With 2017 complete, we are already well underway with spring semester chapter programming. Before we dive deep into 2018, we wanted to take some time to celebrate all the amazing things we were able to achieve in 2017! These victories are only possible because of your support – Thank you!
First things first, we’ve expanded our list of registered chapters this year to 14!
Congratulations to the chapters who were officially registered on their campus in 2017:
College of Southern Nevada (CSN) in Las Vegas!
El Camino College (ECC) in LA!
Cypress Community College in LA!
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in LA!
Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC) in Michigan!
Chabot College in Bay Area!
Also, congratulations to our first registered HARP chapter on Alhambra High School!
National Initiatives
Principled Worldview Curriculum Development. Through seminars, webinars, and consultations with esteemed educators throughout the year, CARP America has been developing content for chapters on topics like: Worldview, Thought Trends, Media, Marriage & Family, and Love & Sex. These presentations show the principled perspective on a number of topics and are intended to help students see how the Principle applies to their studies.
HyoJeong Trip, June 20 – July 4. CARP America took 120 students to visit Japan and Korea to learn the origins of CARP and connect with the founders. Emphasizing the experience of the Principle, the participants had a chance to connect with other students like family. The trip culminated in an intimate meeting with Co-founder of CARP, Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, who imparted a global mission onto the CARP students. Check out the Blog!
Momentum, July 16-18. 50 CARP leaders from 12 different chapters across America and abroad gathered at the Belvedere Training Center in Tarrytown, New York, for the 2017 CARP “Momentum” Leadership Retreat. The purpose of this retreat was to establish a connection between chapter leaders, determine a direction as a National CARP team, and prepare for the upcoming school year. This retreat was a refresher and gave leaders the strength to move forward for the upcoming school year! Check out the full story here.
Turning Point, December 26 – January 1. Participants gathered from across the United States to participate in this year’s CARP Turning Point 7-Day Divine Principle Workshop at the International Peace Education Center. In its second year, ‘Turning Point’ has expanded its service to both number of participants (from 74 last year to over 120 this year) and number of communities participating to include Arizona, California, Florida, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Wisconsin.
The participants include high school students, college students, young adults, and parental supporters. Participants also come from different backgrounds and understanding of the Divine Principle. Some of the participants grew up studying the Principle and about 30 of the young adults started studying the Principle in the last few years, months, or weeks. The diversity of the participants helps create an atmosphere where we can all grow and learn together. Read the blog here!
National Partnerships
New York, Peace Starts With Me Rally, July 15. Mother Moon was the keynote at the ‘Peace Starts With Me’ Rally at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Her message was a call to action that everyone should practice peace in their hearts to make a change in this world.
20,000+ people gathered for the event including many CARP members from around the country. CARP students also came early to help prepare and invite people to the rally. CARP joined the 700 youth dance performance, many on stage.
Local Initiatives
Las Vegas Cross Country Road Trip, May 28 – July 16. For 50 days, Las Vegas took their members and leaders on a road trip across the US to raise their level of understanding of the Principle as well as give them leadership skills through interaction with local communities. The trip had five components: fundraising, pilgrimage, workshops, community outreach, and mobilization leading up to Mother Moon’s Peace Starts With Me Rally at Madison Square Garden in New York. Read more here.
Florida Donation Drive for Hurricane Irma. Although CARP Florida is still in development, they took time to give back to their community and gathered supplies for the victims of Hurricane Irma.
Local Retreats
Los Angeles CHARP DP Lecture practice, August 6-8. CARP and HARP had a joint Divine Principle Lecture Practice workshop. This retreat combined both a practice of public speaking with the understanding of the Principle. They prepared, studied, and set conditions for their lectures which they presented at the end of the retreat. Parental Advisor, Naoko Hiraki, provided constructive encouragement and praises for the groups. Many participants who joined were grateful for the chance to understand the Principle on a deeper level through being able to teach it.
Las Vegas 7 Day Retreat, December 17 – December 23. As the final event of the semester, CARP Las Vegas held their 7-Day Retreat. The workshop was packed with a total of 28 students: 7 new guests, 4 new members, and 17 CARP/community members. The retreat was made with love with many lectures and activities. The retreat was designed to help participants practice a consistent life of faith, even after the retreat finished. Read more here!
Dallas One Day Retreat, October 21st. CARP Dallas held a successful one day Principle Workshop with more than 20 participants. They were hosted by main lecturer Rev. Sakai and also guest speakers Rev. Hernandez and Rev. Jackson.
Local Professor Talks
Las Vegas, “Peace Starts with Me” Campus Talks, November 1 & November 8. CARP Las Vegas held special ‘Campus Talks’ on their two campuses, College of Southern Nevada (CSN) and University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), with the theme “Peace Starts with Me.” This event was inspired by Mother Moon’s Peace Starts with Me Rally at Madison Square Garden (MSG) earlier this year.
