Wfwp europe 2011 branch activity
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The document provides an annual report for WFWP Europe. It summarizes activities from October 28th to November 1st, 2011, including leadership workshops, chapter activities across European countries, and collaborations with organizations like the UN. Key events focused on women's rights, culture of peace education, and commemorating international days related to gender equality, humanitarianism, and interfaith harmony.
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Wfwp europe 2011 branch activity
- 1. WFWP Europe Annual Report 12th WFWP International Leaders Workshop. Global Womens peace network: setting aside the water jar October 28th – 1st November 2011 28.10- 1.11.2011 WFWP Europe 2011
- 2. WFWP Europe our goal and strategy Women‘ reclaim their own Dignity as eternal daughters of God‘, to lead humanity in the right direction towards a world of peace, harmony and love. WFWP Founders August 2011 28.10- 1.11.2011 WFWP Europe 2011
- 3. …focal points Support the UN Millenium Development Goals (MDG‘s) • Awareness raising seminars • Advocacy for promotion and protection of Women‘s Human Rights and women‘ s participation and leadership • Charity Projects and 1% Lovesharing 28.10- 1.11.2011 WFWP Europe 2011
- 4. WFWP Europe Focal Points Education towards a Culture of Peace • European Dignity Project • Bridges of Peace Program • Monthly European- level conferences at UN/ government venues (Partnership with UPF) • Celebration of UN Days • Cultural Exchange Programs • Inter-generational harmony 28.10- 1.11.2011 WFWP Europe 2011
- 5. WFWP Europe 2011 28.10- 1.11.2011 WFWP Europe 2011
- 6. European WFWP Chapter activities United Nations seat: Geneva, Switzerland & Vienna,Austria OSCE seat: Warsaw, Poland Kosovo Malta Scotland European Croatia Iceland Finland Albania Union Bosnia Strasbourg Herzegovina Denmark Ireland Portugal Brussels, Serbia England Belgium Slovenia Norway Sweden Luxembourg Hungary Italy Greece Czech Germany San Marino Slovakia Andorra UNESCO Spain Romania Liechtenstein Bulgaria Netherlands Paris, France 28.10- 1.11.2011 WFWP Europe 2011
- 7. 2011 European Presidency Poland-Denmark-Cyprus Trio Europe has 27 member states Issues: • The new EU budget •the issue of Northern Africa •the Eastern Partnership 28.10- 1.11.2011 WFWP Europe 2011
- 8. Malta 23.09.2011: Valenta, WFWP attended a half day seminar organized by the National Council of Women. This seminar was funded by the EU in support of the Year of the Volunteer 2011. www.um.edu.mt photo 28.10- 1.11.2011 WFWP Europe 2011
- 9. Slovakia 23.08.2011 A visit to the Slovakian Parliament and met the assistant to the Chairman of the Parliament Vienna:“Reconciliation as the Way from the Conflict to a real Peace and Harmony” Saturday, Sept. 24, 2011 18.10.2011 "An Evening of Solidarity" in Zichy Palace, with a presentation from Japan after the tsunami, delivered by a Japanese WFWP member Seiko Jakubacova, A presentation from Kenya, Africa - on an IRFF/UNESCO project for children suffering with AIDS. Joint cooperation with UPF and IRFF in Slovakia, Bratislava. 28.10- 1.11.2011 WFWP Europe 2011
- 10. Iceland Sea-weed is a significant remedy for irradiation: Once a month.A multi-cultural event is sponsored by WFWP at the City Service Center Mjodd, an arts project is sponsored monthly, organized by Lenka 08.06. WFWP Iceland: Attendance at a talk Lipkova and Paul 11 given by a Canadian herbal 28.10- 1.11.2011 WFWP Europe 2011 teacher, Brigitte Mars. Rekjavik.
- 11. “Japan after the Tsunamai.” 11.09.2011: Yumiko Garbo gave a moving account with powerpoint photos of her visit to her hometown Sendai this past summer, where her childhood home no longer stands . Helsinki. “Peace and democracy - Let your voice be heard!” took place on September 21 . Mrs. Gudrun Hassinen, WFWP Finland Chairwoman, spoke about “Peace and personal responsibility.” Finland 28.10- 1.11.2011 WFWP Europe 2011
- 12. Ireland Day of Peace celebration was the re-launching of the WFWP in Ireland by Doris Mc Cann 28.10- 1.11.2011 WFWP Europe 2011
- 13. Bridges of Peace 2011 Spain 2010 28.10- 1.11.2011 WFWP Europe 2011
- 14. Italy Padova and Ponte nelle Alpi, 1-2 October 2011 Bus Excursion to Villa Giusti, visit to the historical site where the armistice at the end of World War I was signed ITALY, AUSTRIA, SLOVENIA A BRIDGE OF UNITY, HARMONY AND PEACE 100 international women 28.10- 1.11.2011 WFWP Europe 2011
- 15. 28.10- 1.11.2011 WFWP Europe 2011
- 16. Watford Celebration 1,000 to 2,000 people attended the Watford Celebration Bank Holiday Monday 30 May. The Bridge of Peace Women’s Federation for World Peace, responsible for coordinating the stalls around the church and the layout of the event WFWP stall was at the front of the church. The High Sheriff of Hertfordshire spent some time at the stall inquiring about our aims and activities. The Mayor also visited us and 30 to 40 ladies and men addressed the public praising the achievement of the Watford came forward and crossed Celebration. the Bridge 28.10- 1.11.2011 WFWP Europe 2011
- 17. GERMANY Education towards a Culture of Peace •Quarterly newsletters •Tübinger Circle Regular Discussion groups on topics related to Women and Values •Dignity of Women Various activities •Book „ Frau Sein“ Articles on what it means to be a women •Beauty and Character Reflections for young people •Excursions to cultual and historical places of peace 28.10- 1.11.2011 WFWP Europe 2011
- 18. Portugal 16.07.2011: Co-sponsored by the national WFWP & UPF, a one day seminar was held for Ambassadors for Peace., Lisbon. 28.10- 1.11.2011 WFWP Europe 2011
- 19. Dignity: “Education for a Culture of Peace: Investing in Partnerships and Transforming our Society”. zo de El Madrid: San Loren Heritage site Escorial : UNESCO near Madrid, Spain 01 1 May 27th to 29th 2 28.10- 1.11.2011 WFWP Europe 2011
- 20. 28.10- 1.11.2011 WFWP Europe 2011
- 21. Austria Joint ELC in the UN Vienna Friday, 1 July – Vienna International Centre (United Nations) IAEA Board Room Austria Joint ELC program with UPF in the UN Vienna 28.10- 1.11.2011 WFWP Europe 2011
- 22. Youth Achievement Awards 2011 Anisa Qureshi Tasif Zaman the Anti -Tribalism Movement Tara Love Tolu Williams recieves Award from Nick de Bois MP Quince Garcia, co-founder of Roadworks Media, a film 28.10- 1.11.2011 WFWP Europe company in South London. production 2011
- 23. International Women‘s Day UN Geneva 28.10- 1.11.2011 WFWP Europe 2011
