District 5040, that is all of you, has been recognized by Rotary International as a Peace Building District. Congratulations!

 

Peace is the fourth object of Rotary and promotes the advancement of international understanding, goodwill and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of service.

 

It is also the first of six areas of focus for the Rotary Foundation and the glue that binds the commitment of Rotarians to do good in the world.

 

Each year, armed conflict and persecution displace, injure, or kill millions of people. More than 90 percent of them are civilians, and half are children. Rotary members are committed to addressing the forces that fuel this conflict.

 

How do you build a world that has more hope, less poverty, and fewer people who are desperate enough to fight? Rotary believes the answer lies in forging connections.

 

 

Each week, across the globe, more than 35,000 Rotary clubs bring together women and men who have diverse perspectives and backgrounds, uniting them around a shared purpose. Rotary members undertake efforts that deepen cultural understanding and promote coexistence. Using grants from The Rotary Foundation, Rotary clubs invest in projects that address the causes of conflict, including poverty, inequality, ethnic tension, lack of access to education, and unequal distribution of resources.

 

Rotary also hosts international peace symposiums such as in Hamburg in June 2019 prior to the RI International Convention and last year’s Presidential Conference on Environmental Sustainability and Peace that brought over 800 Rotarians to Vancouver.

 

Our influence is magnified by our 60-year collaboration with the United Nations and partnerships with organizations such as the U.S. Peace Corps, the Institute for Economics and Peace, and Mediators Beyond Borders.

 

In 2019-20 Rotary will host a series of presidential conferences focused on our partners with the UN.

 

The Rotary Peace Centers program, established in 2002, is one of our most significant peacebuilding efforts. Each year, Rotary grants academic fellowships to up to 100 peace fellows from around the world. These bright and dedicated professionals learn how to promote cooperation and resolve conflict. Your Rotary Club is encouraged to nominate a person from your community for a fully funded scholarship to study at one of Rotary’s six peace centers. This does not cost your club, as the scholarships are fully funded by The Rotary Foundation.

 

 

What is your club’s Legacy of Peace? Does your Club have a Peace Champion: someone to remind members of the importance of peace and conflict resolution and to promote ways that a club can do good in the community and around the world? Good that will help others overcome poverty, build empathy, create compassion and resolve conflict.

 

The District through its Peace Committee asks that all clubs appoint a champion to wage peace in our world and share information on various Rotary peace projects that are making a difference. Contact Peace Committee Chair, PDG John Anderson (johnlanderson@telus.net) with the name of your representative and then use the criteria link here to make sure your club is indeed a Peacebuilding Club.

 

 

At this time last year, as Rotary was focusing on the February theme of Peace and Conflict Resolution, our District 5040 was preparing to host the Presidential Peacebuilding Conference Environmental Sustainability and Peace.

 

Now, as a direct spinoff of that conference, our District is working with Districts 5420 Utah and District 4281 Colombia in partnership through a Rotary Foundation Global Grant to host Rotary Positive Peace Workshops for young people in Colombia later this year.

 

Standing at the rank of 146 out of 163 countries in the 2017 Global Peace Index, Colombia is a good choice for Rotary's help in facilitating effective and long term peace, focusing on the future and not past conflicts. As Past District Governor Chris Offer reported in December , the five workshops will be drawing participants from university representatives focused on peace education and research, community representatives selected by local YMCAs and Rotaract. Assisted by Rotary Peace Fellows, the workshops aim to reinforce young leaders’ knowledge and skills in building peace so that Rotary can expand and enhance their efforts in creating more durable peace and peaceful communities in Colombia.

 

After the workshops a group of trainers will offer workshops throughout Colombia to give support to the peace accord, reached in 2016 between the Government of Colombia and the Marxist led Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, after 52 years of warfare.

 

 

Another planned outcome is a positive peace course for the use of any Rotary club in any community to build positive peace with Rotary sponsorship.

 

For members of Rotary District 5040 this is a valuable opportunity for all of us, and our partners in two other Districts, to play a direct role throughout the world in peacebuilding through these workshops and role modelling they will provide.

