On May 30, a sunny Friday morning, nearly one hundred Ambassadors for Peace, both men and women leaders, gathered in Ottawa on the occasion of the annual National Conference to examine and discuss the questions of good governance under the theme of "Peace, Order & Good Governance." The conference was co-sponsored by the Universal Peace Federation and the Women's Federation for World Peace, sister organizations founded by the late Rev. Dr. Sun Myung Moon and his wife, Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon.

The one-day conference opened with International Vice-President of WFWP and President of WFWP USA Angelika Selle giving a warm welcome and a brief introduction to the founding and activities of WFWP International and WFWP in Canada. She emphasized the arrival of the era of women and the need for "a Mother's Heart" to be infused into decision-making in all areas of social life from local to global. She also introduced the Global Women's Peace Network (GWPN), initiated by Father and Mother Moon in 2012. The GWPN is a network of the heart that will bring together NGOs and governmental organizations that base their efforts on morals and values

*Speakers Angelika Selle and Ricardo de Sena*

Mrs. Selle noted that "Ottawa", which hails from the Algonquin tribe Odawa language, means "to trade," and she encouraged the audience to "trade in" some old ideas and concepts for new ones through the various presentations that would follow. Mr. Ricardo de Sena, recently appointed UPF Secretary-General for North America, then welcomed everyone on behalf of UPF, and in his own free flowing style, conveyed the core principles and activities of the organization.

Dr. Charles S. Yang, International Chairman of UPF, who has spent many years with the founders, broadened the vision to the world level, and shared insights on the crucial role Canada has played in years past as a peace maker. He highlighted the universal principle of "living for the sake of others," which undergirds all the organizations founded by Rev. Dr. and Mrs. Moon.

The day continued with three panels of highly qualified religious and political figures, men and women, who shed light on the questions of:

What is Canada's Future as a Global Peace Maker?
Is Good Order Reliant on Good Values?
Is Canada a Model of Good Government?

In a way it was a crash course as well as a thorough analysis of Canada's history as a peace maker; how, over time, it has moved away from that role owing to cultural change, changes in the value systems, and other factors. Each panelist highlighted different aspects of the issues at hand, followed by comments and questions from the audience.

Please read the article by the Secretary General of the UPF in Canada, Mr. Franco Famularo, for an excellent account of the conference!

As women we naturally paid careful attention to the comments and presentations of the women on the panels, to hear their perspective. Mrs. Karen Mc Crimson, a retired Colonel of the Canadian Forces, noted, "There is a fundamental shift happening in Canada, a shift from one mode of thinking which is: 'What's in it for me,' to 'We are in this together.'" She added that we are all out of balance, and that "knowledge speaks and wisdom listens!" She proposed that hope and positive change will occur when there is a new type of leadership based on humility and heart, and that whoever is an example to others is a leader!

During the second panel, Mrs. Denise Anne Boisseau, of Anishinaabe and Ojibway heritage, highlighted the role of the Elders who taught responsibility and the need for spiritual cleansing and ceremony, which over time has gotten lost. She emphasized the healing role of women's leadership.

Mrs. Judy Oron spoke about the issues of child slavery and human trafficking in Ethiopia. Mrs. Oron, a Canadian Jewish journalist, lecturer, and author, has spent 25 years involved in extensive humanitarian work with the Ethiopian Jewish community in Ethiopia and Israel. Her award-winning novel, Cry of the Giraffe, documents the personal experience of her Ethiopian daughter, Wuditu, who was enslaved at the age of thirteen until she was rescued by her mother. She conveyed a number of concerns about Ethiopia, including the culture of child brides, forced marriages, limitations on foreign NGO's in Ethiopia, and the imprisonment of opposition leaders, human rights workers, and journalists by the Ethiopian government.

Rev. Dr. Stan Chu Ilo, Executive Director of the Canadian Samaritans for Africa, posed the question, how can we make this world a home for all? She pointed out that as people are still fighting, the values and culture have changed; and we need a new skill set for resolving issues -- not through wars or force but through developing a team of experts in conflict resolution, with the focus on "peace-loving" instead of "peace-keeping".

During the third panel, "Is Canada a Model of Good Government", Mrs. Lilly Tadin, President of WFWP Canada and one of the local organizers, welcomed the audience. Passionately she delivered her personal story as an immigrant from then-Yugoslavia, who continues to appreciate very much the freedoms, rights, and opportunities she and her family have found in Canada. The values that Canadians share today are the property of all Canadians and of all global citizens. She emphasized the great need for more spiritual development that can be woven into the fabric of family life everywhere. "I say the family, because I believe the answer lies within stable, loving families where citizens of the world can emerge." In her concluding remarks, Mrs. Tadin emphasized the need to revisit and revive those founding principles that hold the solution to many of the issues the country is facing today.

Conversation continued over a healthy and delicious lunch, and the conference concluded with a call for global re-education, serious dialogue among religions, the need for new skill-sets to re-align Canada once again with its original calling and improve its governance, which still holds strong values, but to another level.

Music by the Clear Stone Band, made up of members of the Tadin family, embellished the time of networking and coming together. It was quite inspiring to see the younger generation of women and men represented at such a gathering, including the young emcee, Ms. Rebecca Brosseau, and others who paid active attention and surely formulated in their hearts and minds their own take on the proceedings.

We are entering a new age indeed. At the very end, one young man announced that the young people should put a post on Twitter about this conference as "The Conscience of Canada Conference."