- 24. 100th Anniversary of International Women’s Day! 1911-2011 UK ‚Helping women is about helping the whole of society: when you invest in women, they invest that money into their families and you are investing in future generations‘ Lady Fiona Hodgson Lady Fiona Hodgson : President of the National Conservative Convention; Former Chair of the Conservative Women’s Organisation March 2005-March 2008; Member of the Conservative Human Rights Commission; Chair of the Advisory Board of GAPS (Gender Action in Peace and Security). 28.10- 1.11.2011 WFWP Europe 2011
- 25. International Women’s Day Paris , France: Albania, March 6th March 2011, «Healing the feminine “Role and Responsibility character in oneself” of Women in Building a Mrs Valérie Colin-Simard, Peaceful World”: writer and Mrs Katerina Minollari, psychotherapist Albania WFWP President. “When women awake…” is the title of her last book. 28.10- 1.11.2011 WFWP Europe 2011
- 26. Linz, Austria Women‘s Day 2011 28.10- 1.11.2011 WFWP Europe 2011
- 27. Malta Women‘s Day 2011 As a gesture of good will! while celebrating this year's International Day of Woman (UN day March 8th, 2011), the Women's Federation for World Peace Malta, would like to invite you to join us in the generous act of DONATING BLOOD The Natonal Blood Transfusion Service, St Luke's Square, Guardamangia Date : Sunday 6th March, 2011 Time : 1.00pm 28.10- 1.11.2011 WFWP Europe 2011
- 28. Netherlands WFWP celebrates Day of Peace as joint event Amsterdam 21.09.2011 28.10- 1.11.2011 WFWP Europe 2011
- 29. International Day of Peace UN Geneva 28.10- 1.11.2011 WFWP Europe 2011
- 30. UN Day Of Peace in Salzburg 28.10- 1.11.2011 WFWP Europe 2011
- 31. S.American dancers Hindu dance Swiss Parliament Member audience Unity of Religions ceremony c e i en a ud Catholic and Muslim panellists International entertainment Peace Festival Zürich Switzerland 18th September 2011 28.10- 1.11.2011 WFWP Europe 2011 Buddhist leader
- 32. International day of Peace, France 17th September Mrs Hamida Namane, Dr.social psychology, intercultural advisor Mr Laurent Ladouce "the Pakxe Project“ Mrs Martine Russe, WFWP shared reflections on multiculturalism Mrs Hamida Hamane concluded by giving her own intercultural experience . 28.10- 1.11.2011 WFWP Europe 2011
- 33. 1% Love sharing WFWP Austria: Vienna and Linz- 09.& 10.09.2011 International Song Evening with Seiko Lee, WFWP France: Paris WFWP UK: Cleeve house, CAKE Store WFWP Netherlands: Amsterdam 28.10- 1.11.2011 WFWP Europe 2011
- 34. International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women 2010 Albania France 2008 UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon launched a campaign : UNiTE to End Violence Against Women 28.10- 1.11.2011 WFWP Europe 2011
- 35. International Mother Earth’s day April 2011, Paris - to commemorate the “Le Ciel, les hommes et la terre : le grand ménage » “Heaven, Humankind and the Earth : The big “Housework” Christine Iskandar Boctor, Dr International law 28.10- 1.11.2011 WFWP Europe 2011
- 36. International Volunteer Day December 2010, Paris - : « Renforcer la culture de la paix par le bénévolat »
- 37. World interfaith Harmony week: February 2011 – Joint project with UPF Gouter de l’Harmonie » with women of different faiths Paris, France 28.10- 1.11.2011 WFWP Europe 2011
- 38. "A SMALL PROJECT MAKING A BIG IMPACT" 26th March, 2011 Hyderabad Interfaith Orphanage 28.10- 1.11.2011 WFWP Europe 2011
- 39. Hirumbi School water project Kenya Austrian project with Peace Ambassador Dorkas Akwabi 28.10- 1.11.2011 WFWP Europe 2011
- 40. Scotland Origami Project for Japan WFWP‐UK has a project to make one thousand Origami cranes send it to the area where hit by recent earthquake and Tsunami. Coffee Morning at Glenfarg – 14th May Glenfarg is a small village near Perth WFWP Scotland has raised nearly 2000 English pounds for Japan 28.10- 1.11.2011 WFWP Europe 2011
- 41. Fundraising event for Sun Hwa International Academy in Nepal South London, 18th June 2011 Nameste 28.10- 1.11.2011 WFWP Europe 2011
- 42. Bringing Cheer to Albanian Orphans Tomiko Duggan, Director, UPF‐Washington DC USA , March 23, 2011 The March 18‐23 visits were sponsored by WFWP Japan and Albania, and by the UPF. a gift from the women of Japan to Dr. Liri Berisha, founder and president of Mother Teresa Foundation and President of the Albania Children Foundation. Dr. Berisha, wife of Albania's Prime Minister Dr. Sali Berisha, was deeply moved to receive a donation from Japanese women during this difficult time in their own nation. 28.10- 1.11.2011 WFWP Europe 2011
- 43. Prayers for Peace Germany Slovakia, Austria, UK: London, Birmingham Italy, France, Netherlands, Belgium 05.08.2011WFWP Switzerland: Prayers for Peace with women of various faiths at Cece Halle., Zürich‐Affoltern. 28.10- 1.11.2011 WFWP Europe 2011
- 44. 28.10- 1.11.2011 WFWP Europe 2011
- 45. Berlin 28.10- 1.11.2011 WFWP Europe 2011
- 46. Founder’s World Tour – Visit to London, United Kingdom, May 9th – May 10th, 2011 28.10- 1.11.2011 WFWP Europe 2011
- 47. A special event in the Houses of Parliament UK. Dr Hak Ja Han Moon was the honoured guest •Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, keynote speaker, was introduced personally by her daughter In Jin Moon, who briefly outlined her active leading role in important organizations such as the Women’s Federation ,inspiring women to embrace their families and communities with love and commitment . •She also mentioned the significance of her position: especially noting her Mother’s exemplary lifestyle as empowerment for all women and cited this as one of the Founder’s1.11.2011 28.10- most important achievements, expecting them to be remembered in 200 WFWP Europe 2011 years’ time.
- 48. GENEVA 28.10- 1.11.2011 WFWP Europe 2011
- 49. WFWP Founders ‐ Rev. And Mrs. Moon speak in the UN, Geneva, May 13th 2011 All European WFWP chapters invited for this event. WFWP‐France with two women leaders : •Mrs Lila Bourkott, Président of the association France Euro‐ Mediterranée •Mrs Fatiha Benmoussat, vice Président of the Muslim women of France 28.10- 1.11.2011 WFWP Europe 2011
- 50. Thankyou! 28.10- 1.11.2011 WFWP Europe 2011
Editor's Notes
- In Jin Moon, 21.08.2011, spoke on fighting human trafficking and pornography addiction with true love.
- The great thing is that to get the ball rolling in each country, only one Representative is needed, and in turn with a few Peace Ambassador wives or WFWP Peace Ambassadors the starting point is possible.
