NAOMI KING AND BARBARA MARX HUBBARD CROSS THE "BRIDGE OF PEACE"
The Georgia Chapter took an active role in the planning and execution of this year’s Global Humanitarian Summit (GHS) held at Emory University thanks to WFWP GA Co-Chair, Dr. Ekaette Heyliger’s participation in the GHS planning committee. As WFWP leaders we are always encouraged to go out and volunteer for organizations with similar goals as ours. The GHS, which is in its third year, was created by Dr. Neil Shulman as a way to foster synergism between humanitarian volunteer efforts by creating a forum through which they can connect with and learn from each other. Dr. Shulman is most well known for the 1991 feature film called Doc Hollywood, starring Michael J. Fox, which was based on his book, What? Dead…Again?
The GHS is a free event open to any person or organization involved in some form of humanitarian or medical volunteer work. This year there were over 250 speakers and 106 exhibitors. Numerous displays and roaming musicians and entertainers filled the halls of Emory’s School of Medicine and Woodruff Health Sciences Administration Building
from Friday night, April 13, through Sunday night, April 15. WFWP GA set up an exhibit table highlighting all of our projects, enabling us to introduce our organization to many people and to make lots of new friends. Mrs. Nandi Moton, our education coordinator, gave an enlightening PowerPoint presentation on the principles we must live by in order to build a peaceful world. The atmosphere was joyous and embracing, as all participants are living for the sake of others in one way or another, trying to make a difference for good in the world.
The highlight of the weekend was the Sunday night Keynote Address by Barbara Marx Hubbard, author, public speaker, social innovator, and president of the Foundation for Conscious Evolution.
WFWP was originally scheduled to do the Bridge Ceremony at the opening Ceremonies on Friday night but due to scheduling problems our Bridge of Peace presentation and demonstration was rescheduled for the Sunday night Keynote event. We know it was really Mother God’s clever planning that enabled this to happen.
Our WFWP introduction video was shown in its entirety, sharing with all present about the work of our founder, Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, and her heart to embrace the world with motherly compassion. When the part of the program called “Convergence and Healing” came, our Bridge was brought to center stage. After a brief explanation and demonstration of how it is done, Barbara Marx Hubbard and another special guest, Mrs. Naomi King, were guided up to cross the bridge together. Naomi King is the widow of the late A.D. King, brother of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Mrs. Hubbard, coming from a Jewish background, and Mrs. King, an African American civil rights leader, came together under the bridge exchanging roses and embracing each other.
This is when the “bridge” took on a life of its own. Mrs. Hubbard, exclaiming that she didn’t want to rush through the ceremony, stood together with Mrs. King under the flowered arch, soaking in the experience. As that was not enough, two chairs were brought out and placed under the arch where the octogenarians took a seat. They looked like two girls sharing a porch swing. It was lovely. Looking into each other’s eyes and sharing how much love they felt toward one another, they pondered why we all can’t just look into each other’s eyes and share love. By this time, tears were flowing throughout the audience.
One participant summed it up well:
“I am a writer, and I cannot even put into words what happened last night. It was one of the most amazing, powerful experiences of my life!! If everyone could feel the tremendous LOVE and connectedness I felt last night, we really could have world peace. I wanted to hug everyone in the world. What a truly awesome evening. I will never forget it as long as I live!!! I am so grateful I got to be a part of it. You are true ambassadors of peace and love in the world.”
