The Rotary Action Group for Peace was founded approximately 13 years ago, making slow and steady progress towards its mission of ‘engagement, education, empower’.
The past two years have been very exciting, following the launch of the Peacebuilder Club initiative in 2018 – which is an essential call to action for Rotarian peacebuilders, designed to enhance Rotary International’s mission of, “advancing world understanding, goodwill and peace” through the promotion of programs and projects that align with our organization’s Seven Areas of Focus and, in particular, the first: Peace, Conflict Prevention and Conflict Resolution.
The idea is that each Rotary club has at least two Rotarians sitting on a peace committee in the club, just like Foundation or Membership.
These Rotarians are then members of the Rotary Action Group for Peace (RAGFP). They help the club to see the areas of peace it is already doing, and educate themselves, as well as fellow Rotarians within their club and district, around the area of peace.
To this end, they can access training on the Peace Academy, check out the ‘eight pillars of peace’ – as posted on the Institute for Economics and Peace website – and take part in training.
The 2020-2021 year started with around 50 Peacebuilder clubs, with numbers now exceeding 270 registered RAGFP Peacebuilder Clubs worldwide. One of the surprising, and perhaps few, positives to have come out of the COVID-19 pandemic has been the growth of Peacebuilder clubs, probably as a result of the surge of online and virtual events.
As chair of RAGFP, Alison Sutherland has been hosting ‘Chat with the Chair’ several nights per week, which has attracted Rotarians, Peacebuilder clubs and fledgling RAGFP chapters. The chats have inspired, encouraged, and helped Rotarians to share ideas and projects.
The latest initiative, country-based chapters, stem from a conversation Alison had with Walter Gyger at the Rotary International Convention in Hamburg back in 2019.
Country-based chapters can be likened to a holding company with regional offices, which are culturally relevant to their area and, most importantly, they represent the unique issues of that area. They work together to formulate a strategic plan, while simultaneously adhering to the mission and strategic plan of the holding company.
To date, there are four chapters piloting this concept in Switzerland, Serbia, Germany and Hong Kong. Each chapter has achieved much to date.
Hong Kong has brought in over 70 new members to RAGFP and 30 new Peacebuilder clubs. Some 65 Rotarians have taken the Peace Academy training. They hosted a Multi District Conference with Peter Kyle and Alison as keynote speakers, and they are currently undertaking a series of training sessions.
A striking outcome for the Switzerland Chapter is the Geneva Project Incubator. This brings together over 50 Peace Fellows, 100 Rotarians and other organizations, each working together on the various aspects of peace projects. At the end of the event, it is anticipated there will be 40 global grants ready for sponsorship and implementation.
Not only have the chapters achieved much, but other participants have made great strides for peace.
Some Rotarians are working with Karim Wasfi, a renowned cellist and conductor from Iraq.
They produced a video of Karim and the orchestras which he has set up in the war-torn areas of Iraq for World Peace Day.
Rotarians from Turkey came on the chat for advice with how to put on a conference around Gallipoli and ANZAC Day in November 2020. RAGFP connected them with Peace Fellows, speakers and panelists.
“It has been a privilege to see this group grow in stature. They have a global grant for peace as the outcome of their conference,” Alison said.
RAGFP has also recognized the changed status of Rotaract, hosting an online meeting of Rotaractors from over 20 countries. Rotaractors decided they wanted to put on a virtual Global Peace Conference. This they did in October 2020, with then Rotary International President Holger Knaack as keynote speaker.
Another conference was held in December 2020 for Europe and Africa, and a third conference for Oceania/Australasia Rotaractors.
RAGFP reduced its membership fees for Rotaractors during September and October 2020. Rotarians sponsored groups of 20 Rotaractors. Now, over 350 Rotaractors have been brought into RAGFP.
Much support has been offered to clubs, with many speaking engagements.
Reem Ghunaim, RAGFP’s past executive director, has been holding ‘Together for Peace’ talks with a varied and distinguished list of guests.
What about the future? RAGFP exists to conduct its mission to ‘engage, educate and empower’ Rotarians and others in the area of peace.
“We may not have all of the answers, or all the resources, but we know where to get them and how we can connect,” Alison said.
For more information, visit rotaryactiongroupforpeace.org
Building peace, club by club
WHY PEACE?
During Past Rotary International President Ian Riseley’s term in office, a number of peace summits were held around the world. The last one was the Toronto Peace Summit, held just before the 2018 Toronto Convention. It was around this time that Rotary International partnered with the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) to promote peace.
During Past Rotary International President Ian Riseley’s term in office, a number of peace summits were held around the world. The last one was the Toronto Peace Summit, held just before the 2018 Toronto Convention. It was around this time that Rotary International partnered with the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) to promote peace.
