International Christian University Rotary Peace Center Change · Rotary Peace Fellows class at International Christian University 2017 16 C hange happens all around us. It is the

ChangeV O L U M E 1 0 , I S S U E 1

International Christian University Rotary Peace Center

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6 IN T R O D UCT IO N V A R I O U S

8 CU LT U R A L EXPER IEN CE J A V I D A H M A D I

10 T HE PE ACE IN CO LO MBIA L O R E N A R O D R Í G U E Z

1 2 S U RVIVA L JAPA NESE D I L T O N R I B E I R O & P I E R R E B E Y A I

16 LO CA L MEETS GLO BA L E L I S A B E T H O L I V E I R A D A C O S T A A N D

N A T A S H A V E N A B L E S

2 0 O R IEN TAT IO N A ND WELCO ME D INNER W IT H R OTA R IAN S

J A N A K A R A N A R A J A A N D K A L I K A K A S T E I N

2 2 H IKIN G M O UN T F U J I V A R I O U S

2 8 A MEET IN G A ME A L A ND ME A N IN G W IT H T HE M ITA K A R OTA RY CLUB

K A L I K A K A S T E I N

3 0 H O N O R IN G FO R MER F ELLOWS V A R I O U S

3 4 WELCO M IN G NE W F ELLOWS (CL AS S X VI )

V A R I O U S

3 8 H O N O R IN G R OTA R IAN S V A R I O U S

42 A PPLIED F IELD EXPER IEN CES O F CU R R EN T F ELLOWS (CL AS S X V)

V A R I O U S

Contents N E W S L E T T E R

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2 V O L U M E 1 0 , I S S U E 1 V O L U M E 1 0 , I S S U E 1 3

EDITORIAL TEAM

SALONI LAKHIAPIERRE BEYAI

NATASHA VENABLESJAVID AHMADI

DESIGN TEAM

KALIKA KASTEINLORENA RODRÍGUEZ

ELISABETH OLIVIERA DA COSTAJANAKA RANARAJA

DILTON RIBEIRO

P H O T O : J O N E S M C C A R R O NP H O T O : M I Y O K O M I S U M I

P H O T O : K A L I K A K A S T E I N

P H O T O : Y U T A K A K A K U M A

P H O T O : L O R N E A N D E R S O N


Peace is a daily, a weekly, a monthly process, gradually changing opinions, slowly eroding old barriers, quietly building new structures. John F. Kennedy


I N T R O D U C T I O N

The year 2017 welcomes the 16th Rotary Peace Fellows class at International Christian University

2017161616 C

hange happens all around us. It is the one thing that is certain (besides, perhaps death and taxes as the old saying goes). This fall, as the leaves of the ginko trees changed on

the International Christian University campus, change was immenent for the fellows of class 15 as they finished up their applied field study and for the new class of 16 as they started their first semester. As the seasons change, one thing that remains the same is our collective thanks for the Rotarians that support the Rotary Peace Fellowship programme.

P H O T O : S A L O N I L A K H I A


At the end of 13th century, Marco Polo, after visiting Japan described Japanese as being “idolaters who subordinate themselves to no other state” – meaning the Japanese people

were very different, strange and isolated. In July 2017, when I arrived in Tokyo as a Rotary Peace Fellow, I found myself to be in a similar place as described by Marco Polo, in a land with its own unique flavor in life and people. I began to further understand their traditional customs and cultural practices, which at times overlapped with my own Afghan values. Having said that, I was expecting a “culture shock” and this was one of the reasons I chose Japan for my Rotary Peace Fellowship – to experience, learn and be challenged by new customs and practices.

I have been to many international cities for short and long term stay that have made me have positive preconceived

notions of cultural shocks in new countries. When I arrived here, I found everything foreign to me. As I interacted with Japanese people, it broadened my perception and understanding of them and their culture making me realize the many similarities between the cultures. One common tradition that touched me deeply was the family life here, much like the one followed by Afghans. However, with changing times, much has changed because of limited space in overcrowded apartments, shifting patterns of work and employment, the Japanese people are very close to their parents even after marriage. They live together or at least near each other.

Another interesting and common culture I found in Japan was the custom of gift-giving to your neighbors referred to as o-miyage, which literally means honorable present. Generally used for starting new relationships, reinforcing existing relationships and mutual

J A V I D A H M A D I

Cultural Experience

D A I L Y L I F E

obligations, and to informalize social interaction. Similarly, in Afghanistan we have gift-giving custom when we move into a new neighborhood, which is called tohfa, which literally means ‘gift’. This tohfa, often in the form of fruits, sweets and pastries, symbolizes the importance we must give relationships and serves as a continued reminder of how the sweetness of the gift can take away the bitterness from our differences. These gifts are not handed directly to the host, instead the box is wrapped nicely and discreetly placed near the door or living area. On receiving a gift both in Japan and Afghanistan a return gift with equal or higher value is given as a token of appreciation and promise to uphold the virtues behind it.

Personally, the best way to overcome this cultural change is to identify similarities between our customs and make my life in this creative and dynamic society a mutually rewarding experience.

“Every time the peoples go through a peace process,

humanity as a whole takes a step forward, because each peace

process sets the guidelines for the next one.”

People gathered in the plaza of Bolivar in Bogotá, the Colombian capital, in a march for peace, October 12, 2016

L O R E N A R O D R Í G U E Z

The Peace in ColombiaACCOMPLISHMENTS, CHALLENGES, AND WHAT

STILL NEEDS TO CHANGE?

1 0 V O L U M E 1 0 , I S S U E 1 V O L U M E 1 0 , I S S U E 1 1 1

After more than 50 years of internal armed conflict, in 2016 Colombia produced what looks to be the first document that promises to end the war and build a stable and lasting

peace. Determined to end the violent confrontation and create spaces for reconstruction of the social fabric, Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia-Ejército del Pueblo (FARC-EP) and the National Government of Colombia signed the Peace Agreement on November 24th of 2016, and established the exercise of politics as a tool for dialogue and settlement of disputes between the two parties.

After a conflict that has nine million victims, most of them afro-colombians, indigenous, and peasants, this outcome looks very promising for Colombia; the peace accord outlines six key points spanning rural development, political participation, reincorporation of militants into civilian life, tackling the problem of illicit drugs, reparations for victims, and its methods for implementation, and has been hailed as

one of the most complete peace accords written in modern history.

The Peace Accord has brought positive and not so positive changes to Colombia. With the peace agreement, the parties established guidelines to ensure respect for life and a path for solving differences via politics, and this has given hope to many Colombians. Since mid-2016, after the definitive bilateral ceasefire was enacted, it is estimated that Colombia has saved more than 3.000 people from being assassinated or harmed. The implementation of the peace accord began later that year, and since December 2016, 5,300 ex-combatants have received psychological, social, and economic training to prepare them for reincorporation into civilian life.

On the other hand, even with the large number of promised political reformations and guarantees for their implementation contained in the peace agreement, there are still members of Colombian society who fear that it will not deliver a lasting peace. Perhaps the most worrying situation since the implementation of the peace agreement

is the vulnerability of social leaders and human rights defenders. According to the monitoring carried out by Fundacion de paz y reconciliacion (Peace and Reconciliation Foundation), through its observatory of political violence, a total of 181 acts have been registered against social leaders and human rights defenders from November 24, 2016 to July 11 2017.

