WFWPI General Assembly in September 2023

Written by: Mion Tsuchiaka

The Women's Federation for World Peace International Virtual General Assembly on September 16 was the first General Assembly under the new leadership of WFWPI President, Mrs. Moriko Hori. The assembly was open to WFWP leaders, members and guests, brought together 871 people via Zoom and YouTube, and was interpreted into Korean, Japanese, French, Spanish, Ukrainian, Portuguese and Mandarin. The program included opening remarks, welcoming remarks, key announcements and sharing of best practices in various fields. Mrs. Andrea Fayad, WFWP Latin America Regional Secretary and WFWP Colombia National President, presided and opened the gathering in a cheerful voice.

Dr. Paris Moon, WFWP International Secretary General, opened the ceremony with opening remarks. “Let us embark on this journey together with open hearts and minds to make the world a better place for all. I am grateful to be a part of our global family and look forward to fruitful deliberations ahead.”

President Moriko Hori gave welcoming remarks, saying, “WFWP has achieved a number of accomplishments over the past 30 years and has entered a new stage of upgrading its organization and activities. In order to develop for the next 30 years, we need to innovate ourselves as a leading organization in the world peace movement and transform ourselves to keep up with the times. Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, the WFWP co-founder, told me that WFWP should take the lead in creating world peace and educating women, especially mothers. I strongly believe that the fate of the world depends on us. Let us work together to achieve our vision and mission to bring about world peace.” 

The next program consisted of important announcements from the WFWP International Headquarters. The first announcement was the appointment of WFWP President Emerita. This is a new position to honor and recognize the outstanding leadership of former WFWP International Presidents, and this year, WFWPI appointed Dr. Lan Young Moon and Dr. Yeon Ah Moon.

Dr. Lan Young Moon, who served as International President from 2000 to 2014, joined the live broadcast and said, "It is a great honor and privilege for me to hold the prestigious position of WFWP President Emerita. I hope that the elder leaders of each country will also educate the younger generation of women leaders about the traditions and substantive goals of the WFWP. I wish you and President Moriko Hori all the best in the next 30 years. I will be happy to support you in any way I can."

Dr. Yeon Ah Moon, who served as International President from 2014 to 2019, delivered the following remarks via video: “I will do my best to support and cooperate with you in the field, despite my lack of experience, in order to develop as the WFWP President Emerita of such a wonderful organization as WFWP. The biggest thing I've learned from WFWP is that we have one clear purpose and one clear center. I believe that has always been the most fundamental force and strength that we have, especially that basic guidance that the Mother of Peace, Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon emphasizes, that we should be able to embrace the marginalized, poor and sick places around the world with the heart and love of a mother, with sacrifice, and nurture them to develop further.”

Another WFWPI announcement was the requirement of all National Board and District Advisory Committee members, as well as all WFWP chapter employees, to sign and abide by the Code of Conduct Pledge before taking office as a WFWP officer. 

The announcements were followed by a 15-minute "Meet and Greet" breakout session via Zoom, during which participants broke into small groups to introduce themselves and share personal updates and experiences with their international colleagues and friends.

Best practices were then presented from five different areas. The program allowed more leaders and members to learn and gain new ideas for developing projects in their respective countries and created new opportunities for networking among the leaders. The first presenter, Mrs. Winnie Chao, Vice President of WFWP Taiwan, shared about the education and charity committee of Global Women Entrepreneurs’ Peace Alliance (GWEPA), a platform connecting  women entrepreneurs  to promote social service initiatives and invest in developing young women's talents through education and projects. The second presentation on best practices was given by Mrs. Risa Smart, WFWP Nigeria National President, who shared about a national project on microcredit that supports small businesses of local women entrepreneurs. To date, five to six women have successfully established businesses, eventually able to feed their families and support their children's education. The third presentation was given by Mrs. Brigitte Wada, WFWP France National President, who highlighted the latest successes in developing a series of educational webinars by influential women speakers in partnership with various organizations and local communities. The Giving for Good International Project was presented by a representative of the WFWPI UN office in New York. It was a short video about how a small amount of money can have a big impact on environmental protection in countries around the world. The final presentation was given by Ms. Mihwa Belliard Okazaki, a young professional from the WFWP Dominican Republic, who shared her experience with the procedures of the WFWPI Funding project "Opportunities 14/24" in her country. Many of the project participants were young single mothers who struggled with the responsibilities of motherhood without adequate resources and support. The main goal of the project was to show these young mothers and youth that they can reclaim and improve their lives through moral education and skills training. 

A surprise birthday party for the International President was held prior to the closing of the General Assembly. It was a touching moment when leaders and members from all over the world voiced their congratulations and sent their greetings to the International President, who could not hide her tears of joy and expressed her gratitude to everyone.

One of the participants reflected, "The WFWPI General Assembly gets better with each passing year." This is due to the strong leadership of each WFWP participant, centered on the fundamental values of living for the sake of others with motherly love and heart and the great common dream of a peaceful world for future generations.