- This is a short rundown on European governance: please look at the websites for more information. European governance meetings take place in Brussels, Strassbourg, and Luxembourg. http://www.consilium.europa.eu/ EUCO 103/11 1 Brussels, 19 October 2011 EUCO 103/11 EUROPEAN COUNCIL / Meeting of the Heads of State or Government of the Euro area 23 October 2011 Main topics on the agenda are: I. ECONOMIC POLICY The European Council will discuss the external aspects of the Union's economic policy, in conjunction with the summits which will be taking place in the autumn and as part of the follow-up to its September 2010 conclusions. The focus will be on enhancing Europe's competitiveness in the world. The European Council may also set orientations on other aspects of economic policy, particularly as regards growth enhancing areas . II. G20 The European Council will set the European Union's position for the G20 summit to take place in Cannes on 3 and 4 November 2011. III. CLIMATE CHANGE The European Council will finalise the European Union's position for the Durban conference on climate change to be held from 28 November to 9 December 2011. PRESSE 381 PR PCE 70 This is an Invitation letter by President Herman Van Rompuy , Poland, to a meeting of Eurozone Heads of State or Government ‚ It is my pleasure to invite you to the meeting of the Euro area Heads of State or Government on 23 October 2011. We will start our meeting after the lunch of the European Council. I have invited the President of the ECB and the Managing Director of the IMF to join us. The developments in sovereign and corporate debt markets clearly show that the crisis is not over. For the last three years, we have made unprecedented efforts to fight the effects of the global crisis and to reinforce our capacity to act. During our 21 July meeting we took major decisions which are now on track for implementation. But, we need to take further action. I would therefore like to concentrate our discussion on further efforts required to stabilise the situation, restore confidence and foster economic growth and employment.. In particular, I would like to discuss deficits, debts, and structural reforms; stabilisation mechanisms; strengthening the banking system; economic and fiscal coordination and surveillance; and the governance structure of the Euro area. In order to structure this discussion, we will base our work on the draft statement that you will receive. We still expect further input from the Eurogroup meeting, taking place on Friday before the summit. The statement is also accompanied by a set of concrete measures aimed at strengthening the governance of the Euro area‘. The new European Presidency has an 18 month term. The future of the euro zone, new architecture of economic governance in the European Union and discussions on the sources of economic growth are main topics of the European Council’s deliberations on Brussels on 23rd October. http://en.strasbourg-europe.eu/the-presidency-of-the-council-european-union,27572,en.html European Presidency until 2013 Poland July-December 2011 Denmark January-June 2012 Cyprus July-December 2012 Ireland January-June 2013 Lithuania July-December 2013
- 23.09.2011 WFWP Malta: Members of the WFWP attended a half day seminar organized by the National Council of Women. This seminar was funded by the EU in support of the Year of the Volunteer 2011., Valenta. The main theme was centered on the EU vision and direction for volunteer work in Europe. It is a fact that a lot of Government institutions would not be able to carry out their work well without the help of volunteers. This applies also to cultural and religious institutions. Therefore the EU has declared this year as the Year of the Volunteer in order to promote and encourage people to do voluntary work. WFWP members networked on a one to one discussion with the discussion leader, Ms Miriam Teuma, executive officer of the youth government agency. We had opportunity to talk to her of the work of WFWP in Malta as well as abroad. The other two on our table were from the Red Cross Malta. We discussed the topic of what hindered people to work with youth. Why the youth themselves found it difficult to volunteer work
- “ Reconciliation as the Way from the Conflict to a real Peace and Harmony” On Saturday, Sept. 24, 2011 ten Slovakian women from Bratislava and Nitra visited Vienna, Invited by WFWP Austria in May in Bratislava, at the inauguration of the Slovakian Dignity of Woman project. Starting at the UNO center (inspired a proposed follow-up visit to Vienna UN, one of the 5 UNO centers in the world).the participants continued to Vienna’s Danube Tower to see this beautiful city from the “higher perspective.” At Stefansplatz Fr. Mag. art. Sylvia Rainer (the painter) gave a guided, walking tour through the Old Vienna Town (ALTWIEN) with its picturesque streets where each building speaks of the past mixed with the present architecture and atmosphere. The tour concluded at the BURG, the residence of the old and present “rulers,” and to the first Vienna “skyscraper” in the Herrengasse, where WFWP has its office on the 10th floor. Mrs.Renate Amesbauer, the WFWP Austria president welcomed the Slovakian delegation. During the excellent Chinese buffet (prepared by a Chinese WFWP member,) little personal gifts were given to the Austrian WFWP members present. 2 representative gifts for WFWP Austria were also received on their behalf by Mrs. Renate Amesbauer : including a pretty small cloth with typical Slovak embroidery (a hand-worked in a gentle, pale colour) and also a modern shaped vase from the Czech crystal. After coffee and delicious home-made cakes and sweet grapes, the afternoon lecture: “The Reconciliation as the Way from the Conflict to a real Peace and Harmony’, prepared by the Vienna Unification Philosophy Institute, Mr. Johannes Stampf, brought actual insights taking some examples from the newly issued Father Moon’s autobiography. Sincere and interested discussion followed, expressing that WFWP creates an inclusive atmosphere allowing a women’s forum where interpersonal brainstorming, on real and lasting solutions of the fundamental problems of man-and-woman or husband –and –wife relationships: these being crucial for all other “partnerships”: parent-child, among siblings, relatives, different groups or parties in the society, including national and International levels A big thanks goes to all who helped to prepare or simply took part in this healing and inspiring Austrian -Slovak meeting in Vienna. To close with a joyful “happening” at the end: As we missed our planned train to Bratislava, we had to wait more than one hour at the station. So our dear Maria Riehl, who accompanied us to the very last moment, suggested to sit down there, right at the platform, and fill the time with the reading of the Father Moon’s autobiography in the Slovak version – as Maria was given one at her August visit in Bratislava and took it with her to the meeting. So it was really a funny picture of our “Slovak” group of strange older and younger women reading loudly but peacefully these ”words of life” or “peace message” at one of the Vienna’s railway station…! Reported by: Dorota Šimekov á, SK-WFWP/VP 18.10.2011 WFWP Slovakia: "An Evening of Solidarity" in Zichy Palace, with the presentations from Japan after the tsunami, delivered by our Japanese sister Seiko Jakubacova, and also from Kenya, Africa - on an IRFF/UNESCO project for children suffering with AIDS.This event was organized in cooperation with UPF and IRFF in Slovakia, Bratislava. 23.08.2011 A visit to the Slovakian Parliament and met the assistant to the Chairman of the Parliament. Information on UPF (Milos Klas, Gen. Secy.) and WFWP activities (Dorota Simekova, VP) were given, and a presentation of the autobiography. The book was also given to the Chairman of the Parliament through this person., Bratislava.
- One Saturday of every month. WFWP Iceland: A multi-cultural event is sponsored by the WFWP at the City Service Center Mjodd, and every month as well an arts project is sponsored, organized by Lenka Lipkova and Paul Hermann. Mr. Eyolfur, manufactorer and biologist explains his self-constructed tools and machines for treading and milling, herbs and sea-weeds. Sea-weeds are a significant remedy for irradiation, last not least by nuclear pollution, it is very rich on nutritions, vitamines and minerals.All products are wild grown and are in absolutnatural clean condition. He developed out of his raw-material delishes soya-herb-souces, sweet-sour pickles for rice dishes, fruit-juices , relishes, herb-tea blends and sea'weed snacks
- 11.09.2011 WFWP Finland: “ Japan after the Tsunmai.” Yumiko Garbo gave a moving account with powerpoint photos of her visit to her hometown Sendai this past summer. where her childhood home stands no more. Helsinki. Helsinki, Finland - A seminar on “Peace and democracy - Let your voice be heard!” took place on September 21 in Helsinki. Keijo Mikkanen, Secretary General of UPF-Finland, welcomed the participants. There were two main speakers: Mr. Timo Virtala, Secretary General of Loviisa Peace Forum, and Mrs. Gudrun Hassinen, Chairwoman of the Women's Federation for World Peace. Mrs. Hassinen spoke about “Peace and personal responsibility.” She explained that it was important to meet people and to understand their needs for lasting solutions. Mrs. Hassinen talked about her own personal experiences in the Middle East how her eyes were opened to consider all parties involved. The program included also the message of Mr. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations.