The agreement between the government and the FARC promises that land will be returned to the peasants, but now someone has to push for that to happen, since the interests of mining companies, paramilitary groups, and landowners continue to threaten the effective implementation of the peace accords. This increased violence has occurred in areas that were previously occupied by armed FARC forces, and the reincorporation of the FARC has left a vacuum that has allowed paramilitary forces to threaten and attack social leaders in local politics, to obstruct the processes of truth-building, restitution of lands, and defense of the environment.

It’s not that the FARC was directly protecting these communities, but their presence was a strong deterrent to these extremist groups. Now the question on everyone’s mind is why the government has not intervened to protect these threatened communities.

Peace for Colombia means a change that includes the willingness of the government to embrace other forms of development, and the strengthening of the social fabric for peace through spaces of dialogue, truth, historical memory, and reparations. Colombia has already made changes towards peace, but the path is still long and requires the recognition and healing of the different forms of violence that exist within the state, and are still affecting its rural communities at risk. Every time the peoples go through a peace process, humanity as a whole takes a step forward, because each peace process sets the guidelines for the next one. I hope that the experience in Colombia will serve as a reference to solve, through dialogue, other conflicts that are currently in the world, so that social justice can be brought to those places hit by inequality and violence.

P H O T O : L O R E N A A R É V A L O

P H O T O : L O R E N A R O D R Í G U E Z


“If you, intermediate speaker, have a bit of patience and are eager to start your journey in Japan, I say: please come with an open heart and all will be fine.”

D I L T O N R I B E I R O & P I E R R E B E Y A I

Survival Japanese2 PERSPECTIVES

P H O T O : J O N E S M C C A R R O N

P H O T O : D I L T O N R I B I E R O

P H O T O : D I L T O N R I B I E R O

V O L U M E 1 0 , I S S U E 1 1 31 2 V O L U M E 1 0 , I S S U E 1

The Japanese belongs to the Japo-nic family, which is a fancy aca-demic way of saying the language is mainly spoken in Japan and its origins and relationships to other languages are largely unknown.

Even theories claiming that Japanese and Korean share a common ancestor langua-ge is not commonly accepted. Although it can sound surprising for people who have not studied East Asian languages, Japane-se and Chinese are not related and belong to different language families. Indeed, their connection flows from

Japan’s adaptation of China’s writing system around the 4th century B.C. together with some borrowed words. Moreover, the Japanese word order is called “SOV” or subject –object – verb. English (and many other languages such as Portuguese, French and Mandarin) follows a subject – verb – object structure. This means that forming and understanding sentences might also pose a challenge to people unaccustomed with this language structure. Furthermore, apart of the Chinese-based characters – called kanji – that can have different meanings and sounds, Japanese has two phonetic writing systems: hiragana and katakana.

This long introductory paragraph is to say that the Japanese language can be one of – or the main – challenge foreigners face in Japan. Rotary’s inclusion of an optional Japanese language course during summer before the masters program starts is thus very welcomed. The course is an intensive one. Students have to be prepared to study grammar rules that might be different from their mother languages and learn new words they might have never heard before. There were classes are every morning and afternoon from Monday to Friday. Apart from language classes, students had the opportunity to get an introduction into the fascinating world of Japanese culture visiting Asakusa and going to Tokyo Edo Museum, for example, and attend a lecture from a Professor from Waseda University on the Japanese people. Most Rotary fellows, as expected, do not speak Japanese. Indeed, this might be their first

contact with the Japanese language. Accordingly, how can then different students with different Japanese language backgrounds experience this Japanese language course? In order to get a different perspective on this, two Rotary Fellows, Dilton Ribeiro and Pierre, share a bit of their experiences studying Japanese at ICU during summer.

P I E R R E ’ S P O I N T O F V I E W

Basic language instruction is quite necessary for strangers in a foreign land as it helps them to ask simple questions, such as directions to places, prices of goods as well as making simple conversations with other people. This year there are nine rotary peace fellows starting at International Christian University (ICU) from different parts of the world. JICE generously sponsored the Japanese Language Training which was held at the ICU campus from 2-29 August 2017.

Lessons were taught by three experienced teachers headed by Mrs Shimoyama. The classes were very interactive as we the students were all eager to grasp the basic words in

Japanese so that we could proudly use them to exchange pleasantries with Japanese people. Under the able guidance of the three teachers, day by day the confidence to utter a few phrases grew as we all endeavoured to impress ourselves and our teachers. We were also taught to write Kanji, hiragana and katakana characters so that we were able to write our names in Japanese and proudly displayed them on our tables.

Learning was not only restricted to the classroom. We went on two outdoor activities in Tokyo. The first outdoor activity was on 7th August to Asakusa where we were introduced to the ‘tenugui’, a dyed piece of cotton cloth. We also got the chance to practice dyeing a piece each which we took home. From the tenugi shop, we visited the ancient Japanese drums. We were told the beating of the drums in ancient times was a means of communication. There were special beatings to inform people to assemble for war or to warn them of an invasion. We the students happily practised many rhythms of beating the drums. The second outdoor activity was on 14th August where we visited the museum in Kinshicho and


“Learning was not only restricted to the classroom.”

from there went to the Honjo Life Safety Learning Center. We were taught drills to apply in case of an earthquake, house fire or hurricane. We had a fascinating lecture taught by Dr. Namakai Ken’ichi of Waseda University on ‘Japan and Japanese people’. In this lecture we were introduced to the Japanese culture and people. This was a very important lecture as it accorded us the privilege to further understand and appreciate the culture of the Japanese, with helpful tips so as avoid saying or doing things that could be misconstrued or offensive. Then come the final day on 29th August, mini graduation day. This occasion was one to be cherished as the teachers and JICE staff went out of their way to make it memorable. Helping us to dress in kimonos, listening to our speeches in Japanese and then awarding us with

certificates. The Language training was vital and very aptly called, survival Japanese. The Japanese classes were a wonderful way to help ease us all into this big change although we all felt we could have done with another month of language it has enabled us to begin our journey here in Japan on a stronger footing and hopefully lead to thriving here.

