There are many pathways to peace, and in Rotary, we are fortunate to have Rotary Peace Fellows who demonstrate this truth time and again.
Each year, Rotary awards up to 130 fellowships for leaders around the world to study peace and development, and what these peace fellows learn prepares them to work in conflict prevention and resolution and promote Positive Peace. Here are a few examples of the creative ways peace fellows advance peace:
Promoting sustainability
Alejandra Rueda-Zarate combined her Rotary Peace Fellowship in peace and conflict resolution with her master’s degree in energy and resources to support her dream of protecting the Colombian countryside.
She founded the organization NES Naturaleza in 2011 to help farmers in Colombia and across rural Latin America gain access to knowledge and training to uphold sustainable farming standards. That support has improved the lives of nearly 4,500 farmers, inspiring many of them to become entrepreneurs. And it’s helped promote both natural and social sustainability throughout Latin America.
Ending racism
Peace fellows Geoffrey Diesel and Kathy Doherty have applied their fellowships in peace and development studies toward co-founding the Racial Equity Project, a subcommittee of Rotary Positive Peace Activators in North America committed to studying ways to create a more peaceful society through anti-racism efforts.
The Racial Equity Project takes a deep look into how the eight Pillars of Positive Peace could support efforts to address racism, and it works to spread this message to communities across North America. The organization initially grew from Rotary’s strategic partnership with the Institute for Economics and Peace, a global think tank dedicated to promoting Positive Peace.
Managing disasters using data
Through a Rotary Peace Fellowship, Jamie LeSueur earned a master’s degree in social science within peace and conflict research. He now leads emergency operations for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, setting a management and operational framework for agency collaboration in emergency response situations.
Jamie has found that research data is a powerful tool to bring calm to the complex world of disaster response. No matter what an organization’s protocols might entail, letting research be the foundation for decision making helps clarify even the most complicated emergencies.
These stories — and hundreds like them — show how Rotary is creating a generation of leaders ready and able to build peace worldwide. Nearly 1,800 peace fellows have graduated from Rotary Peace Centers, and they are applying their craft in more than 140 countries.
May the continuing work of peace fellows and the Rotary members who support them inspire you to continue to Create Hope in the World through service, fundraising, and creative thinking.
Rotary Theme for March
The WASH Rotary Action Group (WASH-RAG) supports and ensures sustainable, long-lasting, clean water, sanitation, and hygiene programs to communities in need. In 2007, WASH-RAG was formed to help local Rotary and Rotaract clubs find international projects and global partners, ensuring sustainability by providing technical advice through WASH-RAG’s in-house Professional Resources team, and offering additional funding for WASH project proposals approved for Global Grant funding from The Rotary Foundation. Special teams are assigned to help prepare grant applications, conduct community assessments, and develop plans to monitor and evaluate WASH projects.
Additionally, WASH-RAG Ambassadors serve as WASH champions in Rotary districts across the globe. They offer their technical expertise and support to help clubs plan and implement impactful projects. Anyone who wants to share their expertise or learn how to make a positive difference can join!
WASH-RAG encourages a holistic, integrated approach in which water is not the end in itself but is the means to a better life and livelihood in the community. Therefore, the WASH Rotary Action Group links water and sanitation to improved hygiene, health, empowerment of the community (especially of women), irrigation and agriculture, education and literacy and, ultimately, reduction of child mortality.
Since 2014, the Rotary Foundation has invested in over 2,000 water, sanitation, and hygiene projects. It is estimated that it only takes US$24 to provide one person with safe water.
Rotary Service in the Community
Community Service is the opportunity Rotary clubs have to implement club projects and activities that improve life in the local community. Every Rotary club and every Rotarian assumes a responsibility to find ways to improve the quality of life for those in their communities and to serve the public interest. When Rotary is viewed as a positive force in the community, its membership strengthens and grows, adding to the organization's ability to serve worldwide.
Edmonton's Food Bank
Teamwork makes the dream work! Rotarians and Rotaractors giving their time to volunteer at the Food Bank. We sorted food, built hampers and had fun. Together we are People of Action helping our community!
Edmonton West Rotarians and MacEwan Rotaractors
Hope Mission
Edmonton West Rotarians spent a Sunday morning in one of our favourite places to volunteer. The fantastic kitchen staff always keep us busy preparing food.
Our members then helped to serve a warm and nutritious meal to hundreds of people. Hope begins with a meal. They provide two meals a day, and shelter, aiming to prevent the cycle of poverty for those lives broken by addiction.