- Women from South East Europe meeting Women from Spain 27 November 2010 Sisterhood Ceremony On Saturday November 27 the Women’s Federation for World Peace in Spain held a sisterhood event between women coming from the region of the Balkans, living in Spain, and women from the rest of the world in Spain. The program consisted of two round tables on the theme Women’s Role in face of the Violation of Human Rights and the Creation of a World of Peace . There were several speakers representing some of the Balkan countries, Spain and Europe: Ramona Camelia Pascu President of Spanish- Romania Integration and Development Association; Aspasía Raftopoulou, 1st Secretary at the Embassy of Greece ; Valbona Leka, WFWP, from Albania ; Teresa San Segundo, Law Professor at Spanish University; Guergana Tsenova, Hispanic-Bulgarian Center in Madrid; Djurdica Kovalj, Professor of Music, Bosnia-Herzegovina ; Ksenija Pavlovic, Serbian Journalist; Dominique Haan, European Team; Mercedes González, UPF, from Spain ; Zeljana Zovko, Ambassador Bosnia-Herzegovina . The Bridge of Peace 40 pairs of women crossed the Bridge of Peace. The musical performance was by a Bulgarian group, and to the music played by the group, Marcia de Abreu crossed the bridge with Jela Bacovic, Serbian Ambassador. Shortly after,the speaker from Bosnia-Herzegovina stood up and spontaneously expressed her desire to cross the Bridge with the Serbian Ambassador and both became sisters. That was very moving Once the musical program had ended the Ambassador of Bosnia-Herzegovina delivered the closing remarks, referring to the many significant bridges in Bosnia, such as the one in Mostar, that was rebuilt after the war. About 100 people attended.
- FOR A CULTURE OF PEACE IN THE NAME OF FORGIVENESS, RECONCILIATION AND UNITY RECONCILIATION Our sisterhood is celebrated in a territory that was especially ravaged by battles during World War I, and witnessed the pain and suffering of the people and families from our three nations. Pain, suffering and resentment are not yet resolved, although more than 90 years have passed since those sad events. We still have in our minds and hearts the memories of World War II, that came to an end more than 60 years ago, and of the War in the Balkans, that ended 14 years ago. Our peoples, our ancestors and our families were involved in these conflicts in different ways. We ourselves may not feel pain or resentment, but we are certainly aware that there is still need to work for a deep, true reconciliation. UNITY As women, we all feel we are sisters and we want to work hard for unity between us, within and between our families, within our communities and within and between our nations. Along with the Celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the Unification of Italy, we want to remember and remind our children of the value of unity and all the sacrifice and investment that are necessary for unity to be accomplished. OUR ROOTS We want to revive the bond of heart with our Founder, Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, who has always championed the founding values of our Federation and, with the heart of a True Mother, is constantly reminding us of them as members of WFWP. These values are the core of our lives, since we can never forget our responsibilities towards our families, towards the society we live in, our nations and the whole world. The True Culture of Peace that we uphold, encourages the peaceful and creative cooperation among our nations, and educates our children to go beyond national borders, to deeply respect cultural differences, and to appreciate all difference that can become a highly valuable source of enrichment coming to us from others. DEAR SISTERS AND FAMILIES FROM AUSTRIA, SLOVENIA AND ITALY, WELCOME! LET’S CROSS TOGETHER THE BRIDGE TOWARDS ETERNAL PEACE
- Hstorical background: i http://www.arcaini.com/ITALY/ItalyHistory/ItalianUnification.htm Garibaldi's dream of a united Italy motivated his successful expedition against the Austrian forces in the Alps in 1859. In 1860 he conquered Sicily and set up a provisional insular government. Garibaldi then conquered Naples, which he then delivered to Victor Emmanuel in 1861 and returned to his home on Caprera. With the annexation of Umbria and Marches from the papal government, a united Italy was finally established in 1861 with Victor Emmanuel as its king. The Italian kingdom was missing Rome, which was still a papal possession, and Venice, which was controlled by the Austrians.
- 1,000 to 2,000 people attended the Watford Celebration on Bank Holiday Monday 30 May. This year, due to the refurbishing of the Colosseum, the Watford Celebration team had to find an alternative venue and decided to come back to the Multi‐Cultural Community Centre (MCCC) where Celebration was originally started in 2005. The minister of St Michael and All Angels, the church next door generously opened his door to Celebration which allowed us to set stalls for close to 50 organisations. The church’s vestry was also used as the Sacred Space a place for interfaith dialogue. The Community Centre hosted the performances and the popular international buffet coordinated by the Chinese Association and a third building between the church and the MCCC was reserved for the children’s activities. The atmosphere throughout the day was of openness and friendship. A great diversity of charities and groups from around Watford was represented: Christians, Muslims, Spanish, Africans, Sikhs, Jews, Japanese, Latino Americans, Chinese, Russians and more showed cased their unique and fascinating tradition through dances, music, talks and food. The public flowed from one building to another and enjoyed a stimulating afternoon discovering the rich diversity of their town. This year our fundraising effort was focused on the victims of the earthquake tsunami, which swept Japan early this year. Demonstrations of Kendo and the Sakura Club, a marvellous choir of Japanese ladies in kimono, gave the public a flavour of the Japanese culture. Our event was mentioned on the website of the Japanese embassy. The Bridge of Peace Women’s Federation for World Peace, responsible for coordinating the stalls around the church and the layout of the event, had its own stall at the front of the church. The High Sheriff of Hertfordshire spent some time at the stall inquiring about our aims and activities. The Mayor also visited us and addressed the public praising the achievement of the Watford Celebration. To support the fundraising effort for Japan, the Bridge of Peace displayed origami cranes and taught the public how to fold them. The Bridge of Peace had also supplied the international buffet in the MCCC with sushis and with around 500 fairy cakes creatively decorated. Around 2.30pm the Sakura Club sang in the church creating a moving atmosphere just before the start of the Bridge of Peace Ceremony. It brought tears to some people in the audience. After a short introductory talk, Helena Stout ‐ our MC, invited the public to take part in the ceremony. Around 30 to 40 ladies and men came forward and crossed the Bridge. Smiles were on their faces as they met underneath the arch and walked together hand in hand. Muslims, Pakistanis, White English, Japanese, Africans and more came together and the atmosphere in the church was transformed. Spontaneously people came forward to sing and some even assembled around the piano and sang together. We would like to thank everyone who came to support this amazing event: Helena Stout, Monica Bateman, Chikako Raineri, Christa Rennie, the Sakura Club, Peter Stephenson who took the pictures and all those who came and gave their support. Françoise Murphy www.watfordcelebration.org
- 16.07.2011 WFWP Portugal: Co-sponsored by the national WFWP & UPF, a one day seminar was held for Ambassadors for Peace., Lisbon.
- F rom May 27th to 29th, the Women’s Federation for World Peace in Europe held its 5th Annual European Conference on the Dignity of Women at San Lorenzo de El Escorial, a UNESCO Heritage site near Madrid, Spain, under the theme “ Education for a Culture of Peace : Investing in Partnerships and Transforming our Society”. Coming from approximately fourteen countries in Europe, 87 women gathered together to share and learn from each other. ‘ It was such a pleasure to have Pres. Lan Young Moon with us for the weekend, a weekend full of lectures, discussions, a tour of the El Escorial, music, reflection in the form of meditation, and for the first time ever, a Bridge of Peace Ceremony in a chapel!’ commented WFWP Spain chapter President Marcia De Abreu. On late Sunday morning Ambassadors for Peace awards were presented.
