WFWP Canada Leadership Transition
Written by: Eveline Stewart
It was the end of an era as 50 friends, Ambassadors for Peace and WFWP members gathered in Toronto, with more than 70 online, on the morning of July 5th 2026 to celebrate the retirement of Women’s Federation for World Peace’s (WFWP) founding Canadian President, the remarkable Mrs. Lilly Tadin. All were also excited that it was a new beginning with the inauguration of Mrs. Yulia Tarasova, who was a teenager in Kyiv, Ukraine when Lilly began her work in 1992. The aptly chosen theme for the occasion was “Celebrating a Journey of Service – Embracing a New Generation of Leadership”.
Lilly had been at Clearstone Lodge, outside of Toronto, in June 1991 when the late Rev. Sun Myung Moon and his wife Dr. Hak Ja Han (Mother) Moon decided to found WFWP and she went to its inaugural event in the Olympic Stadium in Seoul, Korea in April, 1992. Since that time Mrs. Tadin dedicated much of her life to the mission of WFWP Canada: preparing for Mother Moon’s multiple tour speeches over the years in various Canadian locations, inaugurating and facilitating many Bridge of Peace Ceremonies, attending meetings around Canada and the world, especially at the UN for International Women’s Day in NYC then celebrating that day in Toronto for the last 20 years. Lilly was also an innovator and initiated annual Poetry Readings held under the theme “Crossing Boundaries, Connecting Hearts” and the Mother-Daughter events. She visited numerous Ambassadors, politicians, women leaders to introduce the work of WFWP, a sustained effort which showed its fruit in the presence of Lilly’s close personal friend, the Hon Jean Augustine who was the first Black Canadian woman to serve as a federal Minister of the Crown and Member of Parliament, who gave a candid testimony to their relationship and Lilly’s impact in Canada.
The event was co-hosted by Eveline Stewart, Vice-president of Women’s Federation for World Peace, Canada and Kaeleigh Moffit, President of WFWP, North America. We first listened to the video message from Moriko Hori, President of WFWP International. She expressed her deep gratitude for Lilly Tadin’s incredible dedication to her role as President of WFWP Canada which is like embracing a calling as it requires vision, perseverance, compassion and countless hours of service. She conveyed her confidence in the foundation made over the years. In welcoming President Yulia Tarasova she emphasized women’s role in healing, building meaningful relationship, serving and leading with wisdom, compassion and moral courage.
We then listened to Angelika Selle, former President of WFWP USA. She met Lilly in 2010 while serving as leaders in their respective WFWP branches, developing a partnership that grew into a deep friendship based on prayer and love. She expressed confidence in Yulia Tarasova’s to build on the foundation of Lilly’s leadership.
In her own testimony Mrs. Tadin lovingly gave thanks to the many women who gave their support over the years to the mission of WFWP in Canada as well as internationally. Some of them mentors, collaborators, all unforgettable companions. She expressedher experience of leadership as a common effort shared amongst many. Kaeleigh then presented Lilly with a beautiful engraved glass vase to express WFWP’s heartfelt gratitude for her tireless commitment to peace, her generous heart and spiritual strength which has been a light to all who journeyed alongside.
Following this Kaeleigh Moffitt presented Yulia Tarasova with a Certificate of Appointment as President of WFWP Canada and a very interesting gift bag containing various WFWP mementos. Yulia then gave a brief address in which she described the many ways she had felt guided to connect to the mission of WFWP, through people and circumstances. She shared about being asked if she would be ready to take the role of President in Canada to which she agreed without hesitation, not even consulting her family and husband who acquiesced to her “calling” without reservation. Yulia comes partly from a Hebrew ancestry and she talked about “Shifra” which means to improve, to make something beautiful, to cleanse. It is a telling fact that July 5th also happened to be Yulia’s birthday.
Altogether it was a joyful, hopeful event attended by many who have contributed so much to the journey of WFWP in Canada. Through the morning we were uplifted by a beautiful rendition of “The Greatest Love of All’, sung by Mee Young Gabriel. Both representatives of FFWPU and UPF expressed their optimism for the future and cooperation. Mrs. Chizuru Famularo gave a heartfelt recognition to Lilly Tadin for the many trials and difficulties she had faced along her journey.
One of the many on-line participants, Sarah Weller, reflected;
“The mutual respect, congratulations and recollections offered by people from a large spectrum of ethnic communities, faiths and age groups shows how relevant our founder's perspective is.” We shall carry on following the “Logic of Love” of the Mother of Peace.
