Tuesday February 23rd, 2021 at 6:30pm 
 
WORLD UNDERSTANDING AND PEACE PROGRAM
 
This event will support Rotary’s Awareness Theme for the month of February, that of PEACE & CONFLICT RESOLUTION.
One of the evening presenters will be Rebecca Crall, Area of Focus Manager at RI for Peace & Conflict Resolution.  Rebecca will give us an overview of Rotary’s involvement in Peace issues, why it’s important, and why it is one of the 7-Areas of Focus.  Our second presenter will be Shannon O’Rourke Kasali.  Shannon was a Rotary Cultural Ambassadorial Scholar in 2007, and was a Rotary Peace Fellow in 2016.  She will share her story, her history with expanding literacy, creating libraries and how this has promoted Peace & Conflict Resolution in areas such as the Democratic Republic of Congo.
 
 
There is another initiative with a representative right here in New England mentioned on Page 1 of the February 2021 issue of Rotary, our newly named magazine.  Called the Rotarian Peace Projects Incubator (RPPI), it’s a collaboration of Rotarians, Peace Fellows and more.  Led by Rotarians in Europe, our local volunteer is Professor emeritus at Worcester State University in Worcester, Massachusetts, and co-director of the Center for Social Innovation, Matthew Johnsen.  Last but not least, Matthew is an alumni of the Rotary Peace Center at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand.  He is someone we will want to put on our radar, perhaps as a speaker.  RPPI has designed 48 global peace projects that any club can support.  More at https://www.rppi.ch/
 
 
This is the perfect time to promote the fully-funded Rotary Peace Fellowship, which covers tuition and living expenses.  The Fellowship increases the capacity of existing leaders to prevent and resolve conflict by offering academic training, field experience, and professional networking.  Up to 130 fellows are selected every year in a globally competitive process based on personal, academic, and professional achievements.  Fellows earn either a master’s degree or a certificate in peace and development studies at one of the seven Rotary Peace Centers, located at leading universities around the world.
 
If you know someone who might be a good candidate for this fellowship, please submit a referral form with their name and email address. Rotary will contact them with information on how to apply. https://rotary.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cP8EInvsT3toZOB