The purpose of the Campus Talks was to create a space for professors and staff to share their knowledge and wisdom to students and to strengthen the relationship between the two. The goal was to create a cultural shift on the campuses to be more positive, interconnected, and empowering. Read more here.
University of Bridgeport, On Being, November 29. CARP UB hosted their event called, “On Being: A Discussion with Professors About Finding Your Identity, Values, and Passion in a Global Society” with another club on campus, the Global Affair Society. Twenty-five people in total attended the event including students, faculty, and community supporters. Opening the floor and creating a space for both professors and students to talk allowed students to feel free to ask questions and gain advice from the professors and peers. About 25 people attended. Read more here!
Guest Speakers Visit Local Chapters
Los Angeles, Rev. Nakamura, October 29. CARP LA had the pleasure of hosting Rev. Nakamura, a CARP alumni from Japan, who presented to many of the students at the Intercultural Exchange Trip to Japan and Korea this summer. Rev. Nakamura met with CARP chapter leaders and members, sharing his testimony as a CARP member in Japan and meeting Father Moon. He also gave lectures on Unification Thought. Read more here!
Bay Area, Dr. Bento Leal, November 3. Dr. Bento Leal gave a dynamic presentation on ‘Empathic Listening’ at the CARP Bay Area IGNITE Night.
New Jersey, Dr. Beebe, November 8. NJIT CARP was honored to have a special guest speaker, Dr. Beebe, come. Dr. Beebe currently serves on the Board of Directors of CARP-USA and contributes in developing CARP’s educational materials. Through this event, students were able to learn and understand what the true value, purpose, and outcome of education is and how it affects our own desires to pursue a career.
Bay Area, Dr. Kaufmann, November 17. CARP Bay Area hosted guest speaker Dr. Frank Kaufmann to speak on “Spirituality, Destination , and Pursuit of Interfaith Progress.” Dr. Kaufmann is the director of the Inter-Religious Federation for World Peace and shared his experiences working in religion and conflict resolutions in many different countries.
Grand Rapids, Kathryn Davis, November 30. CARP Grand Rapids’ event on November 30th hosted guest speaker, Kathryn Davis, local Women’s Federation for World Peace (WFWP) chairwoman, who talked about “Healing the Heart of America.” 18 students and two faculty attended the event. Ms. Davis explained that everyone is a part of a family, the human family and change can take place when that is understood. She called for everyone to focus more on the spiritual side of life instead of the external. Students brainstormed solutions after her talk! Read more here!
Bay Area, Rev. Kevin Thompson, December 2. For the last bi-monthly ‘IGNITE’ program of the year, Bay Area CARP invited Rev. Kevin Thompson from the Bay Area Family Church to share. Check out their Fall 2017 video report!
Local Partnerships
University of Bridgeport, December 13. CARP at UB and Women’s Federation for World Peace International had a wonderful joint event for a commemoration of the UN International Year of the Family. It was called “Peace Making and Bridge Building: A Vision for the Human Family.” They had a wonderful speaker named Mamie Thompson who has done incredible conflict resolution oriented work including being the US Mission of the UN representative to South Africa during apartheid and her current work with New York City schools on a project called DREAM.
Los Angeles, December 16. CARP Los Angeles (LA), in collaboration with the American Clergy Leadership Conference (ACLC), hosted a Revival Starts with Me Rally for the peaceful reunification of North and South Korea. This rally was inspired by Mother Moon’s successful rallies in Thailand, Japan, United States, and Korea this year. They gathered 1200 students and 20 churches to come out in support of this cause! Read more here!
Staff Highlights
Honoring CARP’s History, August 5 – 6. Teresa Rischl (pictured above with current remnants of the Berlin Wall in Germany), represented CARP America at the 30th Anniversary of the Berlin Wall rally that CARP held to tear down the wall and help bring an end to communism. Thirty years ago, in 1987, CARP held its 4th CARP Convention for World Students in Berlin, gathering CARP members from all over the world. This year, over 400 attendees including CARP alumni from all over Europe and the United States shared testimonies of their experiences from 1987. Several alumni came to the stage in tears, overcome by the intensity and sacrifices made 30 years ago. The theme of the gathering was “Peace Starts with Me” with an emphasis on achieving peace without violence. Read more here!
NEW STAFF: Jennifer Pierce, Program Assistant. Hailing from Los Angeles, Jennifer joined the team last August to help with communication and chapter support! She was active with CARP LA for two years before coming on to work nationally and is especially proud of helping to establish HARP LA (High school Association for the Research of Principles) as a way to empower high school students to study and apply Principle before going to college. Feel free to connect her at jennifer@carplife.org
NEW STAFF: Shirley Harris, Bookkeeper. We were happy to welcome Shirley as a part-time bookkeeper at the end of 2017. She brings a wealth of bookkeeping experience which will help CARP hone its finances and allow Taka (who was doing the bookkeeping) the chance to focus on his strengths in design and media. Welcome to the team, Shirley!
