Vol. 2 No. 8

March 2008
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Letter from the Rotary Foundation:

Dear Rotary Centers community,
In late January, the Rotary Peace and Conflict Studies Selection Committee met in
Evanston, Illinois, USA, to choose the next 20 participants to study at Chulalongkorn
University in Bangkok, Thailand. Applications for this intensive 10-week program
 were up by 30 percent from the last selection period, six months ago. The committee
chose a class that is as impressive as it is diverse, comprising citizens of 14
countries, including Myanmar and Iraq, who represent six professional fields. 57
 percent of the applications were from Africa, and 80 percent are citizens of low-income
countries.
Though we now describe the members of this class only by these impressive statistics,
we'll soon learn more and be able to tell their stories in words rather than numbers.
Their experiences will resonate throughout the Rotary world and beyond when they
 return to their countries and workplaces with an understanding of the causes of
 conflict, practice in mediation techniques, and lessons from field trips and group
interactions.
The cumulative effect of this and all Rotary Centers programs is remarkable. We
eagerly await the next set of applications!
Peace to all,
Judy Gibson
Department Manager
Rotary Centers for International Studies in peace and conflict resolution
The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International

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Colin Spurway featured in Rotary World
The January issue of Rotary World features an
article about Rotary World Peace Fellow Colin Spurway (University of
Queensland, 2003-05) and his work in southern Kyrgyzstan, where he leads a peace-building
program. Colin is a Mercy Corps community mobilization and community-based conflict
resolution specialist.

Rotary World - January - page 5 (6 of 8)

Upcoming peace conferences in France and Canada

French, Canadian, and U.S. Rotarians will host international peace conferences in March
and April.

The Peace Is Possible International Conference, slated for 28-29 March in Cannes, France,
will include RI President Wilfrid J. Wilkinson as a featured speaker as well as
a panel of alumni from the Rotary Centers.

RI President Wilkinson will also travel to Windsor, Ontario, Canada,
to participate in a joint Canada/U.S. Rotary World Peace Summit, 25-27 April. Again,
a panel of Rotary Centers alumni will be among the program highlights. Learn more
Rotary World Peace Summit

Rotary Center alumna Jeanette Kroes addresses incoming Rotary leaders

Rotary World Peace Fellow Jeanette Kroes (Sciences Po, 2003-05) addressed an audience
of incoming Rotary leaders at Rotary's International Assembly in San Diego, California,
USA, in January.
After describing her experiences as a Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholar
and Rotary World Peace Fellow and explaining how these programs influenced her
current work with Interpol, she earned a standing ovation from Rotarians and
guests. Jeanette noted, "My experiences as a Rotary World
Peace Fellow and this current opportunity to partake, through even modest
efforts, in the promotion of peace and human security through the activities of
Interpol and the United Nations have allowed me to expand my understanding of
what peace and global security truly require: a holistic and coordinated
approach."

She also thanked Rotarians:"The Rotary Foundation and
Rotarians all over the world -be it through scholarships or
heartfelt words of encouragement -have played such a tremendous role
in getting me to where I am today."
International Assembly Speech Book

New class of Rotary World Peace Fellows announced

The Rotary Foundation has announced its seventh class of Rotary World Peace Fellows. Read
the announcement here World Peace Fellows

Alumni celebration

The Rotary Alumni Celebration, the first official preconvention
event tailored to Foundation alumni, will include special activities, notable
speakers, and social gatherings for alumni and friends. Slated for 13-14 June,
it will be an opportunity to reconnect with Rotary, learn about its service
opportunities and ways to get involved, and celebrate Foundation experiences
and achievements. Alumni can book dorm rooms in the Rotaract block at the
University of Southern California.

Learn more about this event http://www.rotary.org/RIdocuments/en_pdf/c08_brochure.pdf

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On the move
Send us your news and photos

Have you recently published a book or an article? Have you just changed jobs or moved to
a new city? We would love to hear about it! By sharing your successes, we can update Rotarians
on peace fellows' activities and inspire current students and alumni.

