Today, over 120 million people are displaced as a result of conflict, violence, persecution, and human rights violations. Half of them are children. We refuse to accept conflict as a way of life. Rotary projects provide training that fosters understanding and provides communities with the skills to resolve conflicts.
The Rotary District 5890 Peace Committee has been around for years. As one to the 7-Areas of Focus for Rotary International, the Peace Committee was established during a time of social and civil unrest in society. The Committee is a waypoint for Rotarians to come together and exchange ideas and examples of peace in all cultures and generations. Peace has also been a focal point for three years in a row as a Rotary International Presidential Initiative.
Recently the committee has grown to encompass pillars of peace such as Girl and Women Empowerment, Positive Mental Health, and anti Human trafficking. The foundation of the committee has been to foster healthy communication for the betterment of self and others. Please join us in promoting all of these initiatives throughout our district, the greater Houston Area, and the World.
Rotary’s Four Roles in Promoting Peace
Rotary and its members are:
- Practitioners: Our work fighting disease, providing clean water and sanitation, improving the health of mothers and children, supporting education, and growing local economies directly builds the optimal conditions for peaceful societies.
- Educators: Our Rotary Peace Centers have trained more than 1,800 peace fellows to become effective catalysts for peace through careers in government, education, and international organizations.
- Mediators: Our members have negotiated humanitarian ceasefires in areas of conflict to allow polio vaccinators to reach children who are at risk.
- Advocates: Our members have an integral role as respected, impartial participants during peace processes and in post-conflict reconstruction. We focus on creating communities and convening groups that are connected, inclusive, and resilient.
1. ROTARY DISTRICT 5890 PEACE COMMITTEE & SUBCOMMITTEES
Patrick Hauck, Peace Committee Chair
The Peace Committee focuses on promoting positive peace through the various committees, staying actively involved with the Rotary Action Group for Peace and Rotary Peace Fellowship, and collaborating with the United Nations Association –Houston Chapter.
I invite you to visit our Peace Subcommittee webpages:
- Girls & Women Empowerment Committee - Click here
- Positive Mental Health Committee - Coming Soon!
- Anti Human Trafficking Committee - Click here
- Refugee Task Force Committe - Coming Soon!
2. GIRLS & WOMEN EMPOWERMENT COMMITTEE
Sonya Heath and Karen Blakeman, Girls & Women Empowerment Subcommittee Co-Chairs
The Empowering Girls and Women Committee focuses on supporting girls and women as crucial step towards creating a more peaceful and stable society. When girls and women have equal access to education, healthcare, economic opportunities, and political participation, they can become leaders in their communities and work towards resolving conflicts peacefully.
3. POSITIVE MENTAL HEALTH COMMITTEE
Evelyn Traylor, Positive Mental Chair
The Positive Mental Health Committee, a subcommittee of our Peace Committee, plays an important role in promoting peace because individuals with positive mental health are more likely to be productive members of their communities and less likely to engage in violence or conflict.
4. ANTI HUMAN TRAFFICKING COMMITTEE
Deborah Brinen, Anti Human Trafficking Committee
The Anti Human Trafficking Committee, a subcommittee of our Peace Committee, is closely related to promoting peace because trafficking is a violation of human rights and a form of violence that undermines the stability and security of communities.
Every person has the right to live free of forced labor and exploitation. Our Task Force works to address this problem by identifying opportunities for Rotary, and partners, to engage and take action.
5. REFUGEE TASK FORCE SUBCOMMITTEE
Melissa Ramon, Refugee Task Force Subcommittee Chair
Each year, Rotary awards up to 100 fully funded fellowships for dedicated leaders from around the world to study at one of our peace centers.
Through academic training, practice, and global networking opportunities, the Rotary Peace Centers program develops the fellows into experienced and effective catalysts for peace. The 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 1,800 fellows. Many of them now serve as leaders at international organizations or have started their own foundations.
