Unificationist Youth Learn to Choose Love
FFWPU-USA
The final days of 2020 brought new inspiration for more than 120 young Unificationists from across the U.S. and Canada who participated in the virtual Winter Kogape Workshop.
“In a tremendous stride to bring together youth from across North America, we collaborated with our young leaders nationwide to draw participants from as far north as Canada to as far south as Alabama and Georgia,” said Koshin Young, Director of Winter Kogape 2020. “We even had participants from Kerala, India!”
The online workshop, which ran from December 27 to 31, offered various sessions centered on the theme “To Love or Not to Love.” About 28 team leaders organized the workshop where middle school and high school students heard from guest speakers including Pastors John Jackson and Joe Young, and youth leaders Andrew Love, Benjy Uyama, and Immanuel Rinkema.
Photo credit FFWPU-USA
“This workshop really created an opportunity for God to reach so many young people at such an important time,” said Young.
Topics ranged from loving yourself, to making genuine loving relationships with our global brothers and sisters. Participants had a chance to reflect after each session and discuss the Divine Principle, God’s love, Jesus, and FFWPU’s co-founders Rev. Dr. Sun Myung Moon and Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, affectionately known as True Parents. The Divine Principle is the core teachings of the Unification movement.
Other activities included video gaming, Jeopardy, and a meme competition, to name a few. There was also a special Q&A session with FFWPU-USA’s top leadership, including Regional President Dr. Chung Shik Yong and National President Rev. Naokimi Ushiroda, as well as panel speakers from different FFWPU-USA departments.
“All the leaders put a tremendous amount of heart and love into the young participants,” said Young. “Even though everyone was separated physically, the leaders understood the importance of connecting with the participants on a deeper level and so everyone really enjoyed the workshop.”
Winter Kogape concluded with a New Year’s Eve party online hosted by YAYAM.
Have a story you’d like to share from your community? You can submit it to info@unification.org.
*Correction (Jan. 15): The quotes should be attributed to Koshin Young, instead of Kai
