Report on Club Presentation Monday evening 17 Feb 2020
 
Peace Scholars. Peace is not an abstract, but the cornerstone of our mission as a humanitarian Organisation
 
Our guest speaker for last Monday was Ana Galvez, a Rotary Peace Scholar. Ana is a human rights advocate, with wide experience in Argentina, Israel/Palestine and Australia. Currently she works for the Asylum Seekers Resource Centre Melbourne, and previously worked with Interplast, as their Rotary Co-ordinator.
 
The DG, Rosanne Kava, in her monthly newsletter on the 13th of February, wrote re this Peacebuilding and Conflict Resolution month. 
As you may be aware The Rotary Foundation's mission to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace, was proclaimed more than 100 years ago, in 1917. 
Rotary's goal of worldwide peace and tolerance has resulted in Rotary conducting global forums, hosting international peace symposiums, advancing peace through its 60-year collaboration with the UN, as well as grassroots initiatives such as the Rotarian Action Group for Peace
 
But Rotary's most significant effort to wage peace is the Rotary Peace Centers program, established in 2002. Each year, the program trains some of the world's most dedicated and brightest professionals, preparing them to promote national and international cooperation and to resolve conflict. They include graduates of a two-year master's degree program and a three-month professional certificate program at Rotary's partner universities. 
Today, more than 900 peace fellows are applying their expertise in various fields. They're settling border conflicts in West Africa, developing aid programs at the World Bank, drafting legislation to protect exploited children in Brazil, providing security for U.S. diplomats, and many other career paths devoted to peace. 
So what can you do? 
 
Think about supporting a Peace Scholar nomination; or getting your Club involved in a project that promotes peace; or learning more about the Rotarian Action Group for Peace or the Rotary Peace Centres.  You could also attend District Conference in Swan Hill as we will have a couple of amazing speakers on this subject.

 
So, it was a happy circumstance that brought Ana to our meeting. DGE Philip Beasley was amongst a large club attendance to find out more about Peace Scholars.
Ana graduated with a BA from ANU (Canberra) in Political Studies. The Rotary Foundation awarded her a Peace Fellowship where she obtained her MA in Peace and Conflict Studies in 2009 at the International Christian University in Tokyo. This is one of seven Rotary Peace Centres in the world.
There is another Peace Centre in Queensland University. Peace Centres aim to provide the knowledge and practical skills the students need to understand and engage in conflict analysis and resolution, peacekeeping and peacebuilding.
 
 
In a nutshell the Rotary Foundation awards up to 130 peace fellowships each year,
50 Master’s degrees, 15-24 months, with a three-month field study.
80 Certificates in Peace Studies 12 months
 
Peace scholars often serve as leaders in diverse community rights organisations.

 
Ana chaired a session at the Peace Symposium at the
Rotary International Congress in Hamburg last year.
The lead speaker was Dr Denis Mukwege, the first
Congolese to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize 2018
for his endeavours to end the use of sexual violence
as a weapon of war and armed conflict,"
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Dr Denis Mukwege, Nobel Peace Prize 2018 with three Rotary Peace Scholars at the RIC Peace Symposium in Hamburg 2019

 
 
DGE Phil was enthusiastic for the District to sponsor a Peace Fellow. Peacebuilder Districts support the Rotary Peace Centres by allocating a minimum of US$25,000 annually in DDF donations. To maintain their Peacebuilder District standing, districts donate $25,000 every year thereafter. I believe DGE Phil will pursue this initiative, and I believe our club should be involved as well.
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