- The program consisted of 8 sessions in which the speakers talked about: ‘Dignity in Human relationships as cornerstone for a culture of peace’ by Ingrid Lindemann and Dra. Isabel Costa; ‘Understanding gender differences for mutually enhancing, cooperative relations’ by Christine Sato and Bernarda Jiménez; ‘Acquiring the skills, attitude and perspective within the couple to build a culture of peace around us’ by Bernadette and Kurt Sattlberger, with the Heart Power Program and Rosjke Hasseldine, with Mother-Daughter Relationships; ‘Women in the process of creating peace societal transformation towards a culture of peace’ by Carolyn Handschin and Lois Herman, WUNRN coordinator. Session 5 was a panel with several working groups moderated by Ann Schaffner on the following themes: Developing caring partnerships through bridges of peace – from conflict resolution to peace building, led by Maria Riehl War and Women in Congo, led by Aline Afazali Partnership skills, led by the Sattlbergers Circles of Empowerement, led by Rosjke Hasseldine Social projects as caring partnerships, led by Patricia Earle Dignity of beauty, caring education for our youth, led by Christine Sato Alliances for peace as caring partnerships among NGOs, led by Carolyn Handschin The working groups are an important part of the program as a tremendous amount of energy is generated when the women get together to hear from each other about their concerns and projects. It is the time when we can acknowledge and become closer to each other. The conclusions were summarized by Lilly Gundacker. In the closing session Tina Coombs made 10 Ambassadors for Peace appointments : Aline Afazali, Andrea Vaughan, Bernarda Jiménez, Esperanza Bautista, Isabel Costa, Katarzyna Michniewska, Lois A. Herman, Rosjke Hasseldine, Tamara Mhura, Tina Lindhard. All in all, the program went far beyond just a normal conference, but it became an occasion for deep sharing and transformation .
- Communicating Change: Youth Perspectives on Peace By The Academic Council on the United Nations System, Vienna Liaison Office Sunday, July 03, 2011 Vienna, Austria - A detailed report of the European Leadership Conference "Communicating Change: Youth Perspectives on Peace" held July 1-3, 2011 at the United Nations Building and NH Danube Hotel in Vienna. Session II: Youth Perspectives on Peace The Chair of this session Mrs. Carolyn Handschin , from the Women’s Federation for World Peace (WFWP), opened the session with a call to include more young women in the leadership training programs, but they should begin their leadership within their own families. Women mobilization is more and more supported by their families and by elders; social media is definitely a contributing factor, not least through the moral support to female activists from around the world.
- Adam Matan is the head of the Anti -Tribalism Movement which aims to eradicate tribalism from amongst the Somali people. They plan to achieve this by educating about the problems with tribalism and by raising up young people to be role models and leaders of tomorrow.We were very impressed with ATM’s hard work, vision, professionalism and peace building initiative across the world. Adam shared the injustice and discrimination because of tribalism was preventing his community, as well as other communities suffering the same prejudice, from developing their potential due to revenge, jealousy and obstacles to fulfilling the people’s natural creativity. The Anti-Tribalism Movement aims to educate Somali people about Tribalism and eradicate it from the community in the UK, and in Somalia, promote unity among the Somali people and inspire, empower and energise the future leaders. Tolu Williams has been an active volunteer for many good causes over the last few years including the anti knife crime campaign (STOP), and the Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust (HART). With the goal of improving the lives of all people and aiming towards world peace she continues to work towards her ambition to work in the UN. Today the dream of managing a production company exists, amongst receiving a degree in film and animation and being honoured as an Ambassador of Peace. Julien and I have worked hard and patiently to organise what we are trying to achieve today and that is to set up a youth aid programme. It is called 1st Steps and has the support from 198 Arts Centre, Stronglinx and Sophie PR. Its aim is to enable youths from the ages of 14 - 25 to gain a qualification in a key area of filmmaking. The programme also aims to steer youths from vulnerable backgrounds away from a life of crime and gangs, to help encourage those who lack in self-confidence to take part in the making of a 10-minute film. The CEO of the organisation, VIP Minds, Adam Nazar, sits on the Boards of a number of other groups such as Mosaic, a charity founded by the Prince of Wales. He had introduced three friends to the Youth Achievement Awards. One young lady Adam introduced is Anisa Qureshi . She has been active supporter of several charities raising funds for organisations such as Oxfam, NSPCC and READ International. She is currently embarking onthe ‘World Challenge’ working towards a project in Mozambique as well as volunteering with ‘The Groundwork Charity’ and is a Board member of VIP Minds Tasif Zaman expressed a love for politics and formulating policy and his community work with the Redbridge Youth Forum, Redbridge Youth Council and the UK Youth Parliament. Most recently he has been developing the organisation ‘Aspire Youth Initiative’, of which he is the Founding Co-director. Tasif encouraged all young people to be involved in the Youth Parliament. A recipient of the Youth Achievement Award, Tara Love , who is an Alevel student with a strong passion for advocating the involvement of women in politics. She is currently working toward the formal launch of her web-based project ‘girlsin-politics’.
- “ Commemorating Advances of Women’s Right to Education and Decent Work on International Women’s Day in Geneva” By Alan Sillitoe, UN representative of UPF The CONGO Committee on the Status of Women hosted their annual international roundtable at the UN in Geneva, Switzerland on March 8 titled, “Celebrating women’s rights: Higher education - pathway to gender equality and decent work” on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the International Women’s Day. Women’s Federation for World Peace International, represented by Ms. Carolyn HANDSCHIN, of the Executive Committee, was the main organizer of this event. The roundtable was chaired by Ms. Conchita PONCINI, President of the Committee. The following were the main interventions at this event. Ms. Kyung Wha KANG, Deputy High Commissioner for human rights, spoke on the gender disparity in higher education. She also pointed out that women represent only a small fraction of elected officials in most countries. This disparity exists in many other areas. For example, the difficulties faced by educated women, who cannot find successful employment, constitute one of the key elements which contributed to the recent developments in the Arab world. Security Council resolution 1889 in 2009 spoke of the need to address the problems of discrimination faced by women. Mr. Mohamed Samir KOUBAA, Chief of Mission of Tunisia at the UN, gave some intriguing insights into the situation in his country. He stated that whilst Tunisia has nothing to be proud of in terms of its past human rights record, it has started out on its difficult journey toward democracy, which may be long, but is irreversible. He suggested that the revolution in Tunisia was made possible by education. There were many highly educated people who participated in this revolution, including women. In July there will be a constituent assembly to make a new government and constitution. Tunisia is making many efforts now to conform to the various international human rights obligations. All political prisoners have benefited from an amnesty. “All special rapporteurs are from now invited to visit the country”. Mr. KOUBAA then added that he himself grew up in a family with three sisters and has two daughters. He stated that there are many women human rights activists in Tunisia who were marginalized until now, but who will now be able to play an important role. Indeed, in Tunisia, women play an important role in preventing extremism in all its forms. Ms. Patricia SCHULZ, member of the CEDAW committee and former Director of Federal Department of Gender Equality in Switzerland, explained that Switzerland is a federal country in which the roles are shared between the federal and local governments as regards education. There has been a lot of catching up in terms of gender equality in education. Previously, girls had to be better than boys to attain the same level of education, but this was abolished. There are now more girls than boys in higher education. However, there are more boys than girls in the technical fields. In terms of doctoral students, there are about 40% of women. There are 52% of women in the universities, but only 14% of women professors. Therefore, in spite of the progress which has been made, this is not reflected in employment. Therefore, several measures are now being