D I L T O N ’ S P O I N T O F V I E W

I am Dilton Ribeiro. I had been studying Japanese language for a little more than a year when I arrived in Tokyo to start the Japanese language course this summer. I had finished the two basic volumes of the popular Japanese textbook “Minna no Nihongo”. I was then not a beginner of Japanese language

studies. However, I was not advanced. This is an uncomfortable position when I know more than the basics but I am not still able to freely communicate with people or navigate the intricacies of kanji writing and reading with some comfort. I knew that Rotary’s language course would be a beginner’s class. I had prepared myself emotionally to study basic Japanese structures, approaching them as fundamental reviews of the language, testing my memory and language skills. However, I had to be especially prepared to listen to my classmate questions understanding that although those questions could sound basic or even silly to me, to them were valid and important doubts that pushed them forward and helped them learn more and more. I had to be patient and humble. But that does not mean that

studying Japanese was only a set of reviews of things I already knew. The teachers, by the way, were extremely qualified professionals. They knew my language level was different my cohort and they assessed me differently. In the homework, I used the Japanese I knew and they corrected it accordingly. They pushed me to write more kanji and more advanced sentences. They corrected them and helped me fine tune writing some characters I already knew. Moreover, the culture trips around Tokyo were also a great opportunity to get to know a bit more of Tokyo and interact with people on the streets when assisted by the teachers. Furthermore, after classes or during class breaks, I used to ask more questions in tune with my Japanese level. Should intermediate Japanese speakers take the summer

language course? This question I cannot answer. It depends on the student’s’ goals in Japan during summer and their patience to study basic things they already know. I can say, though, that I do not regret at all coming here during summer and taking the language course. I got to know all ICU peace fellows. I had to opportunity to ask questions and interact with great teachers, get to know ICU campus, and get adapted to life in Japan. If you, intermediate speaker, have a bit of patience and are eager to start your journey in Japan, I say: please come with an open heart and all will be fine.

P H O T O : J O N E S M C C A R R O N

P H O T O : J O N E S M C C A R R O N P H O T O : K A L I K A K A S T E I N



LOCAL MEETS GLOBALGLOCAL MITAKA’S BOOK READING PROGRAMME

E L I S A B E T H O L I V E I R A D A C O S T A A N D N A T A S H A V E N A B L E SP H O T O S B Y Y U T A K A K A K U M A

R O T A R Y


E S T I M A T E O F N U M B E R O F P E O P L E R E A C H E D T H R O U G H P I C T U R E B O O K R E A D I N G S I N C E 2 0 1 4 “This program can be very

meaningful and inspiring for parents as well. As raising kids in Japan (and other countries for that matter, can be very isolating. This program enables parents to feel connected the society as well as the bigger world in their local community.” – Yutaka Kakuma, Director of Glocal Mitaka

Since the contingent of Class XVI Rotary Peace Fellows arrived to Mitaka several of its members have already had the occasion to deploy to one of the greenest and most peaceful location

near ICU: the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan! The goal? To contribute to one of the most original (and fun) activities organized by a local NGO “Glocal”: Picture books reading!!!

When I was first invited to join this activity, I was slightly confused. How do I read to young children if I do not speak Japanese and they do not understand another language? Knowing that picture books by definition have few words, so thinking maybe we would be expected to learn them? Was the purpose to make them laugh with our funny accents?!

Yutaka, the current Director of Glocal, reassured us that we would be reading in those books in the various languages we speak by explaining the rationale behind this initiative and the creation of “Glocal”:

“I started Glocal Mitaka started in June 2014 with 2 professors FROM WHERE? ICU? We wanted to provide an opportunity for international students to participate in the life of the community. One of the reasons for starting this organisation was my own personal experience coming back to Japan after working abroad. All of a sudden it felt really strange that there is only one cultural background in the classroom, in the office and in the local community.

Yutaka explained further: Sometimes it might be good to have only one cultural back ground, but I also felt that at least

we should know about the diversity of the world. There is a tendency to avoid difference in Japanese community since we are afraid of the difference. But I think sometimes difference provides us wonderful value, like in a choir. Therefore I wanted to change the lack of opportunity to feel and experience cultural diversity in our community for both Japanese people and international people”.

Tasha and myself were the first to participate on 27th August 2017. Both playing to our strengths: Tasha – a certified Fitness trainer – made an alliance between words and movements making well-behaved Japanese kids move while listening to stories. I wrote a picture book story inspired in the Tanabata festival (also known as the “star festival” that we were celebrating on that day) and was given a chance to read it to a very curious public of kids and their parents, eager to listen to my version of the story.

We read in English, French and Portuguese. Kalika read on 24th September, and Tasha again on 14th October. Translation was available on all occasions but this is beside the point. Children (and their parents) listened to some foreign languages for the first time. They met with citizens of distant countries for the first time. All of this without leaving Japan, just a few kilometres from their house. For a few hours we all travelled to a secret place of harmony.

It is this secret place that we need to constantly look for and sometimes we do not need to travel so far to find it…

J A N A K A R A N A R A J A A N D K A L I K A K A S T E I N

The atmosphere was electric and the air thick with welcome and hospitality. It was September 2nd, 2017, and our host Rotarians and Rotarians across Japan had prepared an annual ‘Orientation’ for Class XVI Peace Fellows at Gakushi Kaikan, Tokyo followed by a welcome party. The Gakushi Kaikan building stands in the center of Tokyo, a stone’s throw away from the Imperial Palace, having been constructed in 1928 as a members only clubhouse and symbol of solidarity for seven universities: Hokkaido University, Tohoku University, The University of Tokyo, Nagoya University, Kyoto University, Osaka University, and Kyushu University. These days it serves as a hotel and event plaza for anyone who wishes to use its premises. The ornate backdrop of the conference room stood as a strong symbol of our hosts’ overwhelming warmth and generosity.

There had been much anticipation leading up to the event amongst the fellows, even though we had met with our host counselors upon arrival and on other occasions since. We were excited to meet the collective body of people working behind the scenes for change and peace

in this world. The Orientation program started with the introduction of us, we the new Peace Fellows, followed by the overview and orientation for Class XVI, and finally the message from Peace Fellow alumna with a Q & A session.

Next we moved to the back of the conference room where the Welcome Dinner then began. Tables were filled with local food and drinks. Many distinguished Rotarians were present. We raised our glasses to the opening toast and the get-together began. After our bellies were full of delicious Japanese foods and drinks, the emcee then kicked off the final portion of the evening by introducing each new fellow.That each of the new peace fellows was to give a speech in Japanese created anticipation amongst the other guest.

All eyes were focused on the presentation, presenters, curious what each of us fellows had to say and to hear how much our Japanese had improved in just a month. Fellows presented on topics as varied as impressions of Japanese culture, what hiking mount Fuji is like, to impressions of other countries and places around the world. The month of long language class we received showed a clear improvement in our abilities across the board.

As the evening winded down one thing was clear, we are very much obliged to all Rotarians for their generous contributions in sponsoring Peace Fellows through the Rotary Foundation. We will try our level best to live up the expected standards of the Rotary Foundation as a Peace Fellows. From fellows to Rotarians, as we left that night, one thing rang clear in the air, “ありがとうございました,” or “thank you very much.”

ORIENTATION AND WELCOME DINNER

WITH ROTARIANS

Above: Kita Seiji-san, Member of Trustees of the Rotary Foundation kicks off the evening.

Above: Giorgio Shani, Director of the ICU Rotary Peace Center, gives opening remarks.

Above: Saito Tadami-san, Director of RI, addresses the gathering.


“We are very much obliged to all Rotarians for their generous contributions in sponsoring Peace Fellows through the Rotary Foundation.”

R O T A R Y


D A I L Y L I F E

Mount Fuji

P H O T O : N A T A S H A V E N A B L E SP H O T O : L O R E N A R O D R Í G U E Z

Hiking

E V E R Y Y E A R , M A N Y L O C A L S A N D T O U R I S T S H I K E M O U N T F U J I T O T H E S U M M I T . A M O N G T H E M A R E A F E W P E A C E F E L L O W S . T H E O P E N S E A S O N F O R H I K I N G F U J I - S A N T O T H E S U M M I T I S F R O M J U L Y T O T H E B E G I N N I N G O F S E P T E M B E R . A F T E R T H A T T I M E , T H E T R A I L T O T H E

T O P C L O S E S U N T I L T H E F O L L O W I N G Y E A R .



