Rotary District 5160

 

Peace & Conflict Resolution

September 2007

Dear District 5160 Rotarians and Potential Peace Fellowship Applicants:

Rotary has two peace and conflict programs with the goal of continuing to build worldwide talent and promote greater tolerance, cooperation among peoples and world understanding and peace. Two relatively new Rotary programs - a 3-month course and a 2-year program - are described in more detail below. If you have any questions, please contact the District Chair or go to www.rotary.org.

1.

The Rotary Peace and Conflict Studies Program was established to provide professionals from around the world the opportunity to be trained in conflict resolution and mediation strategies and to become better equipped to help prevent and resolve conflict, as well as foster policies and create settings that ensure peace worldwide. Offered in English, the program is aimed at mid- to upper-level professionals in governments, nongovernmental organizations, and private corporations. This is an intensive three-month course housed at the newly established Rotary Center for Peace and Conflict Studies at Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand. Two sessions per year with 30 participants in each focus on both academic learning and practical fieldwork components.

2.

Efforts to achieve national and international peace continue to be thwarted by war, famine, poverty, and disease around the world. The Rotary Centers for International Studies Program is a major educational priority of the Rotary Foundation and a bold and critical step to world peace, goodwill, and understanding. The Rotary Centers will provide future leaders with opportunities to study the root causes of conflict, theories of international relations, and effective models of cooperation. Beyond academics, Rotary Fellows will gain practical tools in conflict resolution for use in their chosen careers. The six Rotary World Peace and Conflict Resolution Program centers are associated with these seven university partners:

  • Duke University and The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA (both universities jointly host one Rotary Center)
  • International Christian University, Tokyo, Japan
  • Universidad del Salvador, Buenos Aires, Argentina
  • University of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England
  • University of California, Berkeley
  • The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Qualifications: Rotary World Peace Fellows are chosen based on their ability to have a significant, positive impact on world peace and conflict resolution during their future careers. Fellows are potential leaders who will promote national and international cooperation, peace, and the successful resolution of conflict throughout their lives, in their careers, and through service activities. Students may not attend a school located in their home country. Persons with disabilities and members of Rotaract clubs are eligible and encouraged to apply.

Applicants for the Rotary World Peace Fellowships must have:

  • Training, academic background, and work experience in a relevant field for a master's-level program at the Rotary Center university partners
  • Minimum of three years combined paid or unpaid full-time work experience in a relevant field
  • Proficiency in more than one language
  • Excellent leadership skills
  • A demonstrated commitment to peace and international understanding through their professional and academic achievements and/or personal and community service activities

As the Rotary District 5160 peace fellow chair for 2007/8, these are my three goals:

  • Host Counselors and Program Support: District 5160 is one of the five districts that provides support to the center at UC Berkeley. We have a great team this year (2007-8) serving as host counselors to four students: Mary Alice Rathbun and Pate Thomson, Skip McCowan, Don Farquharson and Tony Akins. Many thanks to our host counselors for taking the time to get to know and provide support and encouragement for peace fellows.
  • Selection of District Nominee: The district committee reviews candidates' applications forwarded by clubs in Spring of 2008. The committee will select up to one person to nominate to Rotary Foundation before the deadline of July 1, 2008. Deadline for clubs to submit applications of already-interviewed candidates is June 1, 2008. [recruitment tips to clubs for finding candidates].
  • Awareness via Education: Rotarians and others may become more familiar with Rotary peace and conflict programs in a number of ways. At the spring seminar at UC Berkeley (April 19, 2008) we will experience the wealth of the talents at this center. Outreach materials to share with clubs and, as possible, arranging speaking to clubs about the program, are also key to raising program awareness. (Please contact the district chair if you're interested in peace fellow speaking settings.) Program brochures and other materials will be distributed at district leadership and foundation events and on request by clubs. The Rotary Centers Peace Net newsletter sign up page is now on the new and improved RI web site. Interested Rotarians should click here for more details on how to subscribe. Click here for peace fellow graduate information and profiles.

To learn more about the qualifications, graduates of the program, the centers, and to obtain the full application, please go to Rotary's website (www.rotary.org). Feel free to contact the District Chair directly for more program information: Susan Cohen Grossman (cell 707 319-1053, Davis Rotary Club on most Mondays at noon, e-mail: susancg@pacbell.net).

All that Rotary does aims toward peace in the world. Thank you to each Rotarian in District 5160 for your interest and support of Rotary's peace building work.