Rotary Working for Peace

Peace and Conflict Prevention/Resolution is a top priority for members of Rotary and one of the organisation's seven Areas of Focus.


The UNHCR estimate that nearly 80 million people worldwide have been forced to flee their homes because of War and Conflict- around half are children. 80% of the world’s displaced people ended up in countries or territories affected by acute food insecurity and malnutrition. Rotary cannot resolve this global tragedy on its own, but what we can do is make a difference by sponsoring Peace Projects. Members also pursue projects to address the underlying structural causes of conflict, including poverty, inequality, ethnic tension, lack of access to education, and unequal distribution of resources.

Rotary works in different ways to develop peace globally and locally by bringing people together so they can engage in dialogue helping to develop better understanding of each other’s concerns, also exchange of ideas and experiences. Rotary does this through supporting the education of Rotary Scholars and Peace Fellowships. The Scholars and Peace Fellows normal go on to work in International and local organisation who are working for peace. Rotary also supports local projects in various community groups. We also provide grants to encourage project and activities in our District. Rotary is an International organisation which enable Rotarians to think globally but act locally through the network of clubs.  


Peace Fellowships

Each year, Rotary selects up to 130 individuals from around the world to receive fully funded academic fellowships at one of our peace centers. These fellowships cover tuition and fees, room and board, round-trip transportation, and all internship and field-study expenses. In just over a decade, the Rotary Peace Centers have trained more than 900 fellows for careers in peace building. Many of them go on to serve as leaders in national governments, NGOs, the military, law enforcement, and international organizations like the United Nations and World Bank.

Each year, Rotary awards up to 50 Masters Degree Fellowships for 15-24 months study at one of five premier universities throughout the world, and up to 80 Professional Development Certificates for those working in peace-related fields who want to enhance their professional skills through a shorter 3 month study programme at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand or Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda.

Read more about the Peace Fellows supported by our Rotary District.

Read more about the application process for Peace Fellowships.


Thames Valley District Working for Peace

Local clubs have been helped through Peace Grants and we encourage clubs to apply for district grants to help with their projects. The page on local projects includes details of youth counselling projects to help young people deal with victimisation and threats. Clubs help young people who have literacy problems train and help them to find jobs, which helps them to avoid a life of crime and violence. Clubs have created Peace Gardens and help bereaved families. Many of the clubs support refugees and groups that support people who have been victims of domestic violence and abuse, while others support mediation and community groups. 

We also support the Peace Advocates Project. This is an initiative led by Rotarians in Scotland and supported by Rotary in Great Britain and Ireland. We have one school working on this project in district so far. 

Download the leaflets to read more about the project. 

Peace Project information sheet

Peace Project trifold leaflet

We look forward to reporting on the local school project soon.

  

Peace, Conflict Resolution and Prevention play an important part of the work of Rotary Clubs in the Thames Valley.  


updated September 2022

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Rotary Working for Peace pages:

Penny's Corner Peace Garden

District Peace Grants

more grants available to Rotary Clubs across our district, for local peace projects

Rotary in the Thames Valley Supporting Peace Fellows

more Rotarians across our Rotary district have an opportunity to support Peace Fellowships, funded in full by the Rotary Foundation

Our Past Rotary Peace Fellows

more we have supported a total of four Peace Fellows over the last few years

Apply for a Rotary Peace Fellowship

more information for those interested in applying for a Rotary Peace Fellowship

The Oxford Concert for Peace with the World Orchestra for Peace

more The World Orchestra for Peace played at the Sheldonian Theatre in Oxford on 21st September 2019

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