WOMEN: GOD’S LAST TRUMP CARD
20th Anniversary Celebration of Women's Federation Kicks off in Las Vegas
Distinguished women leaders and Ambassadors for Peace from various walks of life convened at the M Resort Spa Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Thursday, October 25, 2012, to participate in the Opening Session of "The Turning Point," the 20th Anniversary National Assembly of Women's Federation for World Peace (WFWP). Approximately 400 women attended the session in the Milan Ballroom at 7:30 p.m.
Dorothy Hill, WFWP New York chairwoman, introduced President of WFWP International Dr. Lan Young Moon, a follower of Unification Church Founders Rev. and Mrs. Sun Myung Moon for 58 years who has traveled to North Korea more than 20 times during the past 20 years as a WFWP representative.
Dr. Moon offered introductory remarks that were interjected with tears at the mention of the late Rev. Moon, and showed an extensive presentation featuring the accomplishments of WFWP since its founding in 1992.
President of WFWP USA and Vice President of WFWP International Angelika Selle followed with a speech titled “Why Are We Here?” during which she showed a six-minute video featuring major accomplishments of WFWP and recognized various members and former leaders of WFWP, including the first and second presidents of WFWP USA, Nora Spurgin and Alexa Ward respectively.
“What are we doing here? Why are we here?” said Mrs. Selle. "We are reflecting on the past to appreciate, honor, and lift those that have laid the foundation. We will also deal with the present, as shown by the speakers here together with us. They want to tell us how women can make a difference in different areas from media, business, religion, to all areas where we need change desperately.
“I was attending a symposium back in New York for International Women's Day, and the conclusion was, 'The world is at its wits' end.' Who has the solutions for the world? Women and youth will have the answer. Women and youth possess the innate will to be intuitive, to love, to understand, to forgive, and to protect life. So that is why they are the last trump card that God has to change the world.”
The Opening Session concluded at around 9:30 p.m., and attendees stayed to mingle and network before turning in for the night.
Women Activists Mull Ideas for Changing the World
Ideas that harm, help, or empower women were the focus of the plenary session that continued the WFWP's National Assembly on Friday, October 26.
Professor Yeon Ah Choi, vice president of WFWP International and daughter-in-law of Rev. and Mrs. Moon, greeted attendees during the morning program and read an excerpt from the late Rev. Moon's autobiography, "As A Peace-Loving Global Citizen."
Mrs. Selle then offered her morning welcoming remarks and introduced the day's U.S. launch of the new Global Women's Peace Network (GWPN), which subsequently was accomplished through two panels of four women from various professions, each of whom spoke for 10 minutes on a topic within the realm of their expertise.
Global Women's Peace Network: First Panel
The first four panelists for inaugurating the GWPN in the United States featured Linda Lucero, founder of the United Native American Council and a Native Sister Navigator for the Native American Cancer Research Corporation; Cynthia Turner, founder and executive director of SeraphimGLOBAL, an NGO that works to protect and heal victims of human trafficking; Heidi Iseda, director of Clean Slate Education Program, a community-based abstinence-until-marriage education program; and Nia Lyte, TV host of the Best of Art Basel Show and co-founder of the Shin Koyamada Foundation.
Global Women's Peace Network: Second Panel
The second set of four panelists for introducing the GWPN featured Lesa Ellanson, founder of New Eden Equestrian Academy; Janis Kearney, publisher, author, oral historian, and literacy advocate; Tina Ramirez, director of international and government relations for the Becket Fund and foreign policy adviser; and Lynn Walsh, director of the Universal Peace Federation's Office of Marriage, Family and Human Development. After all of the panelists had finished speaking, members of the audience eagerly responded to an invitation to ask questions of any speaker.
“Woman: Heal Thyself!” Art and Healing Expo
At the “Woman: Heal Thyself!” Art and Healing Networking Expo, attendees were able to visit booths, each afternoon, which were hosted by a multitude of health, healing, and art vendors who offered a colorful variety of books, jewelry, wind chimes, hand-crafted clothing, artwork, nutritional supplements, and other interesting items for sale.
