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The Fourth Annual Leaders
Workshop
WFWP INTERNATIONAL
December
4-9, 2003
New York
City and Carmel, New York, USA
One
Step Higher: Models of Education
and
Chapter Development
Over
a hundred women from over 41 countries met for 5 days in New York for The
Fourth Annual Leaders Workshop of The Women’s Federation For World Peace
International, in December.
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A welcoming banquet in the
Crystal Ballroom of the New Yorker Hotel, a Ramada Plaza Inn, on 8th
Avenue in Downtown Manhattan, opened the meeting on Thursday December 4th
2003.
On Friday December 5th
the WFWPI co-sponsored the Third Annual Forum on the Eradication of
Poverty at the United Nations. |
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Lilly Gundacker, Maria Riehl,
Sunni van der Stock, Nobuko Bruins,Prof. LY. M. Pak, Martina Coombs,
Alexa Ward, Isa Brazil, Caroline Betancourt … |
Statue of the twisted gun in
front of United Nations Building, New York |
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Focusing on one of the 8
goals of the Millennium Declaration, WFWPI co-sponsored this forum with
the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Mozambique to the UN in New
York. Motoko Sugiyama, Director of the WFWPI UN Office and International
Vice President, chaired the meeting which was well
attended by over 400 participants on Friday
afternoon.
<<Link
to official WFWP UN Report>> |
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Martina Coombs, WFWPI VP,
GB,
Maria Riehl WFWP Austria,
Lilly Gundacker, WFWP
Austria
at the Third Annual Forum on
the
Eradication of Poverty, UN
NY
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The sudden snow storms
which paralyzed traffic in various parts of the US, also led to
cancellation of buses organized to subsequently transport participants
to Clearpool Educational and Training Center in Carmel, Upstate New
York, which was the venue for the weekend workshop. Not to be daunted by
nature’s travesties, the international troop marched to Grand Central
Station through 20 inches of snow to board three different trains,
before eventually arriving in Clearpool, where a warm welcome meal was
waiting. |
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View from the dining room to
the cabins |
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Twelve cabins with names like:
Frog, Coyote, Owl, were home for three nights while the conference took
place in the spacious function and dining hall.
Saturday morning, Prof. L.Y.M.
Pak, WFWPI President, presented “Women’s Peace Network,” after introductory
remarks by Alexa Ward, President WFWP, USA.
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Activity Reports were given
over the two days by each of the regional representatives from Oceania,
CIS, Latin America, Middle East, Europe, Africa, Japan, Asia, Korea and
America. These were interspersed with education based presentations on
“Principled Education for Women,” |
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Alexa Ward, WFWP USA
President |
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S.Dorothy
Motubatse-Hounkpatin MP, WFWP South Africa |
“New Viewpoint of Sex
Education”, “Character Education” and a “Special Report on the AIDS
Preventive Education Committee”.
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A special meeting of WFWPI
UN Representatives on Saturday with a panel presentation on Sunday, led
by Motoko Sugiyama, stressed the importance of field co-operation with
UN Agencies, e.g. Uganda with UNDP, World Food Program, Office of High
Commissioner for Refugees, UNICEF as well as expanding the involvement
in NGO committees and working groups, particularly addressing the issues
of UN, Poverty Eradication.
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UN Panel Presentation.
Carolyn Hanschin, Geneva,
Motoko Sugiyama, New York,
Maria Riehl, Vienna |
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On Sunday morning Norma
Foster, President of the UN Association, Los Angeles, California,
praised the activities of WFWPI and encouraged greater public presence
in her “Special Presentation of Media Relations”. Issues of development
and communications were also addressed by Alexa Ward in “WFWP Chapter
Development: Insights into Building a National Foundation” and Laura
Hornbeck, WFWP, USA Reg. Chair, Texas, addressing: “Communications:
E-News.” |
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WFWPI Fourth Annual Workshop
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Betsy Hunter, Administrative
Director, WFWP, USA spoke on “Funding Chapter Activities”, Martina Coombs,
WFWPI Vice President, Europe, presented: “Best Practices: Long-Term
Programs, Interfaith Peace Meeting” and Sheri Rueter, WFWP, USA Vice
President presented “Interracial Sisterhood Project”.
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In conclusion, the Monday
morning, excursion to Bridgeport University proved to be inspiring to
all, just as the evening programs of decorating a Christmas Tree with
International decorations brought from each nation, and the genuine
American square dance which was surely a new experience for many of the
international ladies.
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Bridgeport University |
One
hundred women came from 41 countries to meet, to share and to inspire. May
they continue to spread peace through their united international efforts of
the Women’s Federation for World Peace International.
© Written
by Lilly Gundacker, WFWP Austria, January 10th 2004. All rights
reserved. Reprinting permitted only with acknowledgement by including link:
www.herzundhand.at .
Please send
one copy of each publication to Lilly Gundacker, Kellergasse 1, A-3470
Kirchberg am Wagram, AUSTRIA – Europe.
or email:
lilly.austria@flashbox.at |
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