Nigerian Mission graduates Nine Character Educators
Sunday 13 September 2015, nine persons graduated from a four days teacher training workshop on Character Education held at the National Headquarters, Abuja,9-12 September 2015. This is an effort to build up a corps of our members who are qualified to teach Character Education. Out of a total of seventeen participants nine persons were qualified to receive the certificates.
It was quite intensive with sessions spanning from 9am to 5pm (sometimes 6pm) daily. FFWPU Nigeria HQ is about to launch a monthly cycle of Character Education classes which will be held every Saturday for children ages six to seventeen as a community service in the neighbourhood. The graduates from this teacher training workshop are ready to serve as educators.
The following reflections capture the general view of participants:
Godson: In the entirety of this workshop, I was able to realize the importance of character education in our morally degraded society. Going through the lessons from age nine to sixteen, I could see the critical need to communicate topics such as honesty, leadership, keeping promises and friendship, just to mention a few, to Nigerian children. Thankfully our character education takes a universal approach based on Divine Principle, with no limitation as to who can participate in and benefit from it.
I see that the facilitator should be able to understand the level of the audience in order to communicate well with them. He/she must be objective in judging and assessing issues in the lesson, sticking to and emphasizing the subject matter in the lesson. Students should come to the realization of the points being emphasized and relate to the instances in the lesson by voicing out their opinions. 
This way the students will acquire a change in attitude on the issues being discussed, thereby revising the cognitive, affective and behavioural components of their understanding. They will then acquire the resolve to become improved individuals with exemplary character.
This is what I gained through the simulated facilitation that I did and by watching other participants do the same.
Margaret: I saw that time management is of essence in bringing out the key points in a character education class. The participation of the audience in answering questions gives a clue to their understanding of the issues being discussed. Sharing of real life experiences by other participants enhanced my understanding of the topicsdiscussed and positioned me in a better stead in taking positive actions and exhibiting good character. It was well worth the time and effort.
Nathalie: The training was very inspiring. Although the content took us back to our pre-teen and teenage years, it revived in us a new life and new feelings. It reminded us of our mistakes as teenagers and those we make today as adults and as parents.
I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve as a resource person and I thank the True Parents of Heaven, Earth and Humankind for their grace. I pray sincerely for more wisdom to interact with people and deal with situations more effectively. My regards to all participants, without whom there would have been no workshop.