Dear friends of WFWP, The pain and outrage over the Boston bombing are still in our bones. As we keep going on about our lives, we come to realize more and more that the police, government, and other institutions are rather limited in what they can do to effect REAL CHANGE for the better. What can we, WFWP and you do about it? We can do more than we think! Looking over this month's edition of our newsletter, and reading between the lines of the articles, I especially sense that women are the answer! Once having dealt with their own pain successfully, once having healed themselves and equipped themselves with spiritual and scientific knowledge, they have the capacity and most of all the HEART to turn pain into purpose. Such women of victory can then devise creative solutions for even the most hideous crimes, such as human trafficking and other violence against women, and for even the most dreadful scenarios, such as war. In this year's women's leadership retreat in San Antonio, Texas, we focused on the very theme of "Spirituality, Healing, and Service" inspired by our founders' example of "Living by the Logic of Love" and "Living for the Sake of Others." They - and we - encourage all women at this time to reeducate their families and their greater community in sound family and moral values, demonstrating the power of love in action and mentoring the next generation. WFWP will put new initiatives in place to facilitate that, and we hope for your support and involvement as well. With warm wishes, Angelika Selle

Dear Friends, Greetings to all and Happy New Year 2013! As we also celebrated the Chinese New Year on February 10, let's claim double good fortune! According to the Chinese Horoscope, 2013 is the Year of the Snake. The snake symbolizes wisdom, beauty, and endurance. It can also symbolize the shedding of our old skin, leaving the old behind -- both of which we need to embrace for an awesome new year and new beginnings! This year, WFWP USA is already off to a powerful start with a flurry of activities and new initiatives, as you can see in this edition of our e-news. To summarize briefly, already this year: We held 12 introductory Clean Slate seminars (an abstinence-based program) in different locations around the U.S. We launched the "HerStory" presentation, which is based on the spiritual underpinnings of WFWP and the teachings of our Founders, in New York City. We officially introduced the Global Women's Peace Network (GWPN), a new project and initiative of WFWP, in five cities: Boston, Atlanta, Chicago, Minneapolis and Washington, DC. Both Vice President Juanita Pierre-Louis and I were on the road almost every weekend, sometimes in sub-zero temperatures and snow to make that happen. The most recent GWPN event, a brunch, was held in the nation's capital not long ago, and was especially rich in content. It focused on a new PowerPoint presentation explaining the GWPN in the context of WFWP's "HerStory" material and the notion of the arrival of the Era of Women's Leadership. The brunch was co-sponsored and co-organized by WFWP USA and the Universal Peace Federation (UPF) DC office which is under the leadership of Mrs. Tomiko Duggan. Last year, Tomiko and I were appointed to lead the GWPN in the U.S., as Vice Chairwoman and Chairwoman respectively. As you might…

Dear members and friends of Women's Federation for World Peace,   Greetings in the love of God!   We just received the news that our dear Father Moon, Rev. Dr. Sun Myung Moon, husband of Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, our WFWP founder, transcended into the spiritual realm in Korea this afternoon at 12:54 pm Eastern time.    At age 92, after a life of suffering, service and constant investment for the sake God and humanity, he kept pushing himself (working hard and barely sleeping) even at his ripe old age to bring about a world of peace even one day sooner. A couple weeks ago, due to severe pneumonia, he was admitted to a hospital in Seoul, Korea. And yesterday, after there was no further hope of saving his life with modern medical science, he was transferred to the Cheongshim Hospital, where he passed away, surrounded by his wife and children.   Thank you for all your prayers and fasting support to bring about healing even against all odds. Words cannot describe how many of us feel who have known him and worked with him for the last 40 years, and we are deeply saddened that he passed from us so quickly. Yet knowing him, he will not rest, but rather continue to work from the other side to make God's dream and humanity's dream a reality.   May we as women, mothers and daughters, surround him with our love and prayers as he is ascending. Let us also surround our dear Mother Moon, Rev. In Jin Moon, their daughter who is also the national pastor of Lovin' Life Ministries here in the United States, as well as all their family.   May we now even more than ever before support and work together with our Mother Moon, our…

