Rotary Action Group For Peace

TO SERVE AS A RESOURCE TO ROTARIANS, ROTARY CLUBS AND DISTRICTS BY SUPPORTING THE PEACE WORK OF ROTARIANS WORLDWIDE.

ROTARY ACTION GROUP FOR PEACE (RAGFP) HAS INFORMED 4,067 RAGFP MEMBERS FROM 124 COUNTRIES ABOUT LOCAL AND GLOBAL PEACEBUILDING PROJECTS, ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS. RAGFP MEMBERS INCLUDE LEADING COMMUNITY LEADERS AND ARE PART OF VARIOUS PEACEBUILDING ORGANIZATIONS, ROTARY CLUBS AND ROTARY DISTRICTS WORLDWIDE. THE TOP THREE COUNTRIES REPRESENTED BY RAGFP MEMBERSHIP THIS YEAR ARE: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, CANADA AND HONG KONG. ROTARY ACTION GROUP FOR PEACE WAS ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN NUMEROUS ACTIVITIES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR TO PROMOTE PEACE AN UNDERSTANDING IN THE UNITED STATES AND THE WORLD. BELOW ARE SOME OF RAGFP SERVICE PROJECTS THAT TOOK PLACE DURING FISCAL 2021 - CONTIUNED ON SCHEDULE O.GLOBAL GRANT APPLICATIONS: DUE TO THE COVID PANDEMIC OPPORTUNITIES HAD GREATLY DIMINISHED WITH LOCKDOWN, WITH ROTARY CLUBS UTILIZING THEIR MONIES ON SUPPORTING PPE, FOODBANKS ETC. THE FIRST INVOLVED WAR CHILD AND A PROJECT TO EMPOWER YOUTH IN THE NORTHERN PART OF UGANDA (A DIFFICULT TROUBLED, CONFLICT AREA) TO RESEARCH COMMON PROBLEMS EXPERIENCED BY THE YOUTH. TO CANVASS THE YOUTH TO ESTABLISH SUCH ISSUES. TO LOBBY WITH RELEVANT ACTORS INVOLVED IN AND AROUND THE ISSUES AND TO BE GIVEN THE TOOLS FOR DIALOGUE AND POSSIBLE RESOLUTION TO THE ISSUES. THE PROJECT WAS CHAMPIONED BY PEACE FELLOW AMARDEEP KAINTH FROM THE UK. ALISON SUTHERLAND OF THE RAGFP ALSO PARTNERED IN THIS PROJECT AND WAS ABLE TO MAKE CONTACT WITH A ROTARY CLUB IN UGANDA AND SET UP MEETINGS TO ESTABLISH THEIR BEING THE HOST CLUB. SHE, THROUGH THIS CLUB AND A MEMBER BEING ON THE BOARD OF THE NEW MAKERERE PEACE CENTRE, ESTABLISHED A MEETING WITH MAKERERE PEACE CENTRE WITH A COMMITMENT FROM THEM TO PROVIDE THE MONITORING AND EVALUATION FOR THE PROJECT. SHE THEN APPROACHED HER DISTRICT IN SOUTHERN WALES TO SECURE THE FUNDING FOR THIS GLOBAL GRANT. UNFORTUNATELY, AGAIN DUE TO THE UNCERTAINTIES OF COVID, WHEREAS THE DISTRICT CONTINUITY TEAM AND DISTRICT COUNCIL SUPPORTED THIS, THE MEMBERS AT DISTRICT COUNCIL VOTED AGAINST SUCH SUPPORT. SHE CONTINUES TO SEEK FUNDING FOR THIS VERY WORTHY PROJECT. THE SECOND PROJECT FROM THE INCUBATOR WAS PRESENTED BY SPARSH AHUJA, AGAIN CHAMPIONED BY PF AMARDEEP KAINTH WITH COLLABORATION FROM ALISON SUTHERLAND. THE PROJECT USES ANIMATION AND DEALS WITH THE PARTITION BETWEEN INDIA AND PAKISTAN. IT DOES NOT COMMENT ON THE POLITICAL OR THE RIGHTS AND WRONGS. IT CONCENTRATES ON CLOSURE FOR THOSE WHO WERE VICTIMS OF THE PARTITION. THOSE WHO LONG TO SEE THEIR HOME VILLAGE AGAIN BUT KNOWING THAT