The Tribune

WHILE the world hopes for peace, Rotary International works to make it a reality by training the next generation of peace leaders.

The Rotary Clubs of the Bahamas are now recruiting for the Rotary Peace Fellowship, a programme that gives up to 100 fellows the opportunity to obtain professional development certificates or master’s degrees in Peace and Conflict Resolution.

Each year, Rotary - a humanitarian service organisation dedicated to world peace and understanding – selects individuals from around the world to receive fully funded academic fellowships at one of their peace centers. The fellowships cover tuition and fees, room and board, round-trip transportation and all internship/field study expenses.

So far, no Bahamians have passed through the programmes, something that the Rotary Clubs of the Bahamas are determined to rectify.

“There is an urgent need in our country to produce talented individuals who can play a role in mediating our future,” said Jason Robertson, President of the Rotary Club of East Nassau. “The Rotary Peace Fellowship Program is a great opportunity for Bahamians with a passion for peace to take their education to the next level.”

Launched in 2002, Rotary’s Peace Fellowship programme provides academic and practical training to prepare scholars for leadership roles in solving conflicts around the world. Fellows embark on one to two years of study to earn a masters-level degree or a three-month professional development certificate in peace and conflict studies at one of six Rotary Peace Centres at leading universities in Australia, England, Japan, Sweden, the United States and Thailand.

Khaleen Monaro, from Kingston, Jamaica, won a place in the inaugural programme and said of her experience: “I grew up in a community with strong gang-related activity, and one of the immediate benefits of the programme was understanding of and introduction to, a wide network of international actors who are also invested in the goal of ending violence, and identifying leaders and opportunities to bring about change.

“After I returned home I became Policy Manager for Serious and Organised Crime at the Ministry of National Security in Jamaica. I was able to work towards developing the policy framework to address the issues that directly impacted my community. One of my greatest achievements was working with other high level government officials, including the Permanent Secretary for National Security of The Bahamas, at the Inter-American Commission against Crime to identify the guns-for-drugs trade as a priority for the entire Caribbean region.

“I eventually left the Ministry of National Security to work directly with USAID, which allowed me to shift from high-level work to the community level. I administered a development programme, which included approving small grants to community organisations to promote economic opportunities and youth diversion from criminal activity; I worked with the police to improve their relations with the communities; I worked on the anti-corruption framework to hold officials accountable; I worked on improving security in schools. In summary, I made an indelible mark on communities in Jamaica, utilising the skills I learned from my fellowship and the network I was introduced to.

“The circumstances that made our communities as we see them today (violent, lacking in opportunities, etc) did not happen overnight; to change them now requires dedicated people and time. Change won’t happen overnight, but it will come. I returned home with a mind that was more open than when I had left, an understanding of the importance of respect for other cultures to human dignity, and an appreciation of learning from history in order to avoid repeating our mistakes. We need more Rotary Peace Fellowship candidates from the Caribbean.”

To learn more about the programme and eligibilty requirements, visit the Rotary Peace Centers website at www.rotary.org/rotarycenters and qualified applicants should also contact the Rotary Clubs of The Bahamas at rcobscholarships@gmail.com for more information. All applications must be received by April 15, 2016.

Rotary is an organisation of business and professional leaders united worldwide who provide humanitarian service and help to build goodwill and peace in the world. There are approximately 1.2 million Rotarians who are members of more than 34,000 Rotary clubs in over 200 countries.