 

If you are interested in learning more about the principles of peace, take a look at this 4 part Positive Peace course offered through Rotary.org. Register for the course.

 

 

January has been a quieter month with club visits and more to do with events and celebrating with clubs and committees.

 

The District 5040 Friendship Exchange Committee had an orientation meeting at the Philippines Consulate office on January 14^th in preparation to their trip. I popped in to wish everyone safe travels and left just a little, well OK, much more than a little, envious! As you read this newsletter they are enjoying the hospitality of our Rotarian Family in the Philippines. We will however get an opportunity to show a little BC hospitality when the Rotarians from District 3810 visit us in May 2019. The purpose of Friendship Exchanges include to fostering better understanding of another culture and creating partnerships for projects, both of these things help build more Peace.

 

Something else that we do very well is Youth programs. What better way to ensure more Peace in our futures than to foster it in our youth through our District and Club programs - Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA), Youth Exchange (YEX), Interact, New Generation Service Exchange, Short Term Exchange Program (STEP), Adventure Programs and our younger peers and partners, Rotaractors.

 

We have amazing opportunities through these groups and programs to shape our future generations and with that comes a very big responsibility to do it right. Therefore, it is very important that all Rotarians and Clubs comply with the youth and vulnerable adult protection policy. As well, please make sure your Club Youth Exchange Officers receive the tools (such as attending Inbound Orientation) to enable them to do their job. See the full Youth Program Calendar for 2019. 

 

Other upcoming celebrations also need to be mentioned here!

 

District 5040 Lower Mainland Foundation Celebration is set for March 9^th. This is shaping up to be a fun, fun evening of entertainment and celebrating Our Foundation and all of the amazing projects we do as People of Action. Come and share the internationality of Rotary by wearing your ethnic attire, or come Canadian, but do come and join us.  There are other Foundation events planned for other areas in the District and Doug and I plan on being there too!

 

 

If your club has not jumped on the Vocational Training Team Bandwagon, please do!! Everything is shaping up to be an amazing exchange between Kenya and BC of teachers and training. Past District Governor and Team leader John Anderson has been busy planning with the BC Teachers along side the Kenyan Teachers. Technology really does have its advantages when teachers on opposite sides of the globe can meet online and plan their lessons together.

 

But we do need your help. As with any global grant we need money from clubs to match with District and Foundation and in this case the Canadian Government as well. As I said in the club visits, this is a District wide project, bringing teachers from different geographical areas of BC, and Kenya, and creating a real opportunity for all of us to join together to bring valuable change to the education of many.  So please join us with your club’s support today. darcyrotary@outlook.com

 

 

I believe that everything we do in Rotary, our projects and programs, help to develop Peace in our World.

 

When we bring clean water, better economic stability, education, better health and wellness we touch those lives with Peace and like a pebble thrown into the water – Peace spreads.

Please continue to make your contributions toward Peace through your club projects and your donations to Our Foundation.

 

 

One last celebration I want to mention this month is our upcoming District Conference at Sun Peaks in May.

 

If you haven’t registered or booked your stay at the Sun Peaks Grand Hotel don’t wait any longer! Be a part of something special as we spend time together, Rotarians from all corners of our District and indeed from around the globe, sharing our common goal of our desire to change lives and bring more Peace to our world.

 

Keep checking out the conference link on the website for updates on speakers and events around the weekend. This is a celebration of our year of being People of Action and Being the Inspiration for change.

 

 

Do you want to learn more about Rotary beyond your club? There are many areas that the District could benefit from your expertise and knowledge. Whether your interest is in Membership, PR, Finances, Foundation, or Administration don’t hesitate to reach out to any one currently engaged in District committees. Our succession success can only be realized if Rotarians are willing to join the Team!

 

In closing, Thank You all for the amazing work you do in your clubs and your communities. You Inspire me everyday! I’m so proud to be a Rotarian-Thank You!!!

 

 

Darcy and Doug