taken to overcome this disparity, which have so far proven to be very effective. However, strong political will is required for these programs to be continued, especially as some attempts are being made to declare them unconstitutional. She also pointed out that the Swiss fiscal system is unfavorable for couples in which both partners work and some changes are necessary to rectify this. The various departments of the federal government have analyzed the measures necessary to respond to the recommendations of CEDAW and it is particularly important that measures be taken to overcome the stereotypes. Ms. Jane HODGES, the director of the ILO office of gender equality, cited the catch phrase of the ILO, “learning for earning”, indicating that it is important that equality exists not only in education, but also in employment. Generally, women earn less than men for the same jobs. Gender equality is at the heart of decent work. What does that mean? The roles of women and men in society have changed. The response to the present financial crisis should not impact on the gains made by women in the economy. The G20 is very much turning to the ILO for reports on education and training. Empowering women is a key to our coming out of the current financial crisis. Maintaining a minimum wage is a key to ensuring women’s place in the economy. Convention 100 of the ILO deals with equal pay for men and women and convention 111 is about equality in the workplace: she hoped they will be ratified by 2015. She said that the ratification of the maternity protection convention would not be so expensive for countries as they believe. The participation of women in leadership positions needs to be increased. She was happy to hear about the role played by women in the democracy movement in Tunisia. Marianne HASLEGRAVE, President of the International Federation of University Women, just came back from the Committee on the Status of Women (CSW) conference in New York. As a historian, she explained that we are looking at something that started 100 years ago. Women then wanted the vote, equal pay and equal opportunities. We have the vote but the other two goals have yet to be achieved. This event in New York was the inauguration of “UN Women” thanks to the efforts of the NGOs. There was a cap of 20 delegates per NGO but only one ticket, which meant that it was impossible to follow several meetings at the same time. As she pointed out, “you can’t lobby if you can’t get in the right building”. CSW is a part of ECOSOC and we must make sure that its work continues as it is the best conduit for women’s issues. Various attempts were made to change the wording of certain terms. Attempts were made to replace maternal health by women’s procreative health. The American conservatives tried to question the term “gender mainstreaming”. One of the phrases being used was that women’s rights are human rights. The main theme was around education and the right to work. This provided an opportunity. Getting children into education is not sufficient, however. We have to keep them there, especially in the case of girls. We have to ensure secondary education for girls. We have to ensure that girls can go to school without suffering from violence. We have to give them sexuality education so they don’t get pregnant. We have to prevent early marriage. These things prevent girls from getting secondary education. We can be happy that there is parity in tertiary education, but this is not the case in science and technology. Girls tend to go into medicine but not into the applied sciences. Also, what happens to girls when they graduate? In the UK, they don’t seem to end up in this science field. However, our data is insufficient at present. Mr. Daniel KULL of the disaster risk management department read a statement on behalf of Selina JACKSON, Head of Media Department of the World Bank, with regard to their gender action plan. The GAP or Gender Action Plan, with a budget of about 70 million dollars, is used to support gender mainstreaming. The GAP has provided funds to 260 projects in over 70 countries. The AGI, Adolescent Girls Initiative, is a flagship program with a budget of 24 million dollars. They are now making an evaluation of the GAP which finished in 2010. Gender will be a special theme for the IDA (International Development Association) program. As regards the World Bank itself, he said that about 1/3 of managers are women and that they are trying to make progress in this area. By Alan Sillitoe, UN representative
- Lady Fiona Hodgson, in a joint Women's Federation for World Peace and Universal Peace Federation event in the House of Lords to commemorate the Centennial International Women's Day 2011, reviewed the situation of women around the world and the recent launch of United Nations Women. She asked, 'So, why do we need an International Women’s Day when we don’t have a special day for men? Well, the simple answer is that today in the 21st century there is still no country in the world where women have equality in political, social and economic terms. So, why do we need an International Women’s Day when we don’t have a special day for men? Well, the simple answer is that today in the 21st century there is still no country in the world where women have equality in political, social, and economic terms. Today women make up 70% of the 1.2 billion people across the world who live in poverty. And in many countries women are the poorest of the poor. Women perform 66% of the world’s work, produce 50% of the food but only earn 10% of the income and own 1% of the property. Women suffer from a disproportionate lack of access to education and health care, - there are still countries where women are denied the right to vote and stand for election; and in most countries there are few women in senior political and decision-making positions. In the UK that is certainly still the case. When one looks at the UK in terms of world rankings of women in politics: the UK ranks 53rd, having 22% women parliamentarians, on par with the Czech Republic, Eritrea, and Uzbekistan. And our sisters in the US, who we think of as being very strong and empowered, are even worse off politically: the US ranks 72 (on par with Turkmenistan), having only 16.8% of its parliamentarians being women. 130 million girls and women alive today have undergone female genital mutilation, a human rights abuse, and in many societies rape victims are considered an affront to a family’s honour, resulting in as many as 5,000 “honour killings per year.” For women in many parts of the world violence and discrimination are an every day reality; violence affects at least one in three women worldwide, and one in five women will suffer rape or attempted rape in the course of their lifetime. Even in Britain, in spite of all the publicity, still an average of 2 women a week are killed through domestic violence. In many countries of the world today, in the 21st century, girls may be traded as chattels and sold off to be married at a very young age to a man they have never met. I know that others, far more expert than I, are talking about health today, but the figures are so terrible that I didn’t feel that I could leave them out: every day across the world nearly 1,000 women die needlessly during pregnancy or childbirth for want of basic medical care. Which means that in total, every year, somewhere around a half million women die. Maternal mortality is an enormous global problem, and the Millennium Development goal on maternal health, is the one where the least impact has been made. And many women have no choice over whether to have a child or not – globally 215 million women still have no access to effective methods of family planning. And in countries where there is conflict, this impacts particularly on women, where it is estimated that 75% of casualties today are women and children. Access to education is a human right, and the Beijing Platform for Action emphasized the importance of both equal access for women and girls to education and training as well as employment. Today science and technology play evermore important roles and can offer opportunities for a broad range of well-paid employment. But gender stereotyping and discriminatory practices have resulted in women being grossly under-represented in these fields. So to ensure that women are fully engaged needs political will, financial resources and action. And to ensure that women are ‘at the table,' lending their voices, encouraging each other and sharing experiences, women need the tools and the training to make equality a reality. Helping women is about helping the whole of society: when you invest in women, they invest that money into their families and you are investing in future generations. Women do not wish to be seen as victims. If we can help support women, they have the ability to transform their societies and can be the most powerful agents for change. Lady Fiona Hodgson among many positions is the President of the National Conservative Convention, and the Former Chair of the Conservative Women’s Organisation March 2005-March 2008, a member of the Conservative Human Rights Commission, and the Chair of the Advisory Board of GAPS (Gender Action in Peace and Security).