P H O T O : N A T A S H A V E N A B L E S




Yesterday is gone and its tale told. Today new seeds are growing. Rumi



Walk up the stairs, remove your shoes, place them in a cubby, and then slide the door open into one of the upper dining levels of ISEYA Park Shop in Kichijoji. The

restaurant is well-known for being one of the most popular places on the block, and perhaps in Kichijoji. There is often a busy line out the door, and once inside the environment is face-paced, steamy, salty, and thick with the smell of the umami. Open one of the dining rooms and find a group of people chatting excitedly, slurping hungrily, and simply sharing in the joy of one another’s company. Loud, boisterous, and jovial, the Mitaka Rotary Club held their meeting there September 1st and welcomed in new Rotary members and Peace Fellows into the fold.

Long tables lined the room and members sat in tight groups on cushions laid over the tatami. Listening in, one heard laughter and stories exchanged in both Japanese and English. The meeting itself went off without a hitch, regular business, introductions of the guests in the room, and then a toast. The hosts exuded warmth, generosity, and downright happiness in welcoming others into this new environment and place, despite any differences.

For the meal, the restaurant served dish after dish of yakitori, sashimi and sukiyaki. Sukiyaki meat and vegetables

A Meeting, a Meal, and Meaning with the Mitaka Rotary Club

boiled in broth and dipped in raw egg. Interestingly enough, sukiyaki inspired the title of a well-known wistful love song in the 1960s. As the delicious hot pot quickly disappeared as it was eaten, perhaps the longing expressed in the song “Sukiyaki” was appropriate—the flavors lingered memorably on the palate and one could only hope to taste it again soon.

An artist who had been recently recognized for his work picked up his pen to draw Rotarians sitting at one of the tables. His swift strokes drew husband and wife as caricatures, exaggerated features that captured their likeness. Members and guests watched in awe as the three dimensional world was rendered into two. The complexity of the world was, in that moment, shown simply and powerfully.

After everyone had ate and drank their fill, guests again lined up to recover their shoes. Though there were a mix of different cultures, backgrounds, old members and guests, there was no fear of change or differences, the universal languages of food and music prevailed. Rotarians and guests then walked down the stairs, poured into the street, and let the hot September air carry them off together to sounds of karaoke.


C O N T R I B U T E D B Y H I L A R Y J O C A L D I S


H O N O R I N G

Former Fellows

W H Y I R E S E A R C H W H A T I R E S E A R C H

As was stipulated in the terms of the Rotary Peace Fellowship, it is an opportunity for peacebuilders and social justice advocates to deepen their knowledge within their respective lines of work to return to the field packing new skills, insights and recipes to peace and justice. I took this objective extremely seriously. When I applied to the Rotary Peace Fellowship back in the summer of 2014, I was two years into realizing my dream of The Female Voice. The project, at the time, was still more of an idea in the making than a full-fledged organization, with set structures and operations informed by a clear-cut impact model. To progress the venture, I knew that I needed to deepen my knowledge as a leader in two main areas: Communications Research and Women’s Empowerment Theory. Upon receiving the fellowship, I began immersing myself in these fields of knowledge and seeking advisors supportive of my ambitions. Over time, I found my niche within the campus including an incredible advisor who encouraged me to choose a research topic that would enrich my work on The Female Voice. Initially, there were several research topics in the running, all related to impacts of new media on women’s empowerment. In the end, narrow down my focus to examining women’s networks, groups and initiatives and their use of both digital and non-digital communications to realize empowerment objectives. I chose this topic because I notices a gap in literature with respect to the contribution of groups and relational power-building in the empowerment equation. So I was interested in understanding this aspect of empowerment and the role of technology in it’s fruition.

W H A T A R E T H E C O N C L U S I O N S ?

My MA research, “Bringing Women Together: Examining Women’s Networks, Groups and Initiatives Across Offline and Online Spaces,” blends theoretical frameworks of communications research, peace studies, and gender studies to examine women’s networks, groups and initiatives through their use and development of digital and non- digital communications tools, methods and spaces. Research focuses specifically on the concept of “Power With” (relational power building) among women and it’s critical role in fostering other elements of power entailed in empowerment frameworks. The investigation reveals many noteworthy themes that reinforce existing women’s empowerment research, while inspiring further investigations into the following: the role of collaboration and working


relationships in fostering ongoing “Power With” relations among women, the distinctive roles of online and offline communications (and their interplay) in promoting different elements of empowerment, the role of narrative and expression in both online and offline empowerment spaces, and the important role of female only and female majority space on women.

W H A T A R E T H E R E L E V A N T A S P E C T S O F Y O U R R E S E A R C H

From a communicatory standpoint, research reveals how offline and online communications can be employed to foster impactful and enduring empowerment spaces for women. From a policy standpoint, research reveals that numbers do matter when it comes to how women are able to optimize their empowerment and thrive. Research enthusiastically advocates for critical consideration to be paid to the “Power With” element of empowerment theory stipulating that empowerment is a factor of relational power. Research revealed that the “Power With” element (women being with other women) enhanced their ability to tap into other elements of empowerment: “Power Within” and “Power To”. Findings reveal that due attention must be paid to how male dominant workplaces and governments may restrict women, working within these environments, from realizing their optimal empowerment, and (furthermore) the powerful impact that more women (in numbers) has on women’s ability to thrive.

W H A T A R E T H E P R A C T I C A L O U T C O M E S O F Y O U R R E S E A R C H ?

The entire purpose of my research, and time spent as a Peace Fellow, was to enrich my peacebuilding work in the field of women’s empowerment. To this end, research efforts were executed in the interest of the ongoing development of The Female Voice. Throughout the research process, all learnings and discoveries were channeled directly into developing the impact model and operations of the venture. The outcome of this continuous integration of hard research into action is simple: the venture has evolved from being a platform of expression for women into a comprehensive and revolutionary global platform for women; a platform whose designs deeply consider the dynamic and multidimensional nature of women’s empowerment, on all levels, to realize dramatic change. With the design now solidly in place, thanks to the Rotary Fellowship, the next step in the journey is to find the financial backers inspired by the plan who wish to see it come alive!

Name: Hilary Jo Caldis Class: XIV Bio: Hilary is a passionate global innovator, organizer, activist and informer. In her professional career, Hilary has assumed a wide range of roles within International Development and Social Justice worlds. Over time, Hilary began to refine her peacebuilding efforts by connecting her personal identity and lived experience as a woman to her cause. In 2012, Hilary founded The Female Voice—a new media venture aimed at utilizing technology to enable women, worldwide, to understand and realize their optimal empowerment. Hilary’s development of The Female Voice is informed by her MA research, as a Rotary International Peace Fellow, examining women’s empowerment through the lens of women’s networks, groups and initiatives operating in the New Media age. In addition to her work to develop The Female Voice, Hilary invests her energy as an informer and consultant, working to spread the findings of her research and entrepreneurial work to inform the public and to support women’s empowerment initiatives worldwide.

