Groundbreaking Rotary World Peace Symposium a success

Rotary World Peace Fellows Cory McCruden, from New York City, and Mwila Chigaga, from Zambia, had never met. But the two fellows quickly realized they were part of a global family when they and nearly 400 other Rotary peace program participants, alumni, faculty, and Rotary members gathered for the first Rotary World Peace Symposium in June in Salt Lake City.

"Meeting Mwila is like realizing I have a sister in Zambia," said McCruden.

"This is amazing," says Chigaga. "This peace symposium is historic. There's such an energy and spirit here. I feel so invigorated. Listening to other Peace Fellows talk makes me so proud of their accomplishments."

Represented were some of the best and brightest from Rotary's two innovative peace programs, the Rotary Centers for International Studies in peace and conflict resolution, a graduate-level program marking its fifth anniversary, and the Rotary Peace and Conflict Studies Program, a short-term program aimed at professionals in governments and other agencies that was launched in 2006.

Located at seven leading universities around the world, Rotary Centers provide fellows the chance to study in a graduate-level program in conflict resolution, peace studies, international relations, and other related disciplines. Up to 60 Rotary World Peace Fellows are accepted each year through a globally competitive selection process.

"The University of [California] Berkeley gave me the skills and tools to work in the field I wanted to," says former Peace Fellow Jeyashree Nadarajah, of Malaysia, who works in the UN office for the special representation of children involved in armed conflict.

"Being a Peace Fellow is extremely well-regarded," said Chigaga, who graduated from Duke University and works for the director general of the International Labor Organization. "And because of the integrity of Rotary's name, I've discovered a big responsibility in carrying the name of Rotary with me."

"I really feel that I need to work hard to be up to the standard of my other Peace Fellows," said McCruden, who graduates in September from the University of Bradford in West Yorkshire, England. "After hearing the stories of the other attendees, there's no way I can leave here and do nothing. Some of these people are really putting their lives in danger for this. We need to come together to reinforce one another."