OHIO CHAPTER REPRESENTED AT COLUMBUS INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL
For the past 57 years, the Central Ohio's multiculturalism has celebrated with the annual Columbus International Festival (CIF), on the first weekend of November, where international organizations from around central Ohio gather to showcase their heritage through food, crafts and dance.
The notion of multiculturalism and bringing people together from different backgrounds was embedded in one of the best highlights of CIF, right after the Naturalized Citizenship Oath Ceremony, when Susan Nishio, initiated the opening of the event with a ‘Bridge Of Peace Ceremony’, orchestrated by the Women's Federation for World Peace.
Susan related, "We are entering a new age. We are living in a time of rapid transition; yet for all the changes that are taking place in individuals and families, in society, in the nations and in the world, many worry about the direction that these changes are taking and feel that there is still some fundamental change needed.
Due to the rapid collapse of modern civilization, there is a feeling of emptiness, loneliness and discontent. This has led to despair, confusion, self-indulgence and alcohol and drug abuse.
Confusion throughout society about standards of value and conduct has caused the strong trend toward egoism and accompanying it, the breakdown of the family and the rapid increases in crime, juvenile delinquency and all kinds of immorality, which are unsettling the foundations of society and causing a loss of hope in the future.
Susan Nishio speaking at the event
We as Women's Federation for World Peace would like to introduce the Bridge of Peace. This Bridge is a coming together of individuals, who represent nations, to resolve the hardships of the past, reconcile the present, and bring hope to the future. The Bridge of Peace symbolizes connecting our heart and love, to solve the problems we are currently facing, by the logic of love.
We recently celebrated our 20th Anniversary in Las Vegas, where husbands and wives crossed the Bridge together, thus entering a new era of unity! Thru the individual to the family, we all want to experience true love".
Participants of the Bridge of Peace this year came from countries of South Korea, Ukraine, Philippines, Cambodia, Ghana, Madagascar, Japan, and India. Also extra sisters participated as symbolic representatives for North Korea and Tibet.
WFWP also had a booth at the Festival illustrating some of our projects in the region, especially Relationship Intelligence. Many people stopped by and were interested in this training, took materials, and signed up for additional contact. It is interesting to note that women of the Muslim community are very interested in the material as a way to help their children live a correct and loving relationship with their families and friends.
Our Ohio chapter is very open to have male members and we were very grateful for the help of Lothar Schlichting who worked on setting up the Bridge of Peace, and for Nabil Awad, who not only helped Lothar, but walked around the hall, found Muslim friends, and brought them to our booth for further information. Both men have been very helpful in our efforts here in Ohio.
A final surprise came when we opened up the Festival program and WFWP was prominently displayed in a full page add including a photo of a Bridge of Peace ceremony. What an advertisement for the work of WFWP!