HILARY JO CALDIS

C O M P I L E D B Y L O R E N A R O D R Í G U E Z A N D S A L O N I L A K H I A

Name: Amardeep Kaur Kainth Class: XII Bio: Amardeep Kaur Kainth wrote her thesis on “Securitization and Dehumanization.” Her paper addressed, “the process of securitization has enabled the dehumanization of vulnerable communities in post-war states through field work conducted both independently and through two NGOs in Sri Lanka.”

AMARDEEP KAUR KAINTH


H O N O R I N G

Former Fellows

The Rotary Peace Fellowship is an interesting multicultural experience. Different people from all over the world travel to Japan and start to build a community. When those of us in Class 16 first met, we all asked each other 2 questions: What is your name? Where are you from? These are almost invariably the first two questions anyone asks a foreigner they’ve just met. Two questions that are key to getting quick information about the cultural background of the respondent, and that help us to make easy assumptions about the other’s identity, for better or for worse.

During our Rotary Orientation Two Peace Fellow Alumni shared some of their feelings about identity. Amardeep Kaur Kainth, told us about her experience as member of a South Asian family, growing up in the UK and traveling abroad. For her, answering the question, “Where are you from?” represents a challenge to change the perception and narratives that are rooted in different cultural and national stereotypes. Rebecca Gissing-Simms, another alumni fellow, shared that answering the same question often led to an explanatory conversation about her nationality, because her appearance doesn't match the physical stereotype of a “British” woman.

“Where are you from?” can be a very complex question to answer. Responding to that question often requires us to link ourselves to the concept of nationality, answering according to what our passport tells we are from. However, identity goes much farther than nationality. Many of us identify ourselves as the product of a mix of family, local geography, education, experiences, rituals, relationships, ethnic roots, and so on. We asked Amardeep Kaur Kaith a little bit more about her perspective on “identity and life in an intercultural setting” based on her experience here in Japan.

In sharing this interview, we aim to encourage the members of the Rotary family to question your perception of identity in multicultural settings. We also want to show the importance of the cultural richness of this program, which shapes the way we fellows appreciate and understand different political and social views critical for peace building.

T E L L U S A L I T T L E B I T A B O U T W H A T Y O U A R E P R E S E N T L Y D O I N G . H O W H A S Y O U R L I F E C H A N G E D S I N C E Y O U G R A D U A T E D F R O M I C U ?

Since graduating, life has changed and come back round full circle! I started to freelance full time, working as a trainer and facilitator of youth development programs with a range of populations. I moved back to the UK, and then back

to Japan again in 2017, 2 years after graduating.

W H E N Y O U W E R E I N J A P A N , H O W D I D Y O U A N S W E R T H E Q U E S T I O N “ W H E R E A R E Y O U F R O M ” ? D I D Y O U H A V E P A R T I C U L A R T H O U G H T S W H E N Y O U W E R E A S K E D T H I S ?

I always answered that I was British, but my ethnicity is Indian. I find that Japan is really homogenous, so understanding Diaspora identities in general was a little confusing for people. I tried to keep it brief most of the time; it can be exhausting having to explain your existence and experience, especially when it’s during a short introduction! I would never want to pick one of these identities, as they both are an important part of who I am and my life experience.

H O W Y O U R I D E N T I T Y L E A D S O R I S C O N N E C T E D T O Y O U R W O R K I N P E A C E ?

Typical of South Asian families, I grew up with a selfless and relentlessly giving mother. Warm; loving; nurturing; and a feeder. Less conventionally, I grew up with a father who was deeply engaged on issues of social justice and equality in the social and political sphere. With activists like Darcus Howe in and out of the house, my father had me read the Pedagogy of the Oppressed at 9 years old. Much of that was connected to being Punjabi and Indian, living and existing in Britain. Our household was alive with debate and conversation about distribution, race politics, and justice over long meals. As a result, the thing that resonated with me most about my faith and community was the principle of ਸੇਵਾ (Seva). Seva means selfless service - for me, the combination of my family values, identity, and spiritual education as a child gave the foundation that led adult me to social justice work as a trainer facilitator and researcher, working with vulnerable and marginalised communities globally.

H O W D I D T H E F E L L O W S H I P H E L P S H A P E / G U I D E Y O U ? H O W H A S T H E F E L L O W S H I P C H A N G E D Y O U ?

The fellowship gave me a community of brilliant friends and colleagues with whom I was able to learn and critically engage with about macro issues on a micro level. I am still close to them today, and am able to ask and explore difficult professional issues within this network. This has been the biggest learning from my fellowships - having a community with whom I am able to discuss turning theory into practice.


W E L C O M I N G C L A S S X V I

New Fellows

D I L T O N R I B E I R O

Dilton Ribeiro (Peace Studies) holds a Bachelor of Laws from the State University of Southwest Bahia (Brazil), a Master of Laws from the University of Manitoba (Canada) and a Ph.D. in Law from Queen’s University (Canada). In Brazil, he joined human rights projects focused on gender issues and worked as a human rights lawyer. In Canada, Dilton joined different human rights organizations such as the Canadian Lawyers for International Human Rights Law. In 2012, he started a music project that sought to foster understanding and friendship between different cultures through music. Formed by members from different countries, the main purpose was to seek to show that music can convey universal feelings and work as an important tool to mutual understanding and cooperation. Dilton also worked as a research assistant to many professors in different cutting edge human rights projects including indigenous rights, immigration and refugee law, and gender inequality. He has also published articles on indigenous rights, international human rights law theory and on comparative law. He has also worked as a teaching fellow at Queen’s University and presented twice at the Canadian Council for International Law. His current research interest focuses on seeking to understand the relationship between pop culture, obscenity and human rights.


E L I S A B E T H O L I V E I R A D A C O S T A

Elisabeth Oliveira da Costa (Peace Studies) holds a Master in Human Rights and Democratization from the University of Padova (European Inter-University Center for Human Rights and Democratization), Italy, as well as a Law Degree from the University of Coimbra, Portugal. Before becoming a Rotary Peace Fellow, she worked for almost 20 years. Most of her career has been with the United Nations – the organization she dreamed to join from an early age, when she fundraised for UNICEF house to house in her small village. Elisabeth’s expertise is on human rights and refugees. She has worked on human rights investigations (including with International Commissions of Inquiry on Syria and Timor-Leste), designed and implemented peacebuilding projects and capacity-building programmes, supported engagement with various UN mechanisms and done advocacy on a broad range of issues. She has lived in Central Asia (Kyrgyzstan), Africa (Mozambique, Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea) and the Balkans (Bosnia and Herzegovina), as well as in Geneva and New York. She feels incredibly grateful for the opportunity that the Rotary Peace Fellowship is giving her to go back to University to “digest” the various experiences she has had and contribute to advance collective knowledge in her field. Elisabeth will be focusing her studies on the interplay between peacebuilding and human rights.