Edmonton West Curlers
The Rotary Club of Spruce Grove hosted the 61st Rotary District Bonspiel and they welcomed members from other Rotary Clubs which are made up of amazing individuals who want to serve and make a significant impact on their communities. Teams came from Rotary Clubs in Alberta, British Columbia, Yellowknife, and the Northwest Territories.
Is that a trophy I see before them?
MacEwan University Rotaract Club
It is often said that Rotaractors are our future, that they’re the leaders of tomorrow.
Rotaractors are not future leaders, they are leaders of the present.
Rotary needs Rotaract to enhance its diversity, and relevancy and fulfil its commitments to the five avenues of service.
We are very proud of our MacEwan Rotaractors and what they have achieved so far this year.
Rotary Club of Belize and the Canadian partners including the Rotary Club of Edmonton, Rotary Club of Sherwood, Rotaract Club of McEwan University, and Emmanuel Foundation inaugurated a playground at the YWCA to Enhance Education and Community Engagement.
These enthusiastic Rotaractors spent an evening volunteering at the Edmonton Food Bank. Well done to you!
The name “Rotaract” is a blend of the words “Rotary” and “action.” The unofficial Rotaract motto is Fellowship Through Service. MacEwan Rotaractors certainly live up to those words. Here they are volunteering at the Hope Mission.
Northern Lights Rotaract Club
Chelsea Letwin, a former member of the MacEwan University Rotaract Club, has been working very hard to start a new community based Rotaract club. Both Edmonton West and the Northeast club have agreed to be the sponsors.
The club is small but growing thanks to the efforts of Chelsea. We wish her all the best and are here to help where we can.
They have been doing great things like volunteering at the Food Bank.
International Service
In January a team of Rotarians led by Ben, Marley, Lorne, Fred, Al and others visited remote Guatemalan communities to conduct eye examinations, provide glasses and medication for eye infections.
This marked the 27th year of this successful project. We are thankful for the partnership between Edmonton West and the Rotary Club of Huehuetenango and their friends, and proud of the impact we have made on the Guatemalan patients.
Guatemalans are friendly, helpful and we are always welcomed with open arms. Many of the patients are quick to smile and laugh and it is always a pleasure to spend time with them.
The Rotary Club of Edmonton West is proud to have created one of the largest scholarship funds available to University of Alberta students. Upon the death of Rotarian George Grover, a well-respected member of the Rotary Club of Edmonton West, Rotarian Dave Turner believed that the high ideals and ethics held by George should be remembered in a suitable manner.
The scholarship is available to all students of the University of Alberta who are eligible, so long as they were registered in second year program or above. The successful applicant have to excel in their community service activities (give something back to the community) and have reasonably high academic achievement.
The fund has now grown to $535,000, and this enables us to award three scholarships worth $7,500 each year. Over $100,000 has been awarded to date. This makes the George Grover Leadership Scholarships second only to the Peter Lougheed Scholarship for monetary value of awards given by the University of Alberta.
We had an opportunity to meet this years recipients of the scholarship when they visited our club meeting. Emma Stirling and Parth Patel both received $10,000 to assist with their studies.
Get to Know Rotary Event
DG Brent Collingwood hosted a Get to Know Rotary Event on March 27th at the Varscona Theatre. At the event, Rotarians and their guests had the opportunity to learn about Rotary's mission and how it's making a difference both locally and globally. Non-Rotarians had a chance to meet passionate Rotarians who are dedicated to service and hear about their experiences firsthand, while learning about all the incredible projects they support.
Bruce Hobin, who is on the District Membership Committee brought this event to our attention and we were happy to be a part of the great evening. We are always happy to showcase what our club is doing locally and internationally. Thanks to Lorne for helping to set up our table and to our members Bruce, John, Brian and Duart, who came to have enthusiastic conversations with the other guests. We were asked to show one local and one International project. We chose Grandview and the Guatemala Eye Project.
DG Brent addressed the audience and gave an inspirational speech about who we are, what we are and what we do.
Golf Fundraiser Committee
Our hard working committee have been meeting regularly to organize and prepare for our annual golf fundraiser. At this point we have 3 major sponsors, 18 hole sponsors and 128 golfers, so we only have 4 foursomes (16 golfers) to fill. Monies are being collected and now the main focus is to collect items for the live and silent auctions.
Thanks to all the members who have already given auction items and wine to Lorne. For those members who still need to donate items and 2 bottles of wine please bring them to a meeting or contact Lorne.
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