Secreted in the depths of the vast organisation that is The Rotary Foundation (TRF) is a (regrettably little promoted) effort to foster peace and world understanding: The Peace & Conflict Resolution scholars. One of seven universities worldwide that host these courses, fully sponsored by TRF, is located at the Unversity of Queensland, St Lucia Campus.
Last Saturday, the annual Rotary Peace Fellows seminar took place there. Ray Higgs, a former District Chair of the District 9640 committee and I attended the shindig. Titled 'Fostering Peace - leave no one behind', after some rather formal "feel good" introductions by various dignitaries, we enjoyed the presentation of the scholars. So you thought "scholar" equals "young student" or "crusty academic"? Got news for you. Just two examples: there was a former member of parliament of the US State of Montana (MT), Jennifer Eck (2nd from left), who after six years in politics decided to get deeper into conflict resolution. Or a Marine Corps executive officer of the US Fleet Anti Terrorism Team, Nicholas Millward (1st left), who lived with the nomads of Mongolia (yes, the country stuck right in-between China and Russia). They don't come much more interesting than that.
We plan to go again next year (if we are invited) - let us know if you'd like to join. Or we might organise a "big event" where we invite some of the scholars to speak at a combined club meeting. Are you in it?