J A N A K A R A N A R A J A

Janaka Ranaraja (Peace Studies) graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Defence Studies from General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University and Masters of Science in Military Studies from Kelaniya University in Sri Lanka. He is a Commissioned Officer in Sri Lanka Army. He was a lecturer at General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University and Institute of Peace Support Operations, Sri Lanka. His academic areas of interest are: International Relations, Strategic Studies, International Humanitarian Law, Humanitarian Law, Leadership and Competency Training. His research interests include Peace Studies, post conflict and reconciliation, Nation building and youth development.

J A V I D A H M A D I

Javid Ahmadi (Peace Studies) holds a Masters degree in International Human Rights Law (LLM) from the Leicester De Montfort University, UK and has 7 years experience in areas of conflict management, program management and peace building including working with the United Nations (UN) Peacekeeping Operation in South Sudan as Information Analyst with major responsibility of analyzing and reporting Security, Human Rights, Humanitarian and Political Issues related to the South Sudan. He has also worked in multi-ethnic environments at the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Indonesia, Malaysia, Nauru and Papua New Guinea. In his working years, he was actively building relationships and partnerships with donor countries, local governments, national and international NGOs for the interest of beneficiaries that were mainly asylum seekers, refugees and internally displaced persons. In addition to his education and work experience, he has extensive knowledge of African and Middle Eastern politics, history and culture; and speaks fluently several languages including Farsi, Pashto, Urdu and he is familiar with Arabic, Japanese and Indonesian languages. His research interest is the use of surveillance drones in the Department of Peace Keeping Operations (DPKO) to protect civilians and prevent future conflicts.


Kalika Kastein (Peace Studies) earned her Master of Science in Education from Johns Hopkins University. As a certified teacher in the state of Hawaii (U.S.A.) in both Elementary Education and Special Education, she has been teaching and working in educational organizations working towards peace and equity for over five years. Her roles have been diverse, from classroom teacher to school bus driver, to Peace Corps volunteer and Teach for America Corps Member. She has lived and worked in South Korea, Cameroon, India, and Micronesia. In addition to her passion for education, her interests include topics related to her undergraduate degree in the fields of Graphic Design and Philosophy/Theology, as well as peace within the Korean peninsula, and education and cooperation within the continent of Antarctica. Her research focuses on the impact of placing teachers hired from a majority on tight-knit or culturally rich educational communities.

L O R E N A R O D R Í G U E Z P E Ñ A

Lorena Rodríguez Peña (Peace Studies) studied Government and International Relations at Universidad Externado de Colombia. In 2012 she co-founded Colectivo Talanquera which is dedicated to being an intercultural link between indigenous communities and contemporary society in her home country of Colombia. The organization fosters abilities and skills for social development based on ancestral wisdom, where Lorena continues to serve as director of projects. In 2014 she took her first international position as an intern in the Colombian Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand. And then, worked for two years for the Colombian High Commissioner for Peace as a researcher on the Colombian peace dialogues. Since then she has been supporting creative, local projects for peace in post conflict scenarios in Colombia, focused on the protection of territory rights, reconciliation, and forgiveness. As part of the Colombia Conexion-SF Bay team, Lorena works from abroad to support social justice processes in rural and peasant communities in Colombia, by creating awareness of human rights violations, and aiding social leaders threatened by paramilitary groups.


W E L C O M I N G C L A S S X V I

New Fellows

N A T A S H A V E N A B L E S

Natasha Venables (Peace Studies) was awarded a Rotary Peace Fellowship after 5 years at the Australian Red Cross. A global citizen at heart, her interests in peace studies and the plight of displaced people began when her own family had to leave their home during farm invasions in Zimbabwe leading her to question the role of nationhood, race, and food security in maintaining peace. Natasha is experienced in disaster management, food security, health awareness and livelihood programs, community gardening and supporting asylum seekers. Her work in Vanuatu during Tropical Cyclone Pam supported the response and recovery as Food Security and Livelihoods Advisor with CARE International. Through managing a social education project for the Australian Red Cross Migration Support program, she helped inspire humanitarian action and greater social cohesion in Australian communities through a focus on human rights, volunteering, and a sense of shared humanity. Natasha completed a BA in Sustainable Development and BA in Commerce from Murdoch University in Perth. Her research interests are how community gardens can support displaced people to increase self-efficacy and self- reliance while simultaneously building peace through social cohesion with host populations and fostering a spirit of community and volunteerism.

S A L O N I L A K H I A

Saloni Lakhia (Peace Studies) holds a B.A. in Law and a Masters in Clinical Psychology. She has expertise in working for women survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence and acid attacks. She has collaborated with multiple government agencies for the same and has authored a handbook on legal provisions for women safety and security for the state government. She worked as a research assistant for the Chairperson of Maharashtra State Commission for Women before being awarded the Rotary Peace Fellowship. Since her adolescence, she has been involved in multiple volunteer programs and has recorded academic books for the National Association for the Blind. She has headed multiple local women committees in urban and rural Maharashtra and contributed to the National Policy on Women. Her research interests focus on public policy, development and the intersection of government services with implementation imperatives.

P I E R R E B E Y A I

Pierre Beyai (Peace Studies) holds a B.A in English Language and Development Studies from the University of The Gambia. He is as a Captain in The Gambia Armed Forces and participated in UN peacekeeping operations in Sudan, Darfur (2008-09) as Platoon Commander and in Mali (2013-14) as a staff officer. As such, he has witnessed the carnage of war among communities and tribes. For his thesis, he is interested in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Rwanda and how it brought about lasting peace among former warring tribes or communities.

Two roads diverged in a wood and...I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference. Robert Frost

C O M P I L E D B Y L O R E N A R O D R Í G U E Z A N D S A L O N I L A K H I A

MIYAZAKI EIKO

H O N O R I N G

Current Rotarians

We face a great challenge in honoring Miyazaki-san, as no words can express our gratitude for her commitment to make all Rotary Peace Fellows in Japan feel at home. We wish to recognise her for all the efforts and hard work she puts in connecting the fellows with other Rotarians and including them in multiple activities, thus making beautiful memories in the process.

Not only is she a great tennis player and a friend, but she’s also a fantastic conversationalist, and her concern for the fellows shines through in her efforts to get to know each of us personally.

We’ve asked the present and past alumni fellows to share some kind words for Miyazaki-san, and some of their memorable experiences with her, here in Japan.

A few words from past and present fellows about Miyazaki Eiko-san:

“Warm, friendly caring lady, who goes out of her way to welcome

and encourage us all. Thank you for the warm

hospitality.”

“My experience as a Peace Fellow wouldn’t have

been nearly as meaningful, enjoyable or special without the constant support and

friendship of Eiko-san. Right from the beginning, she helped me find someone able to move my things into my new apartment and from there introduced me to her friends, who eventually

became my friends too. When I was feeling a bit down and discouraged, she took me on a trip

to explore Kyoto and also organized many trips to the countryside to enjoy nature, local food

and the company of good friends. To be honest, most of my favorite moments spent in Japan are because of Eiko-san such as drinking and

laughing over delicious meals, soaking in onsen to relax, de-stressing during weekly

yoga classes and traveling to new places together. “

“Eiko-san, you are a shining tribute to Rotary

and a blessing to all of us Peace Fellows. Thank you for all you do and have done for us! We are grateful for

who you are and what you do and can only hope to pay it forward in the same

generous and selfless spirit that you have shown to us. I love you and I miss you dearly. I’m looking forward to the

next time that we can see each other again!”

