Rotary helps foster peace and understanding through education

EVANSTON , Ill. USA (Sept. 21, 2010) – While ceasefires and non-violence between nations are hallmarks of the United Nation’s annual International Day of Peace (Sept. 21) it’s also about bringing peace into our homes, communities and schools.  

Rotary clubs always have embraced this call for peace at the grass-roots level by addressing the underlying causes of conflict and violence through thousands of community-based service projects around the world. “Since 1905, Rotary clubs have worked locally and internationally to make the world a better and more peaceful place one person, one family, one community at a time,” said Carl-Wilhelm Stenhammar, chair of The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International.

Rotary also takes a direct approach to world understanding by providing future leaders with the tools they need to “wage peace” on the global stage with its innovative Rotary Peace Centers program. Launched in 2002, Rotary awards up to 100 full scholarships each year for master’s-level degrees or a professional certificate in peace and conflict studies at six Rotary Peace Centers located at:

• University of Bradford, United Kingdom
• University of Queensland, Australia
• International Christian University, Japan
• Universidad del Salvador, Argentina
• Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA
• Chulalongkorn University, Thailand, (an intensive, three-month course for mid-level professionals in government, nongovernment organizations, and international industry)

“As more than 20 major conflicts are currently being waged this year alone, the world needs more peace makers skilled in the arts of conflict resolution,” said Stenhammar.  “We now have 516 Rotary Peace fellow alumni who already are making a difference in key decision-making positions in governments and organizations around the world.”

Those interested in the program can apply through local Rotary clubs.  Applications for the 2012-13 class will be available for download from the Rotary website in January 2011, and are due to The Rotary Foundation by 1 July 2011. Qualified applicants must possess an undergraduate degree, have a minimum three years of professional experience at international agencies, government and non-governmental organizations, businesses or academic institutions; and demonstrate a commitment to peace and international understanding through their volunteer, academic, and professional achievements.

“The Rotary peace fellowship has given me a platform that enables me to dedicate myself to the important challenge of international conflict prevention and peace-building in the future,” said Richelieu Allison, regional director of the West African Youth Network, who completed the professional development certificate program at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, in its 2006 inaugural class.

Other Rotary Peace Fellow alumni of note:

• Kouame Remi Oussou, Ivory Coast, earned his master’s degree at the Rotary Peace Center at International Christian University, 2007-2009.  He is now a monitoring and evaluation officer in the Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR) for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Bangui, Central African Republic.
• Brigitta von Messling, Germany, earned her master’s degree from the University of Bradford in 2004– 2006.  Since 2006, she has been working as mediation project manager in Kosovo for CSS Project for Integrative Mediation, a non-profit organization that is working on improving interethnic relations in conflict areas.

• Dilshad Jaff, Iraq, earned his professional development certificate from Chulalongkorn University in January 2009.  He works with an international medical team of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and trains Iraqi surgeons to treat war victims and those suffering major trauma in Sulaimaniah.

• William Payne, Canada, earned his master’s degree at the Rotary Peace Center at Universidad del Salvador in 2003-05.  He is a member of the International Council of Peace Brigades International and focuses on emergency response.  He is also a Reserve Corps member with Christian Peacemaker Teams, and has previously led delegations to advocate for peace in rural villages experiencing violence in Colombia.

• Path Heang, Cambodia, earned his master’s degree at the Rotary Peace Center at the University of Queensland in 2002-04. Currently, he works as a Youth and Adolescent Development Specialist for UNICEF in Phonm Penh, where he promotes youth and adolescent participation in the country's development and poverty reduction efforts.