IT IS VERY UNLIKELY OR EVEN IMPOSSIBLE. THE ANIMATION TAKES THEM ON A WALK THROUGH THEIR VILLAGE. IT RESULTS IN CLOSURE, WELL-BEING AND A RECONNECTION TO THEIR PAST. A THIRD PROJECT CAME OUT OF THE GENEVA INCUBATOR EDUCATION THEME FROM PEACE FELLOW PHIL GITTINS OF WORLD BEYOND WAR. AGAIN, ALISON SUTHERLAND IS IN COLLABORATION WITH PHIL IN ESTABLISHING THIS PROJECT. THE PROJECT CENTERS UPON PEACE EDUCATION FOR IMPACT AND TAKES TEN YOUTH (18 TO 30/35 YEARS) FROM TEN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES. EACH WITH A COUNTRY CO-COORDINATOR AND EACH WITH TWO ROTARIAN MENTORS. THEY UNDERTAKE A SIX-WEEK ONLINE TRAINING COVERING HEAD, HEART AND HANDS I.E. NEGATIVE, POSITIVE PEACE, SECURITY ETC., PERSONAL, INNER PEACE AND THEY IDENTIFY AN ISSUE WHICH THEY RESEARCH AND PLAN A RESPONSE (WITH THE HELP OF THEIR ROTARIAN MENTORS). IT IS THOUGHT THAT THIS PROJECT WILL NOT BE THE SUBJECT OF A GLOBAL GRANT IN THAT THE COST OF THIS PILOT PROGRAM WILL BE $200 PER STUDENT AND IT IS HOPED THAT ROTARIANS AND OTHERS WILL SPONSOR EITHER INDIVIDUALLY OR BY COUNTRY.WORLD BEYOND WAR: A SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAM ENTITLED PEACE EDUCATION FOR IMPACT. THIS TAKES TEN YOUTH FROM TEN COUNTRIES, WITH A COUNTRY COORDINATOR, AND TWO ROTARIAN MENTORS. IT IS A SIX-WEEK ONLINE COURSE WITH EIGHT WEEKS OF THE IDENTIFICATION OF AN ISSUE, RESEARCH, PLANNING FOR ADDRESSING THE ISSUE. THE ROTARIAN MENTORS ASSIST IN ALL OF THIS. FURTHER TRAINING IS PLANNED FOR PARTICIPANTS, COUNTRY COORDINATORS AND THE ROTARIAN MENTORS. A WORKSHOP WAS GIVEN THROUGH CHAT WITH THE CHAIR ON HOW TO SET UP A PEACEBUILDER CLUB, A DISTRICT PEACE COMMITTEE AND HOW TO BEGIN WITH PEACE PROJECTS. THE CHAT HAS BROUGHT ROTARIANS TOGETHER FROM THE USA, CANADA, AUSTRALIA, HONG KONG, TURKEY AND WALES. THEY HAVE PRODUCED A VIDEO ENTITLED SHAPING PEACE THROUGH MUSIC WHICH WAS PUT UP ON YOU TUBE ON 21ST OF SEPTEMBER, UN WORLD PEACE DAY. THIS HAS RESULTED IN THEM GROWING FROM TWO MEMBERS COMING ON THE CHAT TO THE FORMATION OF A DISTRICT PEACE COMMITTEE WITH THE CHAIR BEING A PDG AND FOUNDATION CHAIR. GLOBAL CONFERENCES FOR PEACE: STARTING IN MARCH WITH COVID HAS DEVELOPED INTO THE FORMATION OF A HONG KONG CHAPTER OF THE ROTARY ACTION GROUP FOR PEACE. IT HAS RESULTED IN A GLOBAL MULTI DISTRICT CONFERENCE, TRAINING EVENTS AND THE PROMOTION AND GROWTH OF PEACEBUILDER CLUBS TOGETHER WITH ENCOURAGING ROTARIANS TO TAKE THE TRAINING ON THE PEACE ACADEMY. IN ADDITION TO THE ABOVE, ALISON SUTHERLAND HAS BEEN INVOLVED FROM THE BEGINNING IN THE FORMATION OF INTERACTIVE QUARANTINE AND HAS ATTENDED AND ASSISTED AT THEIR MONTHLY MEETINGS. THESE DAILY CHATS HAVE ALSO RESULTED IN A GROWTH OF PEACEBUILDER CLUBS, APPOINTMENT OF PEACE CHAIRS/DIRECTORS, GROWTH OF DISTRICT PEACE CONFERENCES. FROM THE ABOVE THERE HAVE BEEN MANY TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED BY THE PARTICIPANTS, EACH AN EXPERT IN HIS FIELD. I.E. EVERY ROTARIAN/ROTARACTOR IS A PEACEBUILDER, DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION, ANGER MANAGEMENT, NON VIOLENT COMMUNICATION, THE INNER OUTWARD MINDSET, HOW TO SET UP A PEACEBUILDER CLUB AND WHAT TO DO NEXT, DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS. THE TOGETHER FOR PEACE TALKS HAVE CONTINUED FROM THE ONSET OF COVID, HOSTED BY PEACE FELLOW AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, REEM GHUNAIM. THE MONTHLY TALKS HAVE HOSTED VERY NOTABLE SPEAKERS AND PROVIDED OPPORTUNITIES FOR MEMBERS NOT ONLY TO BE MADE MORE AWARE OF THE ISSUES, BUT OF THE POSSIBILITIES OF PARTICIPATION AND SUPPORT OF SUCH PROJECTS. IT TOO HAS BEEN A GOOD PLATFORM TO SPOTLIGHT SOME OF THE WORK OF THE ROTARY PEACE FELLOWS. THE PEACEBUILDER CLUB PROGRAM: THE RAGFP PEACEBUILDER CLUB PROGRAM IS AN ONGOING FLAGSHIP INITIATIVE OF THE RAG. RAGFP PB CLUBS ARE A ROTARIAN MOVEMENT DESIGNED TO ENHANCE ROTARY'S MISSION OF "ADVANCING WORLD UNDERSTANDING, GOODWILL AND PEACE" THROUGH THE PROMOTION OF PROGRAMS THAT ALIGN WITH RI'S SEVEN AREAS OF FOCUS, PARTICULARLY PEACE. ALL RAG PB CLUBS ASSEMBLE PEACE COMMITTEES WHO MEET REGULARLY TO DISCUSS HOW THEIR ROTARY CLUB CAN ENGAGE IN PEACE PROJECTS THAT BUILD AND SUSTAIN POSITIVE PEACE. THE GLOBAL NETWORK OF PB CLUBS HAS GROWN TO OVER 300 CLUBS DURING THE 2020-2021 ROTARY YEAR. THE RAGFP MONITORS THE GROWTH OF THE PB CLUBS PROGRAM THROUGH THE PEACEBUILDER CLUB MAP. THE PEACEBUILDER CLUB MAP CREATES A DATA POINT ON A WORLD MAP FOR EACH REGISTERED RAGFP PB CLUB, DEMONSTRATING THE PROGRAM'S GROWTH AND IMPACT AROUND THE GLOBE. THIS MAP PROVIDES THE BASIC INFORMATION FOR ROTARIANS, RAGFP MEMBERS AND OTHER RAGFP PB CLUBS TO CONNECT, COLLABORATE AND SUPPORT PEACE INITIATIVES GLOBALLY. TO DATE, BOTH THE TOGETHER FOR PEACE AND MORE SO, THE CHATS WITH THE CHAIR, HAVE PROVED VALUABLE TOOLS FOR ENHANCING THE GROWTH AND DEPTH OF ENGAGEMENT OF PB CLUBS.GENEVA PEACE INCUBATOR WORKSHOPS WERE HELD AND CO-HOSTED/COLLABORATED WITH ALISON SUTHERLAND. THESE PROJECTS WERE RELATING TO A PROJECT IN NORTHERN UGANDA WITH WAR CHILD, EMPOWERING YOUTH TO IDENTIFY ISSUES AFFECTING THEMSELVES. TO LOBBY THE RELEVANT ACTORS AROUND THE ISSUE AND TO DRAW UP AN ACTION PLAN FOR ADDRESSING THE ISSUE. TOGETHER FOR PEACE - ONE APP. THE TOGETHER FOR PEACE WEBINAR SERIES HELPS ROTARIANS AND PEACEBUILDERS LEARN MORE INTIMATELY ABOUT NEW INITIATIVES, PERSPECTIVES, AND STRATEGIES FOR PEACEBUILDING. THE WEBINAR SERIES FACILITATES RELATIONSHIPS WITH CORPORATIONS THAT ROTARIANS CAN PARTNER, SUPPORT, AND COLLABORATE WITH TO TAKE ACTION ON A VARIETY OF PEACEBUILDING INITIATIVES.