Argentina—Six women from different fields and provinces were acknowledged for their good practices and values during a celebration of UN International Women’s Day on March 11, 2021. The event was organized by the Argentinian chapters of UPF and the Women’s Federation for World Peace (WFWP), with 64 Zoom connections (1).
Distinguished women were Irma Droz, founder of “América Madre,” International Cultural Institution based in Santa María de Punilla (Córdoba) and with branches in American, European and Asian countries; Liliana Virginia Escala de Madrid, associate director of Argentina’s Council of Communications and Public Affairs from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and coordinator of “Ladies in Interreligious Dialogue;” Silvia Raquel Gallea, executive director of the digital newspaper Agenda Paranaense and host of the radio program “1/2 mañana con Silvia Gallea,” on FM de la Plaza de Paraná (Entre Ríos); Viviana Leonor Lanzoni de Pini, director of communication in Buenos Aires City of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, coordinator of “Ladies in Interreligious Dialogue” and member of MEIRA; Graciela Beatriz Páez Báez, national general coordinator of religions of the Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’í Faith in Argentina and secretary of the San Juan Interreligious Board since 2001; and María Susana Segovia, representative in Argentina of the Foundation for a Drug-Free World, director of Education for Life and coordinator of “Ladies in Interreligious Dialogue” (2).
All women manifested their gratitude for the acknowledgment. During the meeting, brief speeches were given by Rosetta Conti, president of WFWP-Argentina, and Miguel Werner, president of UPF-Argentina.
“Everyone desires peace, but peace does not come easily. If it were as commonplace as stones on the side of a country road or trees on a mountainside, we would never have experienced the terrible wars and conflicts that plague the human world. But bringing peace demands that everyone invest sweat, tears and sometimes blood. That is why, even though we long for peace, we seldom achieve it. To experience true peace, we must first practice true love without expectation of reward,” was an excerpt of Mother of Peace, the autobiography of WFWP and UPF Co-Founder Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, read by Professor Gloria Dantas, WFWP director in the Southern Cone Region.
Two musical performances enlightened the occasion. One was in the charge of Florencia and Thomas Dantas, members of Youth and Students for Peace (YSP) in Argentina, who performed “Color esperanza,” by Diego Torres (3). Diego Desanzo performed different popular songs and concluded with a song of his, “Hoy va a ser un gran día,” made exclusively for this meeting and dedicated to all women (4).
The new young Ambassador for Peace Matías Sayavedra was the emcee. He gave context on this date, whose motto is “Women in leadership: Achieving an Equal Future in a COVID-19 World,” International Women’s Day was established by the United Nations in 1975 to recognize gender equality. Its background includes protests for voting rights and improvement of working conditions, referencing a tragic incident occurred last century at a shirtwaist factory in New York, where 129 women died.
He expressed that, despite women’s achievements in the last decades, UN numbers show there are legal restrictions that prevent millions of women from accessing the same employment options as men. On the other side, women occupy only 24% of parliamentarian seats worldwide, one in three women have been physically or sexually abused, and 200 million girls and women have suffered genital mutilation. Finally, he mentioned that this date is a moment to reflect and honor women who have left a legacy in their work towards equality, to celebrate the achievements in equal opportunity and to renew this commitment, revaluing the great potential of cooperation and avoiding confrontation and competition, which has caused great damage.
Quotes:
1) International Women’s Day - WFWP/UPF Argentina 11-3-2021:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nX077ofzZ9Y
2) Acknowledgement to women for their good practices and values:
Irma Droz: “For her work as an educator and writer, poet, teacher of native dances, Hatha Yoga teacher, archdiocesan catechist, and cultural broker. For her extensive history as an organizer and exhibitor of various cultural meetings in Argentina and the rest of the world with an unchanging goal: “To achieve the integration of peoples, for life and for peace.”
Liliana Virginia Escala de Madrid: “For her tireless commitment to humanitarian and spiritual service for the sake of the community, developing educational, solidary, cultural, sporting, and recreational activities. For her commitment to interreligious dialogue and cooperation, expressed through her active participation in spaces comprised of different spiritual traditions.”
Silvia Raquel Gallea: “For her educational work in the different educational levels; for her work as a journalist and volunteer, providing help in soup kitchens, interreligious associations and social groups. For providing her contacts to collect clothing, school supplies and books for the creation of neighborhood libraries, seeking to achieve equal opportunities.”
Viviana Leonor Lanzoni de Pini: “For her dedication to the family and for her service to the community, by rising the spiritual values as a missionary dedicated to the faith she practices. For her leadership and educational work. For her commitment to dialogue and cooperation between different spiritual traditions, integrating and playing active part in various interreligious venues.”
Graciela Beatriz Páez Báez: “For her service vocation and educational work in values and peaceful coexistence. For her extensive religious activity, as an organizer and panelist for diverse meetings, as a referent of dialogue for her community, the Baha’is, and as an active participant in different venues of diverse spiritual traditions in San Juan and Argentina.”
María Susana Segovia: “For her service vocation and professional work in the area of prevention of addictions. For her commitment to the spiritual objectives that her faith practices and the initiative to create spaces for feminine interreligious dialogue, motivating the participation in diverse activities. For her relentless activism promoting values and a healthy life.”
3) Color esperanza - Flor and Thomas Dantas - International Women’s Day WFWP/UPF Argentina 11-3-2021: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-mO5yFOur8
4) Diego Desanzo - International Women’s Day WFWP/UPF Argentina 11-3-2021: