Angela Peabody is the Executive Director and Founder of Global Woman P.E.A.C.E. Foundation, a 501c3 organization founded on the principles of eliminating violence and injustices against women and girls. After a celebrated career as a Television Broadcast Journalist in Liberia, and Special Press Secretary to the country’s first woman Minister of Agriculture, Angela immigrated to the United States, following the bloody and brutal coup d’etat in her native Liberia. She developed the passion as an advocate for women and girls against injustices and violence after her sister was beaten to death by her husband. The first Liberian woman to ever pen and publish a full-length novel, Angela is now an accomplished and award-winning author. Her literary work includes the novels, Exiled – within the Bowels of American Society (published 2001) and When the Games Froze (published 2014). She also co-authored the biography of Sarian Bouma; Welfare to Millionaire (published 2004). The proceeds from her second novel were donated to help build a school in Liberia, The Hope Academy, where both girls and boys would learn about the risks of violence against children. 

Since then, Angela has authored two children’s books and a training manual about Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). She recently served on a special committee with the Council of the Great City Schools to research, compile and write an educational toolkit on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) to be used by teachers, nurses and school counselors in school districts throughout the U.S.  In 2014, Angela and Global Woman P.E.A.C.E. Foundation made history when they held the first Walk To End FGM in the U.S, which has become a popular annual event in Washington, D.C. 

WALK TO END Female Genital Mutilation

 SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2019

Pre-Walk Program: 12:00 Noon 

National Sylvan Theater

Washington Memorial Drive, SW

Washington, D.C. 20024

5K Walk-A-thon Starts: 1:30 pm 

Walk Route: Begin at the Sylvan Theater and we will walk to the Lincoln Memorial and back to the Sylvan Theater.

PLEASE JOIN US!

GLOBAL WOMAN P.E.A.C.E. FOUNDATION 



Global Woman P.E.A.C.E. Foundation (GWPF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Established in January 2010, GWPF was founded on the principles of ending injustices and violence against women and girls. 

Funds raised from the Walk To End FGM and the Global Woman Awards will fund the “Lisa C. Bruch Scholarship Fund” to help educate girls in West Africa who have experienced female genital mutilation (FGM), or are at risk of it. Funds will also support our “Survivor Resettlement Program,” “Wholesome Organic Relief Program” and the “Kids Reach Shield Program.” 

The Lisa C. Bruch Scholarship Fund is named in memory of the late Lisa Bruch, who passed away in December 2018. Lisa was a GWPF Board Advisor and a devout supporter and donor of GWPF’s programs. She donated an annual percentage of her income until her demise. 

The Survivor Resettlement Program assists FGM survivors with asylum application, legal representation, résumé compilation, cover letter, personal reference, relocation and job-hunting. 

The Wholesome Organic Relief Program helps to rehabilitate FGM survivors through psychological counseling, vaginal restorative surgery and physical therapy. 

The Kids Reach Shield Program is our preventive program, which trains US law enforcement, school nurses associations, teachers associations, students and the community in FGM. 

Hobey Ford’s Golden Rod Puppets

Winner of puppetry's highest honor, the UNIMA Citation of Excellence, and recipient of three Jim Henson Foundation grants, Hobey Ford is known for excellence in puppetry performance and craft. 

Hobey's intricate shadow puppetry work and creation of the original rod puppets, the "Foamies", have earned him a place on stages across the world. Hobey's performances incorporate a variety of puppetry styles including Bunraku, rod, marionettes, "Foamies", and shadow puppetry. Hobey adapts folk tales from various cultures for many of his performances, always adding a special "Golden Rod" twist. He uses his own voice to create characters and sound effects, tell stories, and sing. 

Hobey utilizes his artistic study at The State University of New York at Purchase and the University of North Carolina at Asheville to design and construct all of his Golden Rod Puppets and the beautiful sets that surround them. Hobey also draws on his early experiences growing up in coastal Connecticut or living in a Nevada Native American community in writing the scripts for some of his performances such as "Whale Walker" and "Turtle Island Tales".  

Hobey is considered both an innovator in puppetry craft and a master storyteller. He has created both the "Foamies" and the clever hand puppet known as "Peepers". The "Foamies" are large animal puppets carved from blocks of foam. After studying each animal's characteristic movements, Hobey designs various control mechanisms to make the puppets themselves move in a life-like manner. The "Foamies" are presented using both stage and house performance space.

Hobey tours a variety of shows for educational performances and family concerts including: World Tales – puppetry techniques and stories from around the world; Animalia – the beautiful story of the animal world, ecology, metamorphosis, and animals who are endangered; Turtle Island Tales – Native American stories with moving scenery and exquisite shadow puppetry.

Hobey’s production Migration is a sequel to the popular Animalia. Migration is the story of Beatriz, a young girl who travels with her family from their home in Mexico to work the harvest in Maine. The story of Beatriz’ journey is juxtaposed with the stories of other animals that migrate: Monarch Butterflies, polar bears, the Godwit bird and the Sperm Whale.   These extremely realistic puppets are performed behind a thin circular theatrical scrim onto which is projected Hobey’s original artwork.  The puppets appear to be performing within the video projections on a hypnotic dance between the puppeteer, puppets and original artistic scenery.

Hobey’s latest production, Sea Song,  is about a city boy, addicted to video games is sent to at a remote beach house with his grandmother far from any internet.  There the boy discovers the wonder of sea turtles and nature.

In conjunction with The Kennedy Center's Partnership In Education program, Hobey provides teacher workshops in puppetry across the country: "Telling Folktales With Shadow Puppetry", “The Magic of Peepers Puppets: Exploring Writing Through Puppetry” and "From Larvae to Butterfly: Metamorphosis Through Puppetry".

Sherry Wilde was living an idyllic life until 1987 when her community experienced a UFO flap that was considered one of the most active in the world. No one could have ever guessed the unbelievable turn of events that would occur over the next 18 to 24 months as Sherry was forced to accept her involvement in a phenomenon that was totally unknown to her. It was astonishing to this pragmatic and level-headed woman of 37 when faced with the undisputable evidence that she was experiencing contact with extra-terrestrial beings. It almost pushed her over the edge to learn her contact had been ongoing for her entire life . Sherry spent the next several years of her life trying to exonerate the experience from her mind and ignoring the occasional visits. But when heavy contact started again in late 2009, after several years of peace, she could no longer ignore it. Inexplicably, she found herself writing a book about the experiences as her memory opened up to the past events and the teachings these beings had imparted to her. Overcoming her fear and learning the truth of her involvement became her life goal. She now accepts the truth of these encounters and has cooperative contact on a regular basis with the beings she calls "her guys".

Jackson Tisdell (B. Pod, M. APodA, SMA, ASCA)

Jackson graduated with a Bachelor of Podiatry in 2017 and has been exclusively in the field of musculoskeletal and sports podiatry at Forster Tuncurry Sports Podiatry ever since. As a junior athlete he succumbed to numerous lower limb injuries, and uses his personal experiences to fuel his passion for injury prevention and rehabilitation.

Jackson has extensive experience working with junior and senior athletes at all stages of the injury process- from acute on field management, treatment in the clinic, and further into rehabilitation and improving sports performance.

Jackson is an advocate for a pro-active approach to injury, and aims to bridge the gap between the clinical setting and the return to sport/exercise. He believes that a thorough biomechanical assessment and individually tailored rehab program is the key to achieving the best results.

He is also passionate about raising awareness and the standard of podiatrists as the lower limb specialists, regularly taking on podiatry students and presenting at events/seminars, as well as being active on various social media platforms.

About Nicholas Despotidis, OD, FAAO, FCOVD

Dr. Despotidis and his wife Teresa have two sons, Nicholas and Gregory. It was his children’s need for eyeglasses at very young ages that sparked his passion to investigate and address the growing number of children requiring eyeglasses. He is a pioneer in the use of corneal reshaping contact lenses, which are used to slow down or prevent deterioration in the eyesight of children and young adults. He’s the lead author of the book, “My Children Are Nearsighted Too.” (www.MyChildrenAreNearsightedToo.com) Dr. Despotidis graduated with honors from The State College of Optometry in New York and later completed a residency in Vision Therapy/Pediatric Vision. He has published papers in optometric journals and is a frequent lecturer. Among his many honors is the distinguished Barnes-Hind Award for Excellence in Contact Lens Fitting. Dr. Despotidis is a Fellow in the American Academy of Optometry (FAAO), Orthokeratology Academy of America (FOAA) and is a Board Certified Fellow in Vision Therapy (FCOVD) with the College of Optometrists in Vision Development.