The expo was located in the main corridor leading to the Milan Ballroom, so that attendees had frequent and easy access to the vendor tables.
Wongu University, a brand-new Graduate School of Oriental Medicine located in Las Vegas, had an informational booth that attracted many passersby.
In addition to the art and healing vendors, several Women's Federation chapters set up booths where they showcased their recent accomplishments or sold fundraising items to support their favorite causes, such as the Schools of Africa Project.
Tools for Turning: The Breakout Sessions
Concurrent with the Art and Healing Networking Expo were the breakout sessions, in which all attendees could participate in a program titled “Become a Turning Point: Inheriting Tools for Leadership of Peace.” It consisted of several different hour-and-a-half sessions led by an expert in topics such as self-defense, art therapy, healing through nutrition and prayer, combating teen prostitution, the Japanese tea ceremony, bridging male and female differences, and starting a business.
Attendee Mrs. Maree Gauper from Northern California said she really enjoyed Susan Fefferman's session on “Art as Therapy and Discovering the Artist Within.”
“I usually find the holidays exhausting and stressful,” Mrs. Gauper said, “but this year I approached each activity as a creative exercise instead of a chore. Cleaning the house, decorating the tree, and wrapping the gifts became my three-dimensional art projects. It was so much more enjoyable.”
"A Multicolored Bouquet of Sisterhood: The Bridge of Peace"
The highlight of the day was the Bridge of Peace Ceremony, renowned for having brought together thousands of women who are historical enemies to create partnerships for peace. Linda Lucero, the evening's emcee, offered a Native American prayer song, and Rev. Juanita Pierre-Louis briefly explained the history of the Bridge of Peace Ceremony, which was inspired by Mrs. Tomiko Duggan, a leader of the GWPN and WFWP office in Washington, D.C.
"When two women stand on opposite sides of the bridge and bow in repentance for anything their ancestors might have done or that they've done, the bow means asking for forgiveness," said Rev. Pierre-Louis. "As the two women cross to the center to meet each other, they cross over fear, resentment, and pain and embrace the other.
"We have used the Bridge of Peace," she continued, "to unite former enemies and current ones – Catholics and Protestants, Serbs and Bosnians, Israelites and Arabs, Jews and Christians, Christians and Muslims, and others, uniting women and girls in a multicolored bouquet of sisterhood."
Catherine Cromwell and Sarah Canak-Brown, chairwomen of WFWP in Virginia and Nevada, respectively, colored the evening with their lighthearted banter and proudly introduced the 15 or so couples, including Mrs. Selle and her daughter, who participated in the Bridge of Peace Ceremony. The evening concluded with a collective activity during which women exchanged certificates with the women sitting behind them, signifying a commitment to work together on a cause to further world peace.
Lorna Todd, a Filipina woman who crossed the bridge with Mrs. Duggan, a Japanese woman, offered her testimony:
"When I arrived at the venue, 10 minutes before the event started, I was very surprised and also happy to find out that I would be crossing the bridge with Tomiko Duggan. I felt so honored to be her new 'sister.' I kept asking myself, 'Why me?' I heard a lot about this ceremony, but I had never seen the actual event or been part of it. But, as Juanita spoke on the podium about the history, the significance, and what the Bridge Ceremony can do to an individual, I couldn't help myself from crying, and even as I am writing this now, remembering those moments, my eyes are welling with tears.
"For me, it was not just a simple ceremony. After crossing the bridge, I felt so liberated from my anger, resentments, and disrespect toward some of our Japanese sisters and brothers, with whom I had bad relationships and shed many tears. I don't want to discuss details, but I can say that at some points during my relationships with them, it was like hell.
"In order for me to understand my struggle, I have to look back on the history of our countries; Japan and the Philippines. I am Filipina. My father was a soldier fighting against the Japanese during World War II. I don't know how many Japanese soldiers he killed, but I know he was shot many times and yet survived the war. I also heard a lot of stories about my mom's experiences, and how they suffered during that period.
