FAWCO 2008 Conference: March 5-9

Katshi Kapshida: "We go together."

These words capture the sentiment of the first-ever FAWCO Conference hosted by an American Women's Club in an Asian country. This sentiment was embodied in a five year process that began with the vision of some very committed people and culminated in an extremely successful conference that left the participants "Seouled" on Korea.

FAWCO (the Federation of American Women's Clubs) holds its annual conference each year in a different city. AWC clubs bid for the opportunity to host the conference. Prior to 2008, conferences have been held in the United States or Europe. But in March of 2006, Valerie Briggs, at that time our AWC President and then FAWCO representative, made an initial proposal at the FAWCO Conference. With the help of some very committed members of the FAWCO Board and AWC Korea Board members, Seoul was approved as the conference location, and she was able to begin the planning process, making us the first to host a FAWCO conference in Asia - and making AWC history in the process.

Valerie attributes the success of the conference to the commitment of the many volunteers who made it happen. Valerie, as conference Chair and Bev Sodan as conference co-chair, put together a planning team that worked very hard to ensure that the participants and guests had a memorable experience here in Seoul. With the combined leadership, vision, and club participation, it all came together in a seamless production.

Participants From Around the World

The conference brought attendees from all over the world, with 162 participants from 38 countries. Many of them came early and participated in the "Taste of Seoul" tours, where they were treated to a wonderful sampler of places, events and foods that provided an interesting overview of the sights, sounds, tastes of Seoul. The tours included trips to Insadong, Deoksung Palace, The Traditional Folk Village, Ichon Pottery Village, Seoul City Night Tour, and a trip to Kwanju Island. Tour participation was excellent and many of the guests attended all the tours.

Additionally, they attended Korean traditional performances at Chongdong Theater as well as a dinner theatre performance of "Jump" and a martial arts comedy performance.

AWC members acted as tour guides, hosting a Seoul City Bus Tour where participants were given a tour from the perspective of local residents. This was met with rave reviews, as most attendees liked the anecdotes shared by their "American tour guides."

Focusing on Human Rights

The focus of the conference this year was on Human Rights. There were a number of well-attended sessions focusing on North Korea. Participants were very moved by the presentations of Tim Peters, Asia Man of the Year-2006, speaking in a panel discussion about North Korea, and also presenting "Operation Underground Railroad." Dr. Norbert Volertsen gave a moving presentation as he painted a picture of the plight of North Korea and Kim Jong Il.

Other very informative presentations included "FAWCO on the World Stage" as a speaking representative at the United Nations; "Being a Woman in a Flat and Shrinking World"; and "Never the Twain Shall Meet: Lessons from Two Decades in Asia".

The opening dinner featured a highlight of the conference: the parade of nations. Volunteers from AWC Korea carried flags from each of the countries were FAWCO has AWC member clubs. The stage was a splash of color with all the flags. Then each volunteer shared something about the country and the AWC clubs in that country whose flag she carried.

Meeting One Another

One evening AWC families opened their homes to the participants for the traditional In-home Dinners. This provided an opportunity to share experiences with our international visitors and was met with rave reviews. One evening a reception at the home of American Ambassador was held and participants were treated to a wonderful dinner plus a home tour which included artwork from American folk artists as well as those of Mrs Vershbow, who is also an accomplished artist. Another highlight was a party at the Kabinett Boutique Wine Bar, where AWC local members joined our international visitors for a night of food, friends, and fun. In the Korean tradition of Noribong (Karaoke), the group raised their voices in song.

The week culminated in a gala evening event - the perfect ending to what will be a wonderful memory for all. The event opened with a Samul-nori performance. This Korean traditional musical performance generated a lot of excitement and set the tone for a lively evening. AWC member and professional opera singer, Seunghee Park-Cha gave a stunning performance. This black tie event was also a fundraiser for the FAWCO foundation. There was raffle and a silent auction, with a vast array of items which were donated by FAWCO members and sponsors, raising close to $30,000 for FAWCO sponsored charities.

After the conference, tours to Shanghai and Beijing were available for the guests. In Shanghai the group was hosted by an AWC Shanghai member who gave the visitors "the insider¡¯s tour of shopping and cultural sights." Beijing participants spent five days and four nights enjoying all that Beijing has to offer.

The conference was truly a memorable experience for all who participated, from the initial planning to saying good bye to the last guest. It was nothing short of magical, a rare opportunity to pull together to meet people from all over the world.

For those of us who hosted the conference there were many challenges and rewards. A big thanks goes to all who said "yes" to planning, assisting, and volunteering for this event.

To see more conference photos, click here.



   

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