Youth Character Education Workshop - Empowerment Program
Written by: Flory Ledwaba
On March 29 through April 1, 2023, the Women’s Federation for World Peace (WFWP) South Africa in collaboration with Youth and Students for Peace (YSP) South Africa held a 4-day empowerment program, “Youth Character Education Workshop,” at the Peace Embassy in Johannesburg.
There were 10 youth who participated who were from ages 12 through 18. The workshop was designed to help the youth develop strong character traits by experiencing and understanding the values that stem from the teachings of the WFWP co-founders such as true love, purity, cooperation, empathy and responsibility. It is an empowerment program to help the participants become responsible and compassionate leaders in the community.
The different activities in the workshop included making gratitude and dream boards, creating growth mindset posters, holding group discussions and listening to lectures on moral values and ethics. All of the activities aimed to invigorate their creativity, self-awareness, gratitude, cooperation and courage. The team building activities and group exercises provided opportunities for participants to practice and apply what they had learned.
The workshop concluded with a skit that the participants performed showcasing what they had learned during the workshop. The WFWP sub regional director, Rev. Flory Ledwaba, as well as the youth leader, Ms. Kayong Stemmer, gave a few words of encouragement during the closing program. The workshop organizers received positive feedback from both participants and parents. Overall, the youth workshop was a valuable and transformative experience for all involved.
The youth program is an ongoing initiative of WFWP South Africa that has been taking place for more than 10 years. The program aims to empower youth to become future leaders and be active members of the community in creating a hopeful and better future for all. As the co-founder of WFWP, Rev. Sun Myung Moon once said, “The strengthening of education in our own life is the beginning of social development and the source of new hope in the world.”