IEP’s research identified the building block of peace: the eight Pillars of Positive Peace, which complement Rotary’s seven Areas of Focus – Promoting Peace, Fighting Disease, Providing Clean Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, Saving Mothers and Children, Supporting Education, Growing Local Economies, and, from July this year, Supporting the Environment.
What this really means is that every project Rotary has ever done has either directly or indirectly helped build peace in the communities in which Rotary operates. What’s more, every Rotarian is a peacebuilder, whether we realize it or not. You may not be a soldier, a negotiator, a diplomat or a mediator; but if you are a Rotarian, then you are also a peacebuilder, because you are helping bring peace to your community through Rotary projects.
WHAT IS A PEACEBUILDER CLUB?
The Rotary Action Group for Peace (RAGFP) created Peacebuilder Clubs – Rotary clubs that have indicated an interest in peace projects and promoting peace in their communities. It is easy to become a Peacebuilder Club. All you need is to have a Peacebuilding Committee in your club with at least two members, educate your members about peace, and have at least one peace project per year. There is no cost to being a Peacebuilder Club and the process is simple – just complete and email a one-page application form to RAGFP. You can find all the information you need at www.rotarianactiongroupforpeace.org.
There are currently several Peacebuilder Clubs in District 7030, including: Rotary Club of Maraval, Rotary Club of Penal and Rotary Club of Central Port of Spain.
WHY BECOME A PEACEBUILDER CLUB?
Becoming a Peacebuilder Club may help reinvigorate your members by showing them a different perspective of what the club is about. Being a Peacebuilder Club may also help with attracting new members. In these challenging times, peace is a precious commodity and peace may attract a broader audience. Peace is a universal concept that is generally positive – everyone wants peace, even if our definitions of the concept may differ. Peace is a great conversation starter with a potential Rotarian and as a Peacebuilder Club, you will literally ‘put your club on the map’; the Peacebuilder Club map is online and you can see all the Peacebuilder Clubs around the world.
WHAT PEACE PROJECTS CAN YOU DO?
Every project your club is doing are already helping to build peace. However, there are peace-specific projects you may like to consider.
At a personal level
- Rotary Positive Peace Academy – The first thing you can do (and highly recommended) is to complete the online course Rotary Positive Peace Academy. The course was specifically developed by IEP for Rotarians. It is very informative and gives you an excellent context around peace. Access the free course at rotarypositivepeace.org.
- IEP Ambassadors – Once you have completed the Rotary Positive Peace Academy and would like to help spread the message of peace to more people, you might consider becoming an IEP Ambassador. There are currently over 1500 IEP Ambassadors around the world. This is a great way to learn more about peace and help spread the message that we can all help build a more peaceful world. Find out more at ambassadors.economicsandpeace.org.
- RAGFP Speakers Bureau – Become a member of the Speakers’ Bureau For Peace to support Rotary clubs and districts interested in learning more about peacebuilding and seeking speakers’ on this subject. Application forms are available here
As a club
- Recruit Peace Fellows – This is arguably the original Rotary peace project. Help identify future peace fellows and nominate them. There is no cost to your club, and you will help train the next generation of peacebuilders.
- Partner with Peace Fellows – Find a Peace Fellow near you and invite them as speaker to your club meetings and perhaps partner with them to develop your own peace project. You can find some Peace Fellows at rpfaa.org/online-speaker-database.
- Peace Pole Project – This is an easy and inexpensive project. All you need to do is find a local school and get them to agree to erect a peace pole within the school, purchase the peace pole (US $250 or less, depending on postage), then have a ceremony with the kids and encourage them to celebrate the International Day of Peace on September 21. For more details, visit rotaryactiongroupforpeace.org/map-a-peace-pole.
- International Day of Peace (September 21) – Celebrate International Day of Peace with your community in a way that suits you. Partner with a local group such as a school, council, or sports group. Anything that raises awareness for peace is a good thing.
- Peace Workshops – You can organize a peace workshop with the help of IEP which can supply facilitators and course content, while your club does the rest. There are many opportunities for peace workshops both in-person and online.
- Hold a peace conference or forum – Organize a peace conference or forum among clubs in the district and share ideas for peace.
- Engage Interact and Rotaract clubs – Share ideas about peace with your local and regional Interact and Rotaract clubs. Maybe set up a club if there isn’t one?
- District Peacebuilding Committee – Join or assist the District Peacebuilding Committee and help promote Peacebuilder Clubs in the district. The more Peacebuilder Clubs we have, the more projects we can do together.