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ROTARY BUILDS PEACE

Rotary believes that if concerned citizens work together to create peace locally, we can create lasting change globally.

Rotary Peace 2A HISTORY OF PEACEBUILDING

As a humanitarian organization, peace is a cornerstone of our mission. We see peace not as an abstract concept but as a living, dynamic expression of human development. By carrying out service projects and supporting peace fellowships and scholarships, our members take action to address the underlying causes of conflict, which include poverty, discrimination, ethnic tension, lack of access to education, and an unequal distribution of resources.

As early as 1934, we were encouraging conversations to build goodwill within and across cultures through our Institutes of International Understanding. The program brought together community leaders, prominent authors, economists, scientists, politicians, and commentators to discuss issues such as the economy, world peace, and scientific advances.

Rotary was present at the inception of the United Nations in 1945 and was one of only 42 organizations invited to serve as consultants to the U.S. delegation to the UN charter conference in San Francisco, California, USA. Throughout that process, Rotary members served as delegates, advisers, and consultants: guiding agendas, drafting resolutions, and helping resolve disputes between delegates.

Today Rotary holds the highest consultative status offered to a nongovernmental organization by the UN Economic and Social Council, which oversees many specialized UN agencies.

We launched the Rotary Peace Centers program in 1999 to train new generations of peacebuilders, and the inaugural class of Rotary Peace Fellows began their studies in 2002. The newest Rotary Peace Center, at Makerere University in Uganda, is our first in Africa. It offers a postgraduate certificate to peace and development leaders who are from or who have worked in Africa to address challenges in the region.

We approach the concept of peace with cohesion, inclusivity, and a broad scope that finds more ways for people to get involved.

Learn more about Rotary’s peacebuilding history.

ROTARY PEACE FELLOWSHIPS

Every year, Rotary selects some of the world’s brightest and most dedicated professionals to study at seven Rotary Peace Centers around the world. Our more than 1,400 program alumni work in over 115 countries and serve as leaders in governments and nongovernmental organizations, education and research, law enforcement and the military, as well as in international organizations dedicated to peace.

Up to 130 students per year receive fully funded fellowships to pursue studies in peace and development. The fellowships pay for tuition and fees, room and board, round-trip transportation, and all internship and field study expenses for either a master’s degree or a professional development certificate. The centers, hosted by premier universities around the world, provide customized studies and offer field-based learning opportunities.

Learn more about the Rotary Peace Centers.

AREA OF FOCUS: PEACEBUILDING AND CONFLICT PREVENTION

We refuse to accept conflict as a way of life. That’s why peacebuilding and conflict prevention is one of our causes. By carrying out service projects and by supporting our fellowships and scholarships, Rotary members take action to end conflict and create environments of peace.

GLOBAL GRANTS

Club and district projects that support education about and the practice of peacebuilding and conflict prevention around the world are eligible for global grants from The Rotary Foundation. Global grants support large international activities with sustainable, measurable outcomes in Rotary’s areas of focus.

The goals for promoting peace are to:

  • Enhance the individual and community capacity for transforming conflict and building peace
  • Educate and train community members in peace education, peace leadership, and conflict prevention and resolution
  • Provide services that promote and support the social integration of vulnerable populations
  • Improve dialogue and community dynamics regarding the use and management of shared resources
  • Support career-minded professionals seeking to pursue graduate-level studies related to peacebuilding and conflict prevention.

INSTITUTE FOR ECONOMICS AND PEACE

Rotary works with the Institute for Economics and Peace, a leader in the study of peace and conflict, to address the causes of conflict and create conditions that foster peace.

The partnership focuses on education and training about Positive Peace. While negative peace is usually defined as the absence of violence, Positive Peace looks at the underlying conditions that lead to more peaceful societies, including good governance, access to needed services, a sound business environment, and respect for human rights.

Club members and community leaders can use these resources:

  • The Rotary Positive Peace Academy, a free online course
  • A Positive Peace presentation and facilitation guide
  • Our Positive Peace in Action Guide to help support the creation of Positive Peace workshops

Learn more about Rotary’s partnership with IEP.

MEDIATORS BEYOND BORDERS INTERNATIONAL

Mediators Beyond Borders International (MBBI) works with clubs and districts on peacebuilding and mediation skills to build stronger, more stable communities

MBBI and Rotary have worked together to:

  • Reduce violence, strengthen the civil society, and hold people accountable through data and documentation in Indonesia
  • Save lives and heal indigenous communities from the stigma and trauma of sexual violence in Colombia
  • Develop regional groups of women as peacebuilders in South America, South East Asia, and West Africa
  • Develop regional groups of peacebuilders in South America, South Asia, and West Africa

MBBI’s Peace Conversation Facilitation program helps Rotarians handle difficult conversations in their clubs and communities. During this three-month program, Rotary members receive practical training to become peace facilitators and coaches. The members then help clubs organize discussions on topics such as interfaith conflict, homelessness, LGBTQ rights, human trafficking, and racial justice issues.

Learn more about Rotary’s partnership with MBBI.