WOMEN AS PEACEMAKERS
Ms. Beatrice Benson surrounded by appreciation
Each month, the Las Vegas chapter of WFWP invites women who have spent their lives working for peace through living lives of service and dedication to share their stories with the members and guests assembled. On July 18, the chapter gathered together to listen to the story of a special guest, Ms. Beatrice Benson, who turned 81 this year.
This extraordinary woman joined the Unification Movement in 1970 at the age of 37 and ever since has been working to educate and inspire those around her to lead lives of service and sacrifice with joy. As we listened to her story, we could understand that the founders of WFWP, Rev. Dr. Sun Myung Moon and Mrs. Hak Ja Han Moon, are also extraordinary people, who have inspired people like Ms. Benson around the world to change their lives for the sake of making this world a better place for everyone.
She said that especially women, who bear and raise sons and daughters, can contribute to peace in their families and communities through guiding their children in the principles of peace. WFWP is an expression of that spirit and heart of peacemaking, giving women a way to make a unique contribution to world peace.
Ms. Benson, being almost 40 years old when she started on this peace journey, found that it was not easy to do fundraising with young people 20 years her junior. During fundraising, everyone on the team was treated the same; and Ms. Benson followed the same schedule as the young people. She fundraised, rain or shine, selling flowers from a trailer that she permanently kept in what came to be known as "Bea's spot." She naturally became a mother figure and mentored the many young people around her. She has always been and still is full of joy and gratitude for everything in her life.
Her story inspired all of those at the meeting. There were two fairly new guests; so, it was necessary to explain some of the terms that she used. However, in the end, the four guests—one minister, a radio talk show host, and two others—thoroughly enjoyed Ms. Benson's testimony. We all left feeling refreshed and full of inspiration.