STAFF ANNIVERSARY: We celebrate Takayoshi Sugawara for his 2 years with CARP! Serving as an administrator, he is largely responsible for our day-to-day management which includes everything you could imagine. He keeps CARP moving like a well oiled machine! As the man of many trades, we are so grateful for Taka’s commitment, perseverance, and incredible creativity.
STAFF ANNIVERSARY: Where would we be without our President, Teresa Rischl?! Serving 4 years with CARP, she transitioned gracefully from Program Director to President this year. With a year under her belt as President, this year will be a time of growth and development.
A BIG Thanks to outgoing staff:
Naokimi Ushiroda, after serving as CARP President for over 3 years, transitioned into his new role as Director of Youth and Students for Family Federation for World Peace and Unification. We are honored to have had a leader like Naokimi who really raised CARP to new heights! We are also grateful Naokimi is still connected with CARP and supports new partnerships together.
David Young, previously Chapter Support Rep. and Content Creator, moved on in June to focus on his business as a coach, speaker, and facilitator. We wish David the best of luck and lots of success in his new ventures!
Katya Beebe, previously Communication Contractor, got blessed in marriage and moved to Germany for graduate school. Although on the other side of the ocean, she continues to check-up on CARP America and roots us on. Katya helped CARP establish consistent communications through the newsletter and social media. Thanks Katya!
Nina Urbonya served as a part-time International Liason for the past 2 years, connecting to CARP chapters across the globe and sharing best practices and resources. Nina will continue to support international communications on a project-basis this year. She and her husband are excited to welcome a baby girl in April. Congratulations Nina and thank you for connecting CARP America to the world through your numerous travels.
Plug In!
CARP Chapters around the country held consistent meetings on and off campus to study and apply Principle. Check out your local CARP chapter for more info!
- CARP Las Vegas (Jinil Fleischman): info@carplv.org
- CARP LA (Jermaine Bishop Jr): carplife.la@gmail.com
- CARP Bay Area (Gabby von Euw): carpbayarea@gmail.com
- CARP Grand Rapids (Josue Kisile): hebangjakisile@gmail.com
- CARP Dallas (Woojin Suina): woojinsuina@gmail.com
- CARP NJIT (Takafumi Mashiko): carp.njit@gmail.com
- CARP at UB (Ricky de Sena): ri.desena2@gmail.com
At the heart of a CARP chapter are the weekly meetings where students can build deeper relationships, grow, and engage with a positive and empowering community. Here are just a few:
- Las Vegas Tribe Talks
- Bay Area Ignite Program
- CARP Talks (Pictured: Grand Rapids)
Gratitude Corner
We also wanted to acknowledge the many people who made these victories possible:
- Board of Directors
- Charko Patterson, Board Chair, Audit & Finance Committee
- Amy Cuhel-Schuckers, Board Vice Chair, Board Development Committee
- Chad Hoover, Board Secretary, Fundraising & Board Development Committee
- Markus Karr, Audit & Finance Committee
- Dr. Robert Beebe, Membership & Programming Committee
- Kai Wise, Membership & Programming Committee
- Clara Brunkhorst, Fundraising Committee
- Graeme Carmichael, Board Treasurer
- Teresa Rischl, ex oficio Director as CARP President
- *Marjorie Buessing (completed her term in July)
- *Tasnah Moyer (competed her term in July)
- *Roland Platt (completed his term in June)
- Donors
- Whether supporting through our monthly giving program or through special campaigns, we are so grateful for your generosity, sincerity, and support.
- We especially want to thank our Major Donors, Ocean Peace and Pacific Food, who sponsor the Leadership Retreats which have been crucial to our mission and in providing student leaders with the resources, community, and support they need to be successful. We are so grateful for these generous donors for investing in the future of our movement. Thank you!!
- Parental Advisors
- The Parental Advisors are the unsung heroes of CARP. They provide encouragement, support, volunteer hours, and advice for students and chapters. Many times their work is behind the scenes and yet is critical to sustainable growth in a community. Although there are many more out there, here are the central Parental Advisors for chapters:
- Akira & Makiko Watanable, CARP Las Vegas
- Naoko Hiraki, CARP Los Angeles
- Greg & Keiko Breland, CARP University of Bridgeport
- Kimie Stana, CARP North Lake College
- Kazuya Morita, Markus von Euw & Christine Froehlich, CARP Bay Area
- Chad & Ann Hoover, Cornell University
- Volunteers
If you are inspired to get involved, email teresa@carplife.org. We’d love to partner with you!
Thank you for our victorious 2017! Let’s make 2018 even better!