HONORING WOMEN OF COURAGE, COMPASSION, AND COMMITMENT: WFWP OHIO CELEBRATES INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY
We are the answer! Peace starts with me!
On March 17, 2018, Women’s Federation for World Peace (WFWP) and Universal Peace Federation (UPF) of Ohio co-sponsored an event called “Women of Courage, Compassion, and Commitment.” The event featured a local nonprofit that assists former victims of human trafficking. Freedom A La Cart provides catering services throughout Columbus while providing a safe place for survivors to build a new life. Their motto states that, “People are not property. No human should be bought or sold for sex. Not here in Central Ohio. Not anywhere.”
This theme resonated with the United Nations week of recognizing women leaders at the CSW62 theme “Empowering Rural Women and Girls.” One of the biggest obstacles to the freedom of women and girls to fully engage in their futures is the fear of rape, war, and trafficking. This is a problem shared in both rural and urban areas everywhere on the planet.
One of the Freedom A La Cart staff, a survivor, spoke to the group and explained to us that those who escape from sex trafficking are usually fighting powerful addiction issues because drugs are a way of keeping them under control. The first 2 years of the program involves a very intense addiction recovery program. Once graduating from that level, the next step is to begin training to make, serve, and deliver a high-quality product to the public. The goal is long term employment.
The event opened with an introduction from the UPF Director, Chris Fox, followed by welcoming remarks from WFWP Ohio Chairwoman Nadya Hinson.
The first speaker was Mrs. Nicole Ghazi of the Noor Islamic Center. She gave a very detailed and moving presentation on the “Status of Women in Islam.” She explained the role of women as written in the Quran as being in equal status to men, but in most Muslim cultures, this tradition has not been clearly followed and therefore women have been placed in a position of lower status many times. The role of the hijab was also explained. If a woman wears a hijab, it should be because she chooses to wear it, which is what happens many times. She said when someone demands that a woman wear a head covering, then they are not being true to the original purpose.
The next presentation was by Sister Barbara Kane of the Dominican Sisters of Peace. She clearly enjoyed the topic of “Women and Peace-Building” as her life has been one of commitment to peace in many aspects. The Dominican Sisters in Columbus are advocates of social justice and have a program to educate and help victims of human trafficking as well as those who are refugees of war. They have a public garden where to educate about gardening and the environment.
The final speaker was Alisia Davis, a motivational coach for transformational leadership and representative of PatchWork Ministries. She had everyone stand up and meet others in the group that they didn’t know. She instructed us to really look into each other’s faces and be aware of their presence. We felt uncomfortable at first but it is a fast way to connect with authenticity. She gave us a very simple change of thought processing which can change how one lives their life. Instead of saying, “I have to go to work,” try “I get to go to work.” This mantra can help with any task, not just going to work. Start from the moment of waking up. “I get to be alive today.” “I get to breath today.” “I get to see other people today.” “I get to accomplish something good today.” As simple as it sounds, we all know that changing habits of thought is very difficult, but today is a good day to start.
During lunch, the participants sat in groups of 4 to 6 people and worked on a project using colored pens to define short statements on how peace can be achieved. At the end, each group had a representative come forward with their groups answers written inside the Peace Starts With Me logo. All ages, races, and faiths participated with men and women and girls working together. The participants were very diverse.
We also kicked off a Girls Can Change the World theme which was introduced by the youngest attendee, Alena, aged 10. She proudly showed off her t-shirt with this statement on it. Her family moved to Ohio last year after their home was flooded in the hurricane that hit Texas last year.
Laila Sarr, a beautiful teen, sang a deeply moving song about the power of faith and Joel Kaplan played “Let There Be Peace On Earth” while the group sang to close the event.
Finally, the Isha Kriya Yoga group took stage and presented an introduction to meditation which was open to the public.