Choose the program that's right for you: Master's Degree Program or Professional Development Certificate Program. The 2026-27 academic year application will be available online in February 2025 - login to your My Rotary account required so please click here for how-to instructions. Candidates have between February and 15 May 15, 2025 to submit applications to The Rotary Foundation. Rotary endorsers must submit endorsements to The Rotary Foundation by 1 July. Find endorsement instructions.
Each year, The Rotary Foundation awards up to 50 fellowships for master’s degrees and 50 for certificate studies at premier universities.
- Master’s degree programs: Accepted candidates study peace and development issues with research-informed teaching and a diverse student body. The program lasts 15 to 24 months and includes a 2-3 month field study, which participants design themselves.
- Professional development certificate program: Experienced leaders gain practical tools for promoting peace and international development during an intensive, 3- month program, which includes 3 weeks of field study and peer learning opportunities with a diverse group.
Peace fellowship candidates must meet these requirements:
- Proficiency in English; a second language is strongly recommended
- Demonstrated commitment to international understanding and peace
- Excellent leadership skills
- Master’s degree applicants: minimum three years of related full-time work or volunteer experience, bachelor’s degree
- Certificate applicants: minimum five years of related full-time work or volunteer experience.
- Fellowship recipients may not study at a Rotary Peace Center in their home countries, other than candidates from Thailand, who may attend the center at Chulalongkorn University.
Where Rotary Peace Center alumni work
The Rotary Peace Centers program has a vision of sustainable peace: encompassing a network of peace builders and community leaders dedicated to preventing and resolving conflicts across the global community. The Rotary Peace Centers program empowers, educates, and increases the capacity of peace builders through rigorous academic training, practice, and global networking opportunities. Through this experience, Rotary Peace Fellows build the skills needed to act as leaders and catalysts for peace and conflict resolution both in their communities and around the globe.
Rotary Peace Centers
Master's Degree:
- Duke University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA (fact sheet)
- International Christian University, Tokyo, Japan (fact sheet)
- University of Bradford, Bradford, England (fact sheet)
- University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia (fact sheet)
- Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden (fact sheet)
Certificate Program:
Watch video below to hear Rotary Peace Scholars share their stories
7. ROTARY ACTION GROUP FOR PEACE
The worldwide interest in building a Rotarian peace coalition is significant and always growing. The need for a vehicle to provide centralized resources to Rotarians to plan and implement large-scale, community development and humanitarian service projects in the areas of war prevention, peacebuilding, peacekeeping and peacemaking is apparent.
As the international peace system is continually strengthening, the time is right for further Rotarian leadership and involvement on peace issues.
Globally, every community has a role to play in advancing world understanding, tolerance, empathy, goodwill and peace. Join our results-focused network to gain powerful ideas, in-depth knowledge and direct means for action that align with the Rotary mission and strategic plan. Together, we can be a major factor in affecting policies on peace.
NewGen Peacebuilders is a youth peace education program designed for high school and university students (14 to 25). It draws on principles of peace education familiar to Rotary Peace Fellows as well as best practices in peace and global education for youth. The program was designed by Rotary Peace Fellow Patricia Shafer (US) with collaboration and input from Rotary Peace Fellows Phill Gittins (UK), Carla Lineback (US) and Pranisa Ekachote (Thailand).
8. THE "BE THE HOPE" CELL PHONE APP - SUPPORTING SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING FOR SCHOOL STUDENTS EVERYWHERE!
The Be Hope App is a cell phone application that makes social and emotional learning (SEL) universally available to schools and students to support improved academic performance and to mitigate stress, depression, and behavioral problems. Unlike existing social and emotional learning methods, the application imposes almost no burden on teachers and supports students around the clock not only at school but also at home. Although SEL is always a highly desirable part of the school curriculum, support for it now is needed acutely in the wake of the covid crisis, which is leaving students isolated, stressed, prone to depression, and with poor academic focus.
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