- On Sunday, March 6th, Albanian Women’s Federation in Tirana organized International Women’s Day celebration. The program, moderated my Mr. Sokol Rexhepi, UPF secretary general, started at 11 am with an inspirational slide show with images of spring and relaxation music. Then three young student volunteer ladies entertained the public with a few lively Albanian songs with karaoke, which the participants joyfully joined. After the musical introduction Mr. Rexhepi explained the meaning and history of the Women’s Day and extended wishes to all ladies. Participants were then treated to a short movie featuring main activities of Women’s Federation in Tirana during the last year and were happy to recall some of the happy moments. The movie was followed by a presentation by Mrs Zsuzsana Sulejmani, who shared about some of the Women’s Federation activities in the city of Fier, southern Albania. Zsuzsana is a very inspiring lady, as she is a foreigner, a Hungarian, living in Albania and started WFWP activities in Fier, having only the support from the WFWP branch in Vlora. Since launching Fier WFWP branch in April last year, she organized a charity program in the local old people’s house. The main part of the program was a speech entitled “Role and Responsibility of Women in Building a Peaceful World” by Mrs Katerina Minollari, AWFWP president. The speech related to the words of our Founders and focused on the necessity of building harmony between men and women, and women taking an active role and bringing motherly love into society. At the end came sharing the wishes in a little unusual form – all participants received hand decorated cards, on which they were supposed to write a personal wish to another participant, which was a very heartwarming activity. Everybody then joined the less official part of the program, which was free sharing with refreshments. Around 10 participants continued to enjoy the day by having a lunch together with music and dancing in the “Happy Times” restaurant. The program was altogether quite successful; an interesting part was a larger participation of men than in the years before what happened thanks to the support of FFWPU
- 16 women from 10 different nations celebrated the 100th International Women’s Day on 5th of March in Linz: listened to the history of women’s day from an Ambassador for Peace; Linz chapter chairwoman outlined the WFWP goals and activities and the Dignity of women project. Music, songs and dancing together and in concluding the afternoon the participants painted a picture expressing colorfulness and creativity like a “firework”. Everybody contributed to the success of the event and experienced joy being together. WFWP- Upper Austria, Mirjami Ledermüller
- International Day of Peace commemoration on September 21 in the Dialogue Center in Amsterdam on the theme of ''Islam and the West: Re-awakening & Cooperation for World Peace.'' In conjunction with the Women's Federation for World Peace, UPF-Netherlands held a commemoration on September 22 at Christus Triumfator Church in The Hague in which seven people spoke on the theme of this year's observance, "Peace and Democracy: Let Your Voice Be Heard." The diverse audience included people from 11 nations and seven different religions.
- International day of Peace , Joint project WFWP and UPF: “does Multiculturalism still contribute to Peace?” Mrs Hamida Namane, Dr.social psychology, intercultural advisor in moderated the debate. Beginning with Mr Laurent Ladouce, director of the cultural centre, about his book newly published "the Pakxe Project". Using PowerPoint he illustrated the mission of Pakxe to become an international city for peace in South-East Asia Mrs Martine Russe, WFWP shared reflections on multiculturalism Mrs Hamida Hamane concluded by giving her own intercultural experience . 40 people participated and delivered 5 Ambassador for Peace certificates Among them was the deputy mayor of a small city near Paris .
- 09.& 10.09.2011 WFWP Austria: International Song Evening with Seiko Lee , Japanese soprano, took place to raise funds for children in North Korea. In addition, a slide show and power point was shown. Do note that this same event was held in Vienna and Linz, on subsequent evenings.
- Albania Background paper 2010 was the second year Albanian WFWP organized activities in connection to the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. This day was first announced by UN General Assembly in 1999; however in 2008 current UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon launched a campaign ‘UNiTE to End Violence Against Women’ and in 2009 men’s network with the same purpose. WFWP activities were a part of a rich calendar of activities by various NGOs in Albania. What makes WFWP different, however, is the concern for the prevention of the problem and education against violence. Campaign Starting from November 25th through December 2nd we distributed leaflets, sensitizing society about the problem. Besides encouraging people to denounce cases of violence and providing them with needed telephone numbers for those who need a legal or psychological help, our leaflets offered advice for parents on how to educate boys and girls in the spirit of mutual respect and equality, as well as some guidelines for men and women of all ages on how to treat and respect each other. Leaflets were distributed in Tirana, Vlora and Fier. November 25th this campaign was introduced through a 15 minute TV interview at the local “NTV” station, with Ms Marinela Stefanc, WFWP board member. She presented WFWP ideals as well as the problem of violence in Albanian society. Conference At the end of the campaign, on December 2nd we organized a conference “Self-assertiveness and Leadership without Violence” . 4 short presentations were made, moderated by Ms Drita Rexhepi, Albanian WFWP treasurer. Ms Shega Murati, a gender specialist and vice-chairwoman of Tirana Peace Council, spoke about various forms of violence, making specific references to Albanian society. Mr Gani Rroshi, president of FFWPU in Albania spoke on the “Reasons and Solutions of Conflicts”, making a point that violence has its roots in a person’s heart and it has to be dealt with on this level first. Referring to the title of the conference, Ms Marinela Stefanc, FFWPU Tirana director, spoke on self-assertiveness as a way to avoid aggression and defend one’s rights. She presented self-assertiveness as an ability to express one’s opinion, rights and needs, respecting simultaneously the rights, opinions and needs of others. Her presentation was full of practical guidance and examples. The last panelist was Ms Katarzyna Minollari, WFWP president, who presented a topic of leadership without violence, discussing various ways of exerting influence on others, contrasting natural leadership that leads by example and inspiration with leadership based on force and authority. Conference was concluded by a lively discussion and snacks. Altogether around 40 people participated, including 2 ladies from the 2 city branches of Fier And Vlora as well as guests from the leafleting campaign. France Saturday, October 2nd 2010, the Women’s Federation for World Peace and the Universal Peace Federation in France, organized a conference in Paris to commemorate the International day of non violence. 30 participants came. Each participant introduced themselves and shared their interest on the topic “Causes and resolutions of conflicts” . Material from IEF (International Educational Foundation) was presented by Mr Patrice Huard, UPF.
