WFWPI: UN CSW65 Parallel Event: First Ladies and Emerging Leaders

During the 65th Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW65), the Virtual Parallel Event, “First Ladies and Emerging Leaders: Intergenerational Dialogue: Journey of 1325 and Women’s Leadership” was held on Friday, March 19, 2021 at 9:00 A.M. (EDT). There were 270 people in attendance worldwide.

The CSW65 Parallel Event was organized by WFWPI in collaboration with the International Association of First Ladies for Peace (IAFLP), a project of the International Summit Council for Peace (ISCP) of the Universal Peace Federation (UPF).

After decades of peace and reconciliation efforts in the Middle East and other zones of conflict through working with local women of all ages, the WFWPI proposed this Virtual Parallel Event to be a platform which will be structured as an intergenerational dialogue between First Ladies and emerging leaders from different regions, walks of life and culture. This dialogue focused on the Journey of 1325 and the impact of women’s leadership for protecting rights and delivering justice through mutual cooperation and securing sustainable peace. The key speakers for the event included Mme. Mammusa ‘Masekoalane Majoro (Kingdom of Lesotho), Mme. Callista Jennie Mutharika (Republic of Malawi), Hon. Mme. Maria

Fernanda Flores de Aleman (Republic of Nicaragua) and Mme. Fionnuala Kenny (Republic of Ireland). The emerging leaders were Amanda Bradley, a Legal Service Team Assistant at Davis Polk Wardwell in New York City; Jungsoo Moon, a first-year Master’s student studying Public Policy and International Relations at the University of Tokyo; and Sruthi Lekha, a UN Representative, at the WFWPI Office for UN Relations in Geneva.

In the opening remarks, Madame Majoro, First Lady of Lesotho, stated “I am calling on women everywhere to commit to advancing principles of equal and lasting peace.”

Dr. Sun Jin Nim, Senior Vice President of WFWPI, shared her heartfelt message to the audience during the opening address saying “it is our hope that here in the presence of these prestigious global women leaders and peace-loving global citizens, that we can unite in a rich culture of virtue, higher consciousness, love of family, country, and faith, where the seeds of peace can flourish and give new life and hope to the world, and especially to our global sisterhood of women and girls. This journey is by no means coming to a close, but a coming together with a culture of heart that my father foresaw, “women will save the world.”

Ms. Amanda Bradley, speaking as an emerging leader during the intergenerational roundtable discussion, spoke of Mother Moon in her remarks, “I really enjoyed reading and dissecting how (Mother Moon in her autobiography) looks at the essence of a community impacting the future of an entire nation and how education seems to be the thread that binds and links the (the community to the nation).”

The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), an intergovernmental conference that has been a model in engaging with civil society, is held at the United Nations in New York for two weeks in March each year. The world has witnessed major shifts in paradigms of leadership, conflict management and peace- building since the adoption of the United Nations Security Council resolution 1325 (S/RES/1325) on women, peace, and security that has influenced women’s participation and leadership at home, and in public spaces.

After the webinar ended, WFWP held a “Meet and Greet” where participants of the webinar were able to express their thoughts and reflections.