“An amazing, dynamic, passionate, and gener-

ous human being!”

“When my US family visited Japan while I was a Class

II Fellow, Eiko-san went above and beyond to invite them to Japanese historic sites and restau-rants to share the local food and culture. She even hosted a German RYE student for a year, despite the obvious challenges of hosting a teen girl while

also juggling the responsibilities of a family business and regular Rotary Club commitments. My favorite

three memories with her family: 1. The winter trip to Nagano where we grilled yakitori inside her home,

and skied as a family group. 2. The trip to Kyoto where dressed up as maikos and had a photo shoot. 3. The trip to Fuji-san where we explored and later stopped at a Rent-A-Dog park. I picked a small dog

and Eiko-san picked a large dog to walk that was ulti-mately difficult to control. We laughed as it pulled us eagerly down the trail at the park. So many constant adventures! I feel blessed to have experienced Japan

with her family, and the generosity of Rotary. I am forever grateful.

Thank you!”

“Eiko-san may look small, but she is one tough and strong woman! I was her partner during Judo class last year during a Rotary event and try as I might, I couldn’t budge when she held me in a pose. Similarly, in the Peace Fellow cohorts, in her commu-nity and in Rotary, Eiko-san is a force to be reckoned with! She is an example of

the importance of never underestimating the actions, spirit and generosity of one

person, no matter their size, because her presence and involvement in the program has changed our lives in too many ways to count. I aspire to be more like you, Eiko-san

- I love you!”

“On my first meeting with the Mitaka Rotary club Eiko-San

quickly sized me up and considered me athletic enough to join their annual tennis tournament. I tried to warn her that I had never played a tennis match in my life so I wouldn’t be much of an asset for doubles.

She didn’t take no for an answer and a month later I found myself swinging rackets

for the first time. While it was definitely a humble start, it was a very fun introduction to tennis and to the rotary club. Thanks to

her initiative I am now playing tennis weekly while here in Japan and have gotten to meet some very interesting people on the courts.

The invitation and enthusiasm was very much appreciated.”

“My favourite times were our onsen adventures, travelling Japan together in search of

the best onsen! We still have many more onsens to test to-

gether and then I look forward to our onsen guidebook that

we joke about producing”

“I met Miyazaki-san on a Rotary event in the

beginning of the school year in September. It was a dinner organized

by Rotary Mitaka. After, she and other Rotarians invited all fellows to go to a karaoke. Miyazaki-san and I sang Matsuda Seiko’s “Daite”. It was wonderful to see how Miyazaki-san and all Rotarians were so kind and

inclusive with all fellows.”

“One thing that really showed me how much she has become a part of our family

is how much my son Joe cares for Eiko-san. He is only four years old, and not usually the type to ask about how someone is doing or can he see them soon. But Eiko-san, yes. He remembers stuff like the parties or park or

Rotary lunches...but what he remembers most is spending time with Eiko. That means so

much to my wife and me. Eiko-san has been my mentor on life in Japan, about working hard and being focused, about being a kind

person. Without her, there would be no Peace Wing. We all appreciate the warmth, care, and love that she shows to all her friends, and I am sure I speak on behalf of all the Peace Fellows who have gone through ICU that we feel we

have a true friend in Eiko Miyazaki!”

“So many of the social activities we had during our time as Peace Fellows revolved around Eiko and her family. I

recall parties at her house, drum circles, karaoke, jazz jams, Spanish classes, Rota-ry festivals, tennis matches, meals, meet-ups in Bangkok, New York, and Hakone (for a wedding!), and always Eiko-san

with a warm smile and boundless energy. I am incredibly grateful for having met her and aspire to create goodwill in the

world as she does.”

“Miyazaki-san first introduced herself to me at the

Rotary Mitaka welcome dinner, she was like a god-send as she was so warm

and caring and wanted to help us all connect with out local community. She

straight away invited us to her local yoga class and then another passion of mine, the Rotary Mitaka tennis sports

day. This immediately helped me to feel at home and it is such a comfort to

have someone in our network who is so thoughtful and inclusive of us all as individuals and connecting us to local

events and rotary activities.”

“Eiko-san is so incredibly generous, caring, and humble, tackling challenges

with poise and humor. As a small business owner and former Class II

Fellow, I aspire to be her one day. She is the matriarch of a successful family

business that shares its time and resources with others on a near daily

basis. She is also the quintessential host, constantly inviting others to experience

Japanese culture, play tennis, visit a local onsen, travel far and wide, laugh often,

and share life.”

“At every Rotary event where she is present, she

always engages Peace Fellows and makes

everyone laugh with her jokes and charming

remarks.”

“Miyazaki-san and the Mitaka Rotary Club

have always been great hosts and provided a

great place of welcome to incoming Peace

Fellows.”



“One thing that really showed me how much she has become a part of our

family is how much my son Joe cares for Eiko-san. He is only four years old, and not usually the type to ask about how someone is doing or can he see them soon. But Eiko-san, yes.

He remembers stuff like the parties or park or Rotary lunches...but what he remembers most is spending time with Eiko. That means so much to

my wife and me. Eiko-san has been my mentor on life in Japan, about working hard and being

focused, about being a kind person. Without her, there would be no Peace Wing. We all appreciate the warmth, care, and love that she shows to all her friends, and I am sure I speak on behalf of all the Peace Fellows who have gone through ICU

that we feel we have a true friend in Eiko Miyazaki!”

“Eiko-san is one of my family’s best, most dear

friends not just in Japan, but in the world. She has made a such a big

impact on my life, and now my wife’s and sons’ lives. So generous, warm,

kind and funny. I think we all feel like she is our Tokyo mother (or for some

of us, our big sister), she has been a true precious gift to our lives and so many other Peace Fellows.and

we love her! She is one person who TRULY embodies the Rotary motto

“Service above self.””

Be the change that you wish to see in the world. Mahatma Gandhi

V O L U M E 1 0 , I S S U E 1 4 1


A P P L I E D F I E L D E X P E R I E N C E S F O R C L A S S X V

Current Fellows

A L E X A N D R A P L U M M E R

Firstly, I would like to extend gratitude to Rotary for enabling this transformative experience. I have just returned from my AFE which was spent in primarily in Germany and Tanzania with attendance to a workshop on peace education in Innsbruck, Austria. The first portion of my AFE took me to the little quaint town of Witzenhausen, in middle Germany, where I worked with a research institute called DITSL. The institute works on food security innovation initiatives in East Africa, especially focused on making them more people centred. I worked closely with a Post-Doc researcher on producing literature reviews, as well as attending workshops on conflict in innovation processes and Participatory Video methods. This set me up well for my excursion to rural areas of Tanzania where I spend two months running workshops with small-hold farmer groups on reflection of their innovation processes using participatory video, as well as collecting date for my thesis which explores the politics of facilitating participatory critical reflection and story-sharing within a participatory innovation project, with a particular attention to the potential of audio-visual tools for enhancing communication. It has been a challenging, fun and rewarding experience and I am ready to put all these learnings into both my research and day to day life.