- Tickets were sold and donations were given by many people. In the nature of the Interfaith Orphanage we had beautiful Interfaith performances from young and old. There were Indian and English songs; dances from Bollywood, Punjabi Bhangra; a Magic Show and a Rap song which was very energetically performed by a 75 year old lady from Bromley! The audience was captivated by all the performances. The afternoon ended with a vegetarian meal, soft drinks and tea. Not only did the event raise funds for the orphanage but it provided a great opportunity for people to make new friends and to share again with old friends and acquaintances. All in all, the event was a great success and we were able to raise the amount of £1,161 all of which we were very happy to offer to the children of the Hyderabad Interfaith Orphanage. We would like to convey our warmest appreciation to all the people who helped make this event a success, including a special ‘ thank you’ to our brother, Tony Bain, who has captured the event on video. Report written by Rawinder Kalsi and Martina Coombs
- Liebe Freundinen! Viele von Euch habe €10.- und mehr für die Schule in Hirumby -West Kenia gespendet, vor allem für eine Wasserversorgung! Es ist eine lange Geschichte: Um die Wasserversorgung hat sich eine andere NGO angenommen - und es ist in Entwicklung. Einnen Brunnen zu bohren, der tief genug ist dauerhaft das Grundwasser zu erreichen ist nicht so einfach, und es braucht eine hohe Qualität an Bohrmaschienen. Frau Akwabi ist dahinter, dass diese Firma, die einmal begonnen hat, dieses Projekt auch zu Ende führt. Im heurigen Sommer konnte Familie Akwabi auf Grund einer grossen Firmen Spende auch noch Elektrizität ins Dorf holen: Das heisst EINE LAMPE IN JEDEM KLASSENZIMMER, nicht nur im Lehrerzimmer, wie oft sonst wo. Dies ist einzigartig in Westkenia. Unser Spendengeld (€ 1270.-) fliesst in die Toilettsanierung, etwas das schon lange nötig ist! Da wurde ein System gefunden, wo keine Abwässer entstehen, für die es keinen Abfluss gibt, sondern "Recycling" - der Abfall wird zum Düngen verwendet. Dieses System wurde in Deutschland entwickelt, und wird von bodenständigen Firmen ausgeführt. Eine Toilette kostet ca € 6.000.- Herr Akwabi hatte auch Fussbälle gekauft, und in diesem, als auch in seinem eigenen Heimatdorf den Kindern geschenkt, was übergrosse Begeisterung hervorrief! (freilich wurden diese Bälle doppelt bezahlt: einmal beim Kauf, und dann mussten sie Verzollt werden!) Wir danken auch Dorkas Akwabi für ihren unermüdlichen Einsatz, denn ohne diesem könnten wir dort nicht helfen! Als nächsten Schritt haben wir ein Petenschaften für Kinder gedacht, die eine weiterführende Schule besuchen möchten, und deren Eltern dies nicht bezahlen können (es handelt sich um Beträge zwischen 30 und 50 € im Monat). Dies muss noch vorbereitet werden. Mit lieben Grüßen! Renate Amesbauer -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht----- Von: DORCAS AKWABI-ACHACHI [mailto:akwabiachachi@yahoo.com] Gesendet: Montag, 17. Oktober 2011 09:18 An: Herwig Fohrafellner; Elizabeth Buchinger; Josef Vösenhuber; Renate Amesbauer Cc: Selestine ODUKI Betreff: Fw: Re: Work Progress and second payment invoice. Dear All, I just wanted to share these images that I received today , showing the progress of the Hirumbi school toilets construction, I must say that I think that they are doing well. I have spoken to the people in the village and they are of the opinion that all is going on well. The second batch of the payment shall be dispersed for the work to continue. Without your support this would have not been possible, thank you ever so much. M'mosi Akwabi-Achachi
- Origami Project for Japan WFWP‐UK has a project to make one thousand Origami cranes and to send it to the area where hit by recent earthquake and Tsunami. A local primary school joined in the project. Older pupils made the cranes and some children wrote very moving letter to children in Japan. One of WFWP friends was inspired with the idea and invited the Japanese members to help her. A festival to celebrate Scotland’s diversity called ‘Eco Fusion’ is organised by the Scottish governmental organisations. It was held at one of parks in Edinburgh at 10th April. Many families came to our Origami workshop and made the cranes. They sincerely wanted to offer help. Many of them donated for Japan as well. Coffee Morning at Glenfarg – 14th May Glenfarg is a small village near Perth. Two ladies (Tae Baillie and Lynda Stuart) in the village organised a coffee morning with the theme of Japanese culture. It was held to raise fund for Tsunami victims in Japan. Cakes were baked by the village people and Japanese friends came to help from Edinburgh and Glasgow. The chairperson of WFWP‐Scotland gave a updated information of Japan and some ladies were moved to tears. Then she introduced how to wear Kimono, Tea Ceremony and Sushi Rolling on the stage. Sushi was offered to everyone for tasting. Harumi thanked everyone for supporting the event and promised to convey the warm concern by the people in Scotland to Japan. Afterwards many people came to say ‘thank you’ for organising the coffee morning. £446.41 was raised for Japan. WFWP‐Scotland has raised and donated more than £1000 to Japanese Red Cross through the Consulate General Japan at the launch of the Recipe book. Since then nearly another£1000 was raised through events above and with kind help from our friends. All money was sent to Japan in June. (Glenfarg is the Hometown from Mrs. Elisabeth Riedl )
- Ginger Nicholls, who along with her husband, is living in Nepal and helping the school grow on a continuous basis. Sun Hwa International Academy was built to emphasise the importance of primary education in Nepal, founded by the WFWP Japanese volunteers. When Dr. Mrs. Moon visited Nepal in 2006, she gave a name ‘Sun Hwa’ (means goodness and peace). Primary school is not obligatory for the Nepalese citizens yet. Sun Hwa International Academy provide to the Nepalese children from kindergarten to fifth grade, high quality education, high moral standard and musical education too. Poor families are supported financially. They are given 50% support towards the payment of tuition fees. Mrs. Nicholls shared with the audience stories about the building of the school and the different necessary steps that were needed to improve the school, the kindness of people they met along the way and the unique qualities, people can have. When Mrs. Nicholls talked about the times when things didn’t go as they had planned or that it was difficult to continue, she was reminded of a quote by the WFWP co-founder Father Moon, “We need to feel happy when living in a prosperous country and at the same time raise the standard of living in the 3rd world countries in order to move and comfort the heart of God.” Mrs. Margaret Ali, MC, then introduced the next speaker, Bandana Upadhya, a bright young lady who has been educated both in Nepal and in the UK. She compared the two countries, giving examples of the two styles of educating people. She concluded her talk with words of gratitude and expressing the desire to return to Nepal and “Give back”.
- Bringing Cheer to Albanian Orphans By Tomiko Duggan, Director, UPF-Washington DC USA Wednesday, March 23, 2011 Tirana, Albania - Women from the Kosovo and Albania Cultural Friendship Association visited orphanages in Vlora, Tirana, and Elbasan bringing gifts and cheer to the children and staff. The March 18-23 visits were sponsored by the Women's Federation for World Peace of Japan and Albania and by the Universal Peace Federation.Mrs. Tomiko Duggan, Director of UPF's Washington, DC, office. presented a gift from the women of Japan to Dr. Liri Berisha, the founder and president of the Mother Teresa Foundation and President of the Albania Children Foundation. Dr. Berisha, wife of Albania's Prime Minister Dr. Sali Berisha, was deeply moved to receive a donation from Japanese women during this difficult time in their own nation.
- 05.08.2011 WFWP Switzerland: Prayers for Peace with women of various faiths at Cece Halle., Zürich-Affoltern. WFWP Slovakia: The WFWP tradition was renewed on 21.10.03, and has continue to date, meeting regularly for Prayers for Peace, to respond to various internationally and nationally needed prayer support, Bratislava. Every Sunday. WFWP Belgium: WFWP members and their friends gather after Sunday service to pray for peace., Brussels.
- On Friday 24th June Lancaster Gate saw the continuation of the series of workshops run exclusively for WFWP lady members under the main theme of “Women of Tomorrow”. “Call to Action!” was the motto for this one day workshop with the purpose of looking at past successes of women through their actions as well as igniting a spark of inspiration and belief within ourselves, as women, to also aspire to such levels of achievement. Providing welcoming remarks, Simon Cooper spoke of his understanding of the importance of women. Whilst mentioning experiences of seeing women taking more prominent roles in society, Simon also spoke of the feminine characteristic of the Holy Spirit and how it ties in directly with the experience of Spiritual Rebirth. Women’s Federation is a forerunner in activities run by women to create cohesion and to support various communities. It only seemed fitting then that Barbara Zaccarelli, the first WFWP president of the UK, inform us of the development and positive, lasting impact of the organisation. It came as a surprise to some of the workshop participants as to just how many projects and initiatives Women’s Federation actually organise. It also provided a particular insight into how skills and attributes specific to women are key elements to the accomplishment and progression of the activities which they run. “ The Providential Role of Women” is part of a series of talks Tim Read offers. Lineage was a key theme of the talk, whilst looking specifically at key female Biblical figures including Sarah, Ruth, and Naomi amongst others and how their actions and sacrifices, specifically lined to their roles as women within families, helped further God’s providence. Tim Read also touched upon Dr. Hak Ja Han‘s course considered from the viewpoint of the way in which her role as a wife transmits a connection to all wives of families thus providing a direct link of heart for all families. Through the talk we were also led to consider our role as women in society whilst also being aware of the fact that the generation which can be changed is our own, thus meaning that we are the ones to implement that change. For compiled by Hannah Huish