Of the 60 million people displaced by armed conflict or persecution, 90% are civilians. Half of those civilians are children. These are the millions of reasons why Rotary is so engaged in service projects, fellowships and other Rotary-sponsored campaigns in pursuit of peace in our world.
How Rotary makes help happen: We train adults and young leaders to prevent and mediate conflict. We aid refugees who have fled dangerous areas. Rotarians also address the underlying structural causes of conflict by relieving millions of people suffering from poverty, inequality, ethnic tensions, lack of access to education and unequal distribution of resources.
Annually, up to one hundred Rotary Peace Fellows are selected to attend Rotary Peace Centers to participate in master's degree programs at one of the partner universities.
The Rotary Peace Centers program enables peace fellows to pursue a master’s degree or professional development certificate in international studies, peace studies, conflict resolution, or a related field. Rotary Peace Fellowships pay for transportation, tuition, qualified internships, room and board, and related expenses.
The Rotary Foundation has integrated all of its peace education initiatives. Rotary’s World Peace Fellowships for master’s degree and professional development certificate study have been consolidated into one program. This change allows applicants to apply simultaneously for both options by including all seven Rotary Centers below in their preferred options:
- Rotary Center at Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand (professional development certificate)
- Rotary Center at Duke University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA (master’s degree)
- Rotary Center at International Christian University, Tokyo, Japan (master’s degree)
- Rotary Center at the University of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England (master’s degree)
- Rotary Center at Uppsala University, Sweden (master’s degree program)
- Rotary Center at the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia (master’s degree)
Rotary Peace Fellows study subjects related to the root causes of conflict and explore innovative solutions that address real-world needs. There are now more than one thousand peace fellowship alumni working in over one hundred countries.