Our program today was presented by Jane Mason. She provided an overview of Rotary International's Peace Centers, and we watched two short videos about the Peace Centers.
Jane started her presentation by sharing that she attended two Rotary International Conventions 1 in Chicago and 1 in Montreal. One talk she saw was about the Peace Centers by a young man from Cypress so much that she purchased the DVD of his speech. This presentation reminds her that Rotary through its Peace Centers continues to advance our understanding of conflict and how we can work to move to a more peaceful world.
Marios Antoniou earned his Masters in Educational Leadership from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill after receiving a Rotary World Peace Fellowship, and a BA in Science of Education from the University of Cyprus. He also holds a diploma in Conflict Resolution and International Development from the Duke-UNC Rotary Peace Center. Coming from Cyprus, a divided island in an ongoing conflict, he developed an interest in exploring ethnically and historically created conflicts. Beyond his academic work, his interest in Peace Education is reflected through his work in several NGOs in Cyprus where he volunteered and worked towards bringing peace on the island.
Rotary’s Four Roles in Promoting Peace: As Rotarians, We Are
Practitioners:
Our work fighting disease, providing clean water and sanitation, improving the health of mothers and children, supporting education, and growing local economies directly builds the optimal conditions for peaceful societies.
Educators:
Our Rotary Peace Centers have trained over 1,300 peace fellows to become effective catalysts for peace through careers in government, education, and international organizations.
Mediators:
Our members have negotiated humanitarian ceasefires in areas of conflict to allow polio vaccinators to reach children who are at risk.
Advocates:
Our members have an integral role as respected, impartial participants during peace processes and in post-conflict reconstruction. We focus on creating communities and convening groups that are connected, inclusive, and resilient.
Rotary Peace Centers
There are 6 Rotary Peace Centers around the world hosted by 7 universities.
- Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Duke University/University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- International Christian University, Tokyo, Japan
- Universidad del Salvador, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- University of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England
- University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Rotary Peace Fellowships
Each year, Rotary awards up to 130 fully funded fellowships for dedicated leaders from around the world to study at one of these peace centers. The fellowship is designed for leaders with work experience in peace and development.
Peace Center Alumni Are from Everywhere!
[Video] – Rotary Promotes Peace (about 1:35)
A single act of good can go a long way. Actions speak loud and clear. We commit to peace and justice around the world. Unite communities around a common purpose. Reduce violence and build trust. Invest in people to thrive and be resilient. Give a platform for people to speak for themselves. We have the power to change the world.
[Video] – Rotary Peace Fellowship 2014 - testimonials (about 10:00)
- Lamonte Adams – showed me what people experience internationally every day.
- Bridget Brehen – surrounded me with wonderful people with whom I work and share; renewed my commitment to social justice and human rights work in Guatemala
- Stephen Ekka - Leanrd from my colleagues
- Turid Reksten – “The Strangest Dream” she sang!!
- Erin Boyle -= one fo the greatest experiences in my life.
- Ondiecki - We can add value, make a difference. Our message is unity
- Iona Probst –
- Caroina Sheinfield - Not only the content but livning in another country, realized how important for immigrants to be received in the country they reach. She will work in Los Angeles.
- Margareth Micolchiek - Looking at justice on a global scale – conflict, building communities, peace-making
- Antonio Palzuelos - Life changing. Working in southeast Asia.
- Sudarat Tuntivivat
- Many other testimonials about the worth of the experience of being a peace scholar.
- Greatest gift was the connections I was able to make, the lecturers adding to my knowledge base.
- Martine Miller – fellows bring passion to the program and will bring it back to their work
Rotary Peace Center Guide (on ClubRunner)