D ’ A R C Y L U N N

The two words that best summarise my AFE is THANK YOU. I will forever feel grateful for the opportunity to dedicate five months of my life to learning more, connecting with opportunities and engaging with experts on peace.

I took a slightly different approach than most and decided the best experiences and learning I could be exposed to would be on a constantly moving peace safari. I travelled to 15 countries in a variety of contexts and a mix of internships, conferences and research to investigate people’s perceptions on a culture of positive peace and the peace practitioners trying to foster it.

The opportunity was significant, the learning profound and the long-lasting effects guaranteed. I wanted to know about peace from a personal, contextual and relevant perspective to match the theory and classroom learning from the university.

The biggest highlight of my AFE was a trip to the remote countryside of Liberia to observe community dialogues for reconciliation. Peace became essential and practical right there in front of me as old issues were coming to the surface in the face of pending elections. However, the local facilitator turned anger into acknowledgement and soon into a proposed prosperous future for all concerned.

F R A N C I S R O T H E R Y

I visited Thailand and the USA to research the peace practices of Socially Engaged Buddhism; a contemplative activism that arises from mindfulness. The Order of Interbeing state that ‘’Aware of the sufferings caused by racial, systemic and social inequities, we commit ourselves individually and as a community, to understanding the roots of these inequities, and to transforming this suffering into compassion, understanding and love in action.’’

The first part of the journey took me to a monastery about 2 hours north of Bangkok. I joined with about 200 Buddhist monks and nuns in their rhythm of life. I met practitioners who were Christian, Muslim and Shinto who had joined the Order. There were also people taking their practices into business and education and engaging difference with compassion in their local communities.

At Chulalongkorn University Right Livelihood course we explored the relationship between Planet, People and Partnership. 25 participants from Thailand, India, USA, Myanmar and Bhutan travelled to share in the life of the Karen tribespeople in the mountains of North Thailand. We explored together the impact of globalization and the challenges of Right Livelihood. We consolidated our learning experiences at the Eco-Ashram of Wongsanit.

Finally, I visited the monks and nuns of Deer Park Monastery in Escondido, Southern California, USA. Here I found the community as host to a wide spectrum of people who gathered to encourage practicing compassionately regarding the social concerns of addictions, gang culture, the environment, race, sexuality and diversity.

J O S E P H S M I T H

My Applied Field Experienced (AFE) was a partial fulfillment of the Rotary Peace Fellowship. The timeline was from the 1st of July to the 30th of November 2017. The AFE encompassed both Internship and a field research for my master’s thesis. The Internship was three months (July-September) in Imo and Abia States of Nigeria- working with UNDP/EU Development Minerals Project for Africa, Caribbean, and the Pacific. This was a joint project for UNDP and the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development Government of Nigeria. The internship improved my capacity to understand the concept of development mineral, the impacts this sector has on infrastructural development in the context of my thesis title “Adding values to development minerals; an approach to infrastructural development in Sierra Leone- A case study of quarry/granite mining”.

Regarding the field research as the second component of my AFE, from October to November based in the west and southern regions of Sierra Leone- as my research country. The following were some of the field work. Making appointments with respondents including, concern government officials, quarry companies, and artisanal miners. Conducting interviews with identified respondents including, government officials, and quarry mining companies, focus group discussions with artisanal miners. To crown it all, my AFE was an opportunity to have a firsthand knowledge and to reshaped my initial thesis research plan into a more clear, empirical and academic paradigm.

L O R N E A N D E R S O N

I thought I had a fairly good perspective about how to run interfaith dialogue and facilitate interfaith programs, and then I spent a summer in Jerusalem…

For my AFE I had the privilege of interning at the Rossing Center for Education and Dialogue, an organization committed to developing healthier relationships in Israel and Palestine.

During the summer I worked with the Rossing Center’s media and communication team, wrote policy, assisted with marketing projects and participated in trainings. There were also two conferences that I was able to take advantage of. The International Association for Spiritual Care hosted a conference about “Healing Hatred: Providing Spiritual Care in a context of Political Conflict” and The Rotary Club of New York partnered with the Elijah Interfaith Institute to host a ‘Forgiveness Conference’. When I was not busy in the office I was able to extensively travel in Israel and Palestine where I connected with Rotarians, visited former Peace Fellows and interviewed individuals working in community development and interfaith projects. Needless to say, it was a summer packed with critical learning, deep personal development and the formation of many rich relationships. Many thanks to the Rotary community for your support, I look forward to discovering how I can pay forward the lessons learnt and the generosity of spirit!

L O U I S M E N D Y

I embarked on a Nine Weeks Applied Field Experience (AFE) as a research intern with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) from July 03-08 September 2017, on two folds: to conduct research for my Masters thesis and to gain practical work experience.

During the course of the internship, i served in the ECOWAS Conflict Prevention Framework (ECPF) Unit and the Migration and Cross-Border Cooperation Unite of the Directorate of Trade, Free Movement and Tourism.

While at the ECPF unite, I was exposed to the West African Sub-regional conflict prevention Mechanisms and strategic framework for improving human security of community citizens. Therein, i supported the Planning and administrative process for the convening of the Youth Engagement in Building Sustainable Peace and Security in West Africa. Yet another Major activity that I contributed to was the planning and organisation of the regional Conference on leveraging the power of private sector in Conflict Prevention in West Africa.

At the Migration and Cross-Border Cooperation Unit, I participated in the Planning and administrative processes for the convening of The Migration Dialogue for West Africa (MIDWA) Border Management working Group Meeting and the ECOWAS Heads of Immigration Meeting.

The Nine weeks internship then culminated with a field research data collection at Seme border between Nigeria and Benin Republic.


A P P L I E D F I E L D E X P E R I E N C E S F O R C L A S S X V

Current Fellows

M A G D A L E N A Z U R I T A

My applied field experience represents five wonderful months in which I combined training, internship and research activities. It started in Morroco (Africa) where I attended the Summer School of Multidimensional Poverty Measurement and Analysis organized by University of Oxford with 80 participants from 36 countries. After that, I moved to Latin America where I worked in the preparation of my research interviews together with a well-known journalist in Peru and I attended the 9th Latin American Congress on Political Science with more than 2000 participants in Uruguay. Finally, I spent four months in Bolivia where I did an internship in the Economic Advisory Unit of the Vice Presidency and worked on my master research by conducting interviews to different members of the National Government, UNDP, World Bank, Oxfam International and other organizations of the civil society. Through these activities, I had the possibility to go deep in my research topic by analyzing diverse poverty and inequality reduction approaches in Bolivia and how and why they are working together on these issues beyond their differences.

The fact of having the possibility to meet great people from different countries and backgrounds, acquire new knowledge and skills, and influence on policy, has made this an enriching and wonderful experience, which has meant a huge professional and personal growth in my life. Thank you, Rotary and all the people that walked with me in this path during this time. It is my deep desire to give back much more than I have received to continue promoting peace by working with and for those people of our beautiful world who need it most.

M D M O I N U D D I N

Human life and climate is interlinked. Changes in climate and climate variability, particularly changes in weather extremes, affect the environment that provides the basic components of life. This change