*Rhia Nkulu, Ms. Asia Espiritu Dising and Mrs. Veronica Tashiro*

WFWP Arizona commemorated United Nations Day with a celebration entitled “Meet and Taste the United Nations in Arizona” on Saturday, October 10, 2015, in Chandler, Arizona.

When guests arrived and registered, they were encouraged to place the national dish they had prepared and brought on the table that was already crowded with foods originating from Vietnam, the Philippines, Japan, and Mexico. Then they filled their own plates with delicacies such as: egg rolls, salsa and chips, rice cakes, sushi, wonderful noodle and vegetable entrees, and assorted desserts. By the end of the program, every chair in the 80-seat hall was filled and more individuals were standing or sitting around the edges of the room.

When everyone had settled in their chairs, Ms. Lucia Anderson offered an invocation, reading the beautiful prayer of St. Francis of Assisi, “Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace,” and exhorted the participants to be “Women of courage, women of strength, women of wisdom and women of love.” The emcee, Ms. Jane Berg, started things off with a roll call of all the nations that were represented. Those nations included Afghanistan, Australia, Austria, Iran, Japan, Mexico, Mongolia, the Philippines, Poland, Surinam, Trinidad, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and Vietnam.

In her opening remarks, WFWP Arizona chairwoman Rhia Nkulu uplifted the life, vision, and principles of Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon and the late Rev. Dr. Sun Myung Moon, Founders of the Women’s Federation for World Peace in 1992. A video followed that showcased the accomplishments of the Schools of Africa project and emphasized the need for continuing support for their substantial efforts. Mrs. Glenda Lambert directed the participants’ attention to the table filled with colorful fabrics, masks, African costumes, and a map of the African continent showing the location of the Schools of Africa. Ms. Lucia Anderson modeled “My Vision for Peace” tee shirts that were offered as gifts for all who donated to the Schools of Africa on that day. Lovely origami bookmarks, made by Ms. Setsuko Otsuru were also given to the donors. At the end of the presentation, the emcee acknowledged all those present who were wearing their native costume of their country of origin.

Then the entertainment began, and what entertainment it was! Starting things off, Miss Shen Pineda sang the song called “Titanium," and explained that women are strong like Titanium. The “Tres Marias,” three young ladies all named Maria (Claire, Chesca, and Erica Maglalang), performed a folkdance from the Philippines. Elizabeth Inganamort performed a spectacular belly dance and even got a few brave participants out of their chairs to join her!

Finally, Miss Earth Arizona 2015, Miss Asia Espiritu Dising, performed a modern interpretative Hip-hop dance that captured the meaning of the music, and shared inspirational words with the audience. The audience, young and old alike, were captivated by the beautiful costumes, music, and inspiration provided by all the entertainers.

Following the entertainment, there was a Bridge of Peace Ceremony comprised of 12 pairs, representing all the nations of the world coming together in harmony and understanding. After inspiring remarks by Mrs. Ramona Gutierrez saying we are all “seeds of reconciliation,” representative women stepped forward from the two sides of the room, bowed to each other, and hugged one another; and bowed to the audience, before walking back to their chairs to exchange contact information with one another. This was a very moving moment. WFWP Arizona is planning to expand the Bridge of Peace Ceremony at the next event in 2016.

The program reached its culmination with the presentation of plaques honoring three women. Ms. Elizabeth Inganamort was honored for her efforts to help homeless children in five countries through her organization, Falcon’s Guard Center. Miss Asia Espiritu Dising was honored for her commitment to bring her message of inspiration and value to young women in Arizona as Miss Earth Arizona 2015. Mrs. Glenda Lambert was recognized and thanked for her service as the outgoing Chairwoman of the Arizona WFWP Chapter.

A large birthday cake with glowing candles recognized the October birthdays of women representing three generations. Finally, Ms. Veronica Tashiro gave the call to action, inviting those present to become members of the Women’s Federation for World Peace, to attend the next local event and the WFWP USA National Assembly in Washington DC, and to contribute support for the Schools of Africa. A delegation from Arizona attended the National WFWP Convocation in Washington DC. The Arizona WFWP members all worked in unity to create a wonderful event and a substantial sum was raised for the Schools of Africa. Attendees expressed tremendous appreciation for what they had experienced and a commitment to work with WFWP in the future.