A MESSAGE FROM RF TRUSTEE CHAIR

For many years, Rotarians dreamed of building a university devoted to promoting peace. The bricks and mortar part of that dream proved impossible, but Rotarians weren't swayed from their mission. Instead, they developed the Rotary Centers for International Studies in peace and conflict resolution - what I believe has become a virtual university that unites the program's students and graduates through the Internet.

When current and past Rotary World Peace Fellows gathered at a symposium in Salt Lake City in June, many met in person for the first time. But despite having attended universities around the globe, a number of them had already become friends and colleagues via e-mail, blogs, and Web pages. Their Rotary World Peace Fellowships had brought them together and greatly expanded their contacts among fellow peacemakers. Like students at any university, they took and are continuing to take the opportunity to learn from each other and to collectively solve conflict.

Our peace fellows have shown us that we don't need a building with lecture halls and desks to achieve our dream. They're also proving that an attachment to a program can be as strong as a connection to a place. In Salt Lake City, two of our graduates made pledges of financial support to help ensure the continuation of a program they believe to be so valuable.

Today, about 225 graduates of Rotary peace programs are working to address the causes and results of conflict. Each year, 50 more will join them in their efforts, and the network created by our virtual peace university will continue to expand.

Robert S. Scott
Trustee Chair, The Rotary Foundation, 2007-08