UPLIFT, COLLABORATE, TRANSFORM: SEMINAR COMMENCING WFWP USA AND WFWP CANADA’S NEW PARTNERSHIP
Saturday mornings are a busy time for many families, especially those with small children. Others look forward to just taking it easy on the weekend and using their free time for some needed relaxation. However, the voices of women and men filled the room on Saturday, April 7th 2018, when WFWP Canada held a one-day seminar with WFWP USA President and WFWPI Vice President Mrs. Angelika Selle, and WFWP USA Vice President Mrs. Katarina Connery. Guests came from Ottawa, Montreal, and other surrounding areas. People were mingling, greeting, and sharing their concerns about family, politics, and culture, and, amidst the conversations, jokes and happy laughter could also be heard.
The participants were greeted by WFWP Canada President Lilly Tadin, followed by the opening prayer, offered by WFWP Ottawa Chairwoman Mrs. Blandine Stringer. The two guest speakers were then introduced and warmly welcomed by the audience.
Mrs. Selle and Mrs. Connery, on behalf of WFWP, shared vision and goals of WFWP USA for 2018, along with the founding purpose of the organization. They emphasized the importance of the Global Women Peace Network (GWPN), a project of WFWPI, which is a network of women leaders and organizations dedicated to solving pressing social issues and securing an environment for human development. This certainly inspired a few people in the audience who gave their comments on the importance of women and how they must be recognized for their values and abilities. Two Muslim Ambassadors for Peace brothers shared their Islamic perspective, saying that women in some countries are not treated properly and their values are still not fully recognized.
A HerStory award was given to one recipient, Ms. Tahira Qamar, a city planner, designer, and Ambassador for Peace. Two certificates of appreciation for dedication and service were given to the WFWP Ottawa Chairwoman Mrs. Blondine Springer, and to a WFWP Board member and nurse from Toronto, Miss Jennifer Biscocho, who was emotionally overwhelmed by the recognition and hardly able to give a response upon receiving the certificate. She has been dedicating her time, heart, and money to overseeing all events for over eight years. Women many times feel under-appreciated, and get so deeply moved when someone notices their dedication and contributions.
Mrs. Selle and Mrs. Connery introduced the Leadership of the Heart curriculum with Part One on Spirituality, which inspired and engaged the audience immensely. The presenters shared “Discover the Leader Within” and “Explore the Divine Feminine,” with quiet background music and meditation. For many, it was a deep moment of reflection on their relationship to God, their inner-self, and the need to connect one's value to a higher purpose. The activity of writing a letter to God was a moving experience for many. Some shared that experience with much emotion.
The questionnaire, “Where am I as a Leader of the Heart” had participants really engaged. All were asked to explain their: vision, values, life purpose, humility, parental heart, integrity, authenticity, emotional maturity, and compassion as a leader of the heart. Many recognized how valuable these points were and understood that it's not enough to just be a leader; the more important question was, “How much of a leader of the heart am I?”
The seminar lead to the conclusion of the program with a call to action by WFWP Canada President Lilly Tadin. She invited participants to meet again within two weeks so they could reflect on future steps that WFWP Canada would like to take. Furthermore, she encouraged all who were uplifted with the seminar, especially the Leadership of the Heart curriculum, to find a way to collaborate with each other and with other organizations.
Special thanks to Mrs. Selle and Mrs. Connery for their uplifting and amazing seminar on how to become better leaders of the heart. Gratitude is also extended to Family Federation Continental director, Dr. Kim, Rev. Yoo, the Vice- chair of FFWP, and Rev. Ryan Abenir for their kind help. Thanks also go to all the participants, and to Universal Peace Federation for their support and participation.
HerStory Awardee Tahira Qamar’s reflection
The event was very well organized by Lilly and her team. It was good to see so many people from all different walks of life join in. It was all very interactive so there was a lot of room for participation by the attendees. Our special thanks go to Angelika Selle and Katarina Connery who made the effort to come to Canada and gave us a deeper insight into the work and goals that WFWP is trying to achieve, goals that create peace and harmony between different faith groups and cultures. Such events give us hope that peace can be achieved through dialogue and implementation of ideas discussed in an action plan.
Mrs. Angelika Selle’s reflections
The first presentation was given by Katarina and myself as an intergenerational team, which in and of itself inspired everyone deeply. We felt that the audience responded to the heart and content of what we were presenting, and they liked the many educational and outreach materials we introduced from the USA, which were created also for others.
During the Leadership of the Heart presentation, many participants had spiritual experiences, and a real transformation, since it is an interactive and experiential session.
Dr. Moonshik Kim, regional Family Federation Director who attended the entire day was absolutely inspired. He said he never heard of that term, Leadership of the Heart, in any seminary, and he said it should be spread very wide! I mentioned to him that it was my inspiration from WFWP Founder Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon and her husband, Reverend Sun Myung Moon, and my own personal experience.
A call to action given by WFWP Canada President Lilly Tadin challenged all present to step forward and either renew their membership with WFWP Canada or get involved now with the Canadian chapter in Toronto.
On Sunday morning, our WFWP USA team was also invited to give a sermon, which was entitled: Peace Starts with Me - What's Next?. Since Katarina and I have had many opportunities to see and hear Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon speak and be in her presence, we shared about her vision of this new spiritual spring time and era we live in, and also her heart and desire to create an environment for peace everywhere. I also elaborated about what practical implications this time has for women, mothers, and sisters, which is mostly to step out of our comfort zone and become actively involved in our communities spreading a mother’s love.
Katarina also spoke of her personal experience and views as a young woman and mother with Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, which was very enlightening and inspiring. We concluded with uplifting the Canada church community to create bonds of heart and collaboration as one North American continent. Again, the congregation was very moved and inspired.
New beginnings between WFWP Canada and the USA
WFWP USA looks forward to collaborate more from now on with WFWP Canada and their president, Lilly Tadin, who was truly delighted about our coming and sharing knowledge and inspiration about WFWP and Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon with the Canadian WFWP chapter and guests.
