Fellowship for Peace. January 20 - February 7, 2014 Chang Gallery

Transcription

1 Fellowship for Peace January 20 - February 7, 2014 Chang Gallery

2 District 5710: Rotary Peace Fellows David Kozar David Kozar documenting the land mine situation in the Republika Srbska (Serbian Republic) of Bosnia and Herzegovina with Norwegian People's Aid. PMR-2A active Landmine sitting at base of tree. is the first candidate from Rotary District 5710 to complete the Rotary Peace Fellowship program, completing the Master of International Studies, Peace and Conflict Resolution at the University of Queensland (UQ) in Brisbane, Australia in David is currently working as an International Development Officer for the International Projects Unit of the Office of Commercial Services at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in Brisbane, Australia. In his role, David is developing and managing Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) Public Sector Linkages Programs, Australian Awards Fellowships and Australian Leadership Award Fellowships for Latin America, the Pacific, South Asia and Africa. Over the past twelve months David has managed fourteen international development programs, most recently managing DFAT funded programs in: Kenya (Conflict Management and Peace Build- ing); Thailand (Defense Forces Senior Officer Leadership); Fiji (Gender Mainstreaming); Argentina (Federal Government Institution Strengthening); Bhutan (Inclusive Education, Educational Leadership and Royal Bhutan Police Training); Paraguay (Sustainable Development, Environmental Conservation and TVET); Sri Lanka (Disaster Management, and Water Use Management); Maldives (Inclusive Education); Indonesia (Mining Sector Safety); Samoa (Social Entrepreneurship) and two projects focusing on Leadership and Advocacy for women and people with disability across Francophone West Africa (Togo, Mali, Benin, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Senegal and Niger). Since completing his Master of International Studies at the University of Queensland in 2010, David has also completed the Master of Community and International Development at Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia. Summer in La Cañada, Oaxaca, México, 2013 (Photo credit: Leon Topiltzin) Summer Lewis was selected as a Rotary Peace Fellow and completed a master's of International Studies, Peace and Conflict Resolution at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia (February 2011 June 2012). She is a 2005 Kansas State University graduate in Spanish, sociology and women's studies with summa cum laude honors. Summer is an adventurer, with a love for travel, learning, and bringing together diverse people in order to advance dialogue, understanding, and ultimately peace. She has traveled, lived and worked in 27 countries. Summer currently serves as the International Program Coordinator for Coffee Kids, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving lives and livelihoods in coffee-farming communities, and is based in Oaxaca, México.

3 Katrina (center) in Panshir, Afghanistan, 2007 Vibha Jani Katrina Lewis is the first candidate from Rotary District 5701 to be selected to participate in the three-month Rotary Peace Certificate Program at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand, from June 14 to August 31, Katrina is a faculty member in the Department of Interior Architecture and Product Design, College of Architecture, Planning and Design at Kansas State University. She is well traveled and has spent time teaching in Kabul, Afghanistan, in conjunction with a Kansas State University World Bank Grant. She also taught humanities at the new Asian University for Women in Chittagong, Bangladesh. The focus of the Fellowship of Peace exhibition is the rich diversity of experiences offered by the fellowship program and will feature photographs and text highlighting the experiences of District 5710 Rotary Peace Fellows: David Kozar ( ), Summer Lewis ( ), Katrina Lewis (Summer 2012), and Vibha Jani (Summer 2013). Vibha Jani was selected to participate in the Rotary Professional Development Certificate Program at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand, from June 14 to August 31, Vibha was born in India where three world religions, Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, taught lessons of love, living peacefully in harmony with others, and non-violence. Here also was born Mahatma Gandhi, who revolutionized the way we understand and think about world peace today. Vibha s parents decided to live their lives in accordance with Gandhi s teachings and dedicated their lives to educating urban and rural children in the State of Gujarat, India. Their activities engendered Vibha s strong leaning towards service. Her life has been greatly shaped by these influences. However, her first love was architecture and so after graduating with a bachelor s degree in Architecture and a master s degree in Interior Architecture, she was invited to teach at Wayne State University. While teaching, she was selected to lead the design teams for very large corporate offices for Ford Motor Company, General Motors and other clients. While climbing the corporate ladder, she realized that she was using her education to help the elite of the society, and not the poor, sick and needy. To assist people in need, she sought specialization in healthcare architecture. While designing hospice care and healthcare centers, she realized that if she truly wanted to help people, she needed to leave her corporate job. She started her own practice and became very successful, but missed teaching. That, in the end, became too much of a sacrifice. She decided to go back to teaching as a full-time academic in Today, Vibha serves as an Associate Professor of Interior Architecture and Product Design within the College of Architecture, Planning and Design at Kansas State University and feels blessed to have a job that now combines all her interests and provides opportunities for creative work, research, and to serve the community.