Bring your unique experiences as a Rotary World Peace Fellow to our attention by
submitting updates and photos for possible use in Rotary publications. We
welcome any action-oriented images of you at school or work, with your host
Rotarians, or in your host community. Send your news and photos to Alumni Relations
Coordinator Mike Pfriem (michael.pfriem@rotary.org [mailto:michael.pfriem@rotary.org]).

We encourage all of our alumni and friends to stay connected, especially those in
the same line of work or geographical area. Here are some of our most recent
alumni updates:

Steven Abels(ICU 03-05) recently took a
position as the assistant director for compliance at Duke
University in Durham, North Carolina, USA.

Ayca Atay(Bradford
05-07) is the project manager for an Istanbul-based nongovernmental
organization. The group runs a news site that focuses on rights journalism,
provides training for local journalists, and publishes books about the field.

Leah Aylward(Queensland
05-07) received a scholarship to pursue a doctorate at the University of Queensland.

Stephanie Borsboom(Duke/UNC 05-07) accepted a
one-year contract with the World Bank to continue her work in Nepal.

Carys Hughes(ICU 05-07) is an executive
assistant in the internal audit department of UBS bank in Zurich.

Saran Koy(Chulalongkorn January 07) will soon
begin work in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, with EveryChild, a
nongovernmental organization.

Cory McCruden(Bradford 05-07) is pursuing a doctorate
in political science at Yale University in New
Haven, Connecticut, USA.

Godfrey Mukalazi(Queensland
04-06) is living in Uganda,
where he is establishing a peace center concentrating on research, preventive
diplomacy, and peace-building in the Great Lakes region of Africa.

Olga Nesterova(Duke/UNC 05-07) was recently
married in New York City.
She and her husband will soon move to Johannesburg,
South Africa.

Robert Opira(Queensland
05-07) is based in Gulu, Uganda, where he works with
internally displaced people.

Saeed Rid(UC Berkeley 04-06) took a position
as lecturer with the National Institute of Pakistan Studies at Quaid-i-Azam University
in Islamabad.

Syeda Uddin(Sciences Po 02-04) is living in Pretoria, South
Africa, where she is an economic officer for
the U.S. State Department's Foreign Service program.

Juan Esteban Ugarriza(Duke/UNC 05-07) works as a
researcher with Externado University of Colombia in Bogotá.

Leah
Aylward after graduation from the University
of Queensland, with
classmates Robert Opira and Mayumi
Futamura
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Call for applicants

The Rotary Centers for International Studies in peace and conflict resolution and the Rotary Peace and
Conflict Studies Program seek applications for their next sessions. Districts
must submit completed applications to The Rotary Foundation no later than 1
July. Find applications and information on the Rotary Centers            

Newsletter pdf

And don't forget about the recruitment race for alumni and current students! Fellows and
alumni can win a free trip to the 2009 RI Convention in Birmingham, England,
and to the second Rotary World Peace Symposium by being the top applicant recruiter
for 2009-11 Rotary World Peace Fellowships. Make sure the candidates write in
your name when they state how they learned about the program on their
applications. In October, we'll tally the recruiters' names and announce the
winner. Start recruiting now!

Applied field experiences
The Rotary Centers are always looking for more applied field experience
opportunities for peace fellows. If your organization may have summer
internships available, please contact Rotary Centers Fellowships Supervisor Espen
Malmberg (espen.malmberg@rotary.org [mailto:espen.malmberg@rotary.org]).

The fourth class of Rotary World Peace Fellows is currently investigating possible applied field
experiences. To assist them, the Rotary Centers offer a database of opportunities.
Compiled by alumni and sent to all Rotary Centers directors, it includes
roughly 170 institutions involved in peace and conflict resolution. Fellows
should contact their Rotary Center specialists for more information.

Secure Web site for students and alumni is up and running

Alumni and current participants in the Rotary World Peace
Fellowships and Rotary Peace and Conflict Studies programs now have a Web page
devoted exclusively to them. The password-protected, secure site offers forums
for alumni and students to share job opportunities, news, opinions, links to
photos and blogs, and other information. This site is available only to peace
program students and alumni, who should have received their usernames and
passwords via e-mail. If you have not received your username or password,
please contact Alumni Relations
Coordinator Mike Pfriem (michael.pfriem@rotary.org [mailto:michael.pfriem@rotary.org]).
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