Greetings in this still brand-new year of 2012! Are you like me and haven't yet formulated your new resolutions and goals for this year? It's not too late, especially since we just celebrated the Chinese New Year on January 23, according to the Lunar Calendar. Two weeks ago, I returned from Korea, where I was privileged to attend a series of New Year's celebrations, as well as the joint birthdays of our WFWP co-founders, Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, who turned 70(!), and her husband, Rev. Sun Myung Moon, who celebrated his 93rd. They looked healthy and well, and reminded us that it is indeed time for women to take leadership, investing all we have for the sake of peace. Just like a mother who is in labor, giving birth to a child, it takes that kind of focus and effort to bring about positive change. This year 2012 is also a year of celebration and acknowledgment, since it marks the 20th anniversary of WFWP International! Special celebrations will be held around the world, with the international one coming up in Seoul, Korea, from March 25 - 27. If you are interested in attending, please contact our New York office. Here in the United States, mark your calendars: Our big event will be in Las Vegas from October 25 - 27. It will be entitled "The Turning Point - Women's Role in Bringing Peace in the 21st Century." Stay tuned for more information. This issue of our newsletter is somewhat transitional, covering events from 2011 all the way into February 2012, since we are in the middle of creating new literature and materials for this year. As you can see, 2012 will be a year of action - and hopefully also one of inner transformation as we seek to make…

Dear Readers and Friends of WFWP USA, Greetings in this wonderful fall season here on the East Coast! It is time for harvest and, in a way, celebration of the fullness of the creation and the fullness of life. As I look over the past few months, our WFWP USA has indeed grown and borne much new fruit! Many new initiatives and activities have been sprouting forth, especially after our recent national assembly in August. Most of all, the wonderful spirit of warmth, love, creativity and women taking action continues to spread and take root across the country. We welcome the many new women leaders who have come forth to nurture and build our local chapters, especially on the West Coast, as well as the many young women who inspire us with their creative ideas, enthusiasm and desire for action! Finally, WFWP USA is expanding our former "Women of Faith" component and is giving birth to "Women of Spirituality and Healing." Why? Because we need not only faith in our lives—to be anchored and strong in the face of challenges—but also women of spirituality and healing who can receive spiritual guidance, wisdom and insight from above that can guide us through these turbulent times, and who can heal others. Wishing you a fruitful season in every way and to stay focused on what is beautiful and good! Warmly, Angelika Selle

To our WFWP members, mothers, women, friends and families, There are no words to describe the sorrow that I feel and we all feel about what the Japanese people and nation are going through at this time of crisis! Our hearts go out especially to our Japanese women and families of Women's Federation for World Peace who have tirelessly invested themselves EVERYTHING to serve the world and the United States of America over the last many decades and become the back bone of our organizations. It was mostly our Japanese women who ventured into 85 countries around the world to establish WFWP chapters, schools, nurseries and relief project. We love and thank you for that! As you know, in light of the tragedy of the earthquakes and the tsunami, I/we felt compelled to cancel/postpone our rally in front of the White House and focus our entire attention to very needed relief efforts. As you can see on this page WFWP USA Relief Fund to which anyone can donate directly, and the proceeds of which will directly to the affected areas in Japan!! We hope to then post ongoing reports from Japan to keep WFWP USA updated, and when appropriate plan to send a relief crew over there - including myself. Let us make a real bridge of peace with Japan! Please feel free to also have local WFWP fundraisers for the victims in Japan, as well as clothing drives, etc. We are not set up for collecting clothes or items yet, but will keep you informed if and when we do. Let us stay in touch and in prayer sending love, compassion and healing to those who went are still lost, those who have passed on and to those who stay behind! Japan we are with you!Donate to Japan Angelika…