4 Rotary selects up to 100 individuals yearly from around the globe to receive fully funded fellowships for master s and professional studies in peace and conflict resolution. The first master s class started in 2002 and students completed their studies in The first professional studies course began in Through this program, Rotary seeks to support future leaders and change-makers who demonstrate a commitment to promoting tolerance and cooperation worldwide. Rotary Peace Fellowships 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. In order to serve this vision, Rotary has created a unique partnership with top universities around the world. 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. Class IX Rotary Peace Fellows, University of Queensland, Australia (2012) Class XIII Rotary Peace Fellows meet with Past Rotary President ( ) Prip Bhichai Rattakal in Bangkok, Thailand (Summer 2012)

5 What s the Difference? Fellowship Program Master s Degree Professional Development Certificate Purpose Building the leaders of tomorrow Strengthening the leaders of today Length of study months 3 months (varies by university) Rotary Peace Centers 5 1 Number of fellowships 50 maximum 50 maximum (up to 10 per Rotary Peace Center) (25 per session: January-April or June-August) Practical field experience 2-3 months of practical internship 2-3 weeks of field study during academic break incorporated into curriculum

6 University of Bradford, UK Uppsala University, Sweden Rotary Peace Centers Duke- UNC North Carolina Chulalongkorn University, Thailand International Christian University, Japan University of Queensland, Australia

7 Katrina and other Peace Fellows explored the work of local not-forprofits and Rotarians during their fieldwork in Cambodia Katrina and other Peace Fellows explored the work of local not-forprofits and Rotarians during their fieldwork along the Burmese border in northern Thailand Rotary awards up to 50 professional certificates in peace and conflict resolution each year for those with more extensive experience in peace-related fields. Fellows take part in nearly three-months of intensive study at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand. The Professional Development Program offers fellows intensive eight-week classroom foundational instruction, on-site fieldwork for two-to-three weeks, and the advantage of returning to their jobs with a professional development certificate in peace and conflict studies. Professional Development Certificate

8 The Rotary Peace Fellows Summer and Katrina while working at the Asian University for Women in Chittagong, Bangladesh (2009) Fun Fact: Katrina and Summer are sisters, which may be a first for the Rotary Peace Fellowships. David with members of the Argentine Federal Parliament Vibha receiving her Rotary certification

9 The Rotary Foundation selects Rotary Peace Fellows according to strict, competitive criteria. Selected Fellows demonstrate: A clear commitment to international understanding and peace, as shown through professional and academic achievements and personal and community service Strong academic achievement and a bachelor s degree or equivalent experience Three to five years of relevant paid or unpaid work experience and (for professional certificate studies) current full-time employment in a mid- to upper-level position Proficiency in English and (for master s level studies) a second language In the last five years, four nominees from District 5710 have received Rotary Peace Fellowships. David Kozar completed his fellowship at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia and currently works as a grants officer for an Australian aid agency. Summer Lewis completed her fellowship, also at the University of Queensland, and is working for an American not-for-profit organization in Southern Mexico dedicated to improving the lives and livelihoods of coffee-farming communities in Latin America. Katrina Lewis, a faculty member in the College of Architecture, Planning, and Design at Kansas State University, participated in the three-month Rotary Peace Fellowship Certificate program at Chulalongkorn University in Thailand in Summer 2012; she was the first designer in the world to be selected for this honor. Vibha Jani, also a faculty member in the College of Architecture, Planning, and Design, participated in the three-month Rotary Peace Fellowship Certificate program in Summer Summer, Katrina, and David are all alumni of the Community Service Program at Kansas State University and participated in International Service Teams while undergraduates at Kansas State University. Katrina served in Jordan, Summer in Guatemala, and David in Bosnia. Katrina and Summer received support from The Rotary Foundation for their Community Service Program work abroad.