharing of best practices.
There were three themes:
1. Funding Project in WFWP Australia (Mrs. Anne Bellavance)
2. Young Professionals Team (Mrs. Kefilwe Lebepe)
3. Educational Courses on Heart Intelligence (Dr. Susan Kone).
All presentations included information on the challenges and solutions of the projects, as well as the outcome and future development of each piece of work. Dr. Moon concluded the assembly by thanking all the leaders and members who continue to build and develop the foundation of WFWP.
The WFWPI General Assembly was a heartwarming learning experience where many leaders, members, and guests reaffirmed their hearts and will in the last months before the new year.
