By Rotary International

The team of Leadership Retreat Peace Fellows

By Lucas Wolf (and the team of Leadership Retreat Peace Fellows)

On the southern coast of Sri Lanka, there is a special place just north of Galle where the waves crash over the rocks after their long journey across the Indian Ocean.

The rains arrive in the early evening to inundate the verdant, tropical lands. This was the setting for the second Rotary Peace Fellow Leadership Retreat from 7-9 March, attended by 10 former Rotary Peace Fellows and one gifted facilitator from Northern Ireland, Susan McEwen. We arrived from all corners of the globe, including Juba, Mindanao, Nicaragua, Somaliland, Kurdistan, London, Ottawa, Nigeria, and Sri Lanka itself.

McEwen is the Head of Programs at the prestigious Corrymeela Community, Northern Ireland’s oldest peace and reconciliation organization. Along with two of the peace fellows, she designed the retreat to highlight the importance of reflective practice, echoing the works and teachings of John Paul Lederach. It also incorporated the unique ethos and experience of Corrymeela and the dedication to service and peace inherent in Rotary’s philosophy.

Reflective practice is designed to allow practitioners to dig deeper into their own perspectives, observations, and experiences, while also taking time to listen carefully to …read more

Source:: Rotary International Blog

By Rotary International

By Christina Welch, Rotary Scholar to UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education

As I pedaled my newly acquired bicycle through the streets of Delft, in the Netherlands, I realized I was smiling to myself. Navigating through the cobblestone streets and over the canals felt nothing like home, yet I was so grateful to be here.

This bicycle is on loan from Paul Gompen, a fellow Rotary member. I didn’t realize being a beneficiary of the global grant meant so much more than simply a scholarship. It became immediately clear upon my arrival that I am now a part of an international network of wonderful people that are willing to help in whatever way they can, at the drop of a hat. For example, when I arrived in the Netherlands after a long international flight, it was such a relief to find Henk Jaap Kloosterman, my host counselor, waiting in the airport to ease the transition into Dutch culture.

I am among the first class of graduate students in the newly created Water Cooperation and Peace master’s program. This joint program takes place in three leading international institutions: University for Peace in Costa Rica, UNESCO-IHE in the Netherlands, and Oregon State University in Oregon, USA. …read more

Source:: Rotary International Blog

By Rotary International

By Evan Burrell

Did you know Baby Boomers are the fastest growing demographic on Facebook?

This doesn’t surprise me at all! I think there’s this myth that anyone over 50 is technically inept, but I’m not buying it. Perhaps some “seniors” might not be as technically savvy as the younger generation. But I don’t think all of them are clueless when it comes to new technology or social media.

Facebook and other social networks have enabled Boomers to get in touch with long-lost friends and relatives, as well as see pictures of their grandchildren. If they can use social media for a few family happy snaps, it’s not that far a stretch to get your older members over their initial fear or discomfort with social media, and to start thinking about using the tools in an even more beneficial way for your club.

Quick and painless
Social media provides a powerful and accessible tool for highlighting causes and acting on issues, and for this reason it’s perfect for reaching potential members.

You can use social media to organize events, communicate with the public, and showcase your achievements as a club. You can quickly and painlessly make a wider audience aware of the good work your club …read more

Source:: Rotary International Blog

By Rotary International

By Evan Burrell

Did you know Baby Boomers are the fastest growing demographic on Facebook?

This doesn’t surprise me at all! I think there’s this myth that anyone over 50 is technically inept, but I’m not buying it. Perhaps some “seniors” might not be as technically savvy as the younger generation. But I don’t think all of them are clueless when it comes to new technology or social media.

Facebook and other social networks have enabled Boomers to get in touch with long-lost friends and relatives, as well as see pictures of their grandchildren. If they can use social media for a few family happy snaps, it’s not that far a stretch to get your older members over their initial fear or discomfort with social media, and to start thinking about using the tools in an even more beneficial way for your club.

Quick and painless
Social media provides a powerful and accessible tool for highlighting causes and acting on issues, and for this reason it’s perfect for reaching potential members.

You can use social media to organize events, communicate with the public, and showcase your achievements as a club. You can quickly and painlessly make a wider audience aware of the good work your club …read more

Source:: Rotary International Blog

By Rotary International

Mark Flanigan (back row third from right) with Ambassador Motohide Yoshikawa during a program for ICU students in New York City in July.

By Mark Flanigan, Program Director, Japan ICU Foundation, and a 2010-12 Rotary Peace Fellow at ICU, Tokyo

When I arrived at International Christian University (ICU) in Tokyo as a new Rotary Peace Fellow in the summer of 2010, I had no idea it would be the beginning of an ongoing relationship with both the University and Rotary.

I had lived in Japan before through the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program and as a U.S. Army veteran, and was happy to return almost a decade later, thanks to Rotary.

2011 tsunami
My initial peace fellow research focused on Japan’s role in UN Peacekeeping, but changed after the terrible triple-disaster on 11 March, 2011. I volunteered in the disaster recovery efforts in northeast Japan and shifted the focus of my work on Japan’s contributions to both domestic and international disaster response. My thesis analyzed how Japan’s civilian and military agencies coordinated with international partners during earthquakes in Sumatra in 2005, Haiti in 2010, and Japan in 2011. I found that Japan improved its response times, search and rescue capabilities, and collaboration each time.

I …read more

Source:: Rotary International Blog

By Rotary International

Mark Flanigan (back row third from right) with Ambassador Motohide Yoshikawa during a program for ICU students in New York City in July.

By Mark Flanigan, Program Director, Japan ICU Foundation, and a 2010-12 Rotary Peace Fellow at ICU, Tokyo

When I arrived at International Christian University (ICU) in Tokyo as a new Rotary Peace Fellow in the summer of 2010, I had no idea it would be the beginning of an ongoing relationship with both the University and Rotary.

I had lived in Japan before through the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program and as a U.S. Army veteran, and was happy to return almost a decade later, thanks to Rotary.

2011 tsunami
My initial peace fellow research focused on Japan’s role in UN Peacekeeping, but changed after the terrible triple-disaster on 11 March, 2011. I volunteered in the disaster recovery efforts in northeast Japan and shifted the focus of my work on Japan’s contributions to both domestic and international disaster response. My thesis analyzed how Japan’s civilian and military agencies coordinated with international partners during earthquakes in Sumatra in 2005, Haiti in 2010, and Japan in 2011. I found that Japan improved its response times, search and rescue capabilities, and collaboration each time.

I …read more

Source:: Rotary International Blog