"As I went through that ceremony with Tomiko holding my hands, I couldn't help my tears from falling. Knowing what my family and country went through then, and there I was, crossing the Bridge of PEACE with a Japanese sister. Now I see the Japanese as individuals instead of a whole race. They are just like me and anybody else who needs love, respect, and understanding, and we are all children of God, regardless.
"This is one of the life experiences that will always stay in my heart, and I will never forget that day. I extend my deepest gratitude to Denneze, Claudelina, Angelika, and others for their prayers and for choosing me – but most of all to my new-found sister, Tomiko, for bringing this vision to reality. I am so honored and humbled to be part of it and to have crossed the bridge with her."
Women's Federation Convocation Concludes With Gala
At 7 p.m., the doors opened for the Benefit Gala, the proceeds of which were given to a local Las Vegas social service organization. The gala included a three-course gourmet meal, remarks from various women activists, award presentations, and a silent auction for items such as plane tickets to Korea and luxury rooms at the Aria Hotel. Entertainment included a comedian and a band composed of youths from California.
Lisa Carol Williams was awarded the "Herstory Award," which celebrates extraordinary accomplishments of ordinary women. Ms. Williams was honored for raising more than $1.3 million and working more than 60 hours a week to raise awareness about child prostitution.
One of the highlighted speakers at the event was Mimi Morse, president of the Family Faith Empowerment Education Federation (FEEF), and executive director of marketing for the Las Vegas Bellagio Resort and Aria Resort, who dedicated her work with FEEF to the late Unification Church Founder Rev. Moon. The guiding principle of FEEF is to empower parents and youth through education that supports their moral, emotional, and intellectual development," said Ms. Morse.
Feedback From Participants of the National Assembly
Netta Johnston, representative of WFWP in Wisconsin: "Everyone was so inspired at the conference. It was a whole other atmosphere. Even with all the different things going on [in the world], you could come here and find focus."
Dawn Bacchus-Horan, a representative of WFWP in Florida and in Saint Vincent in the Grenadines: "This conference has been amazing. The information that we gathered from the conference is so very important, and we want to use it to advance our work in Florida."
Elizabeth Aihe, a representative of WFWP in Washington, D.C.: "Sometimes ... there are points that you've already heard that hit you like never before. What was shocking for me was to find out the prevalence of human trafficking within the United States, which a lot of people think takes place only in other countries. Attending the conference was a very informative and touching experience."
Jane Karimi, WFWP representative from Kenya: "The world of men is coming to an end. Of course, we still need them in that we need to work together, but this is truly a turning point."
Toni Curry, representative of WFWP in Oregon: "It's great to see women come together. ... What I see here is a lot of people with real dedication to a lot of interesting projects. I see a lot of potential when I see what the other WFWP chapters are doing. There's synergy there, a lot of good energy."
Christina Kartel, administrative assistant of WFWP USA: "Considering the time constraints we had, I think we pulled it off well. I got a lot of good, positive feedback from guests. People were pleased with the format and enjoyed the breakout sessions, which we've never done before. I'm sure we'll do something very similar next year. The whole event went so fast and had so much content, and I was impressed that so many people attended."
Angelika Selle, president of WFWP USA: "I believe that we have truly entered a turning point, that the theme has become real for many of the participants and organizers. According to the feedback we've received, many were deeply impacted, healing took place, and many came away with renewed confidence. People want to contribute. Our Japanese Kodan team got $50,000 in advertisements and donations, which was astounding.
"Also, the GWPN, of which I am the vice president, was a success. The GWPN, launched in Korea by [Rev. and Mrs. Moon] on July 16, 2012, is a project of WFWP that will go beyond WFWP as we work with other organizations and government officials to create a change on the global level. It will be a catalyst for bringing other NGOs together to create a greater voice, approaching high-level women in different organizations, businesses, and governments around the world. The next international GWPN will probably take place in Korea [next February] and will address the pertinent and crucial issue of building healthy families. Dr. Lan Young Moon was very happy with our event and even said that it is a model for WFWP in other nations to follow."
The evening concluded at 10 p.m., bringing to a close WFWP's three-day National Assembly, which many came to say was appropriately titled "The Turning Point" in that they had come away renewed, refreshed, and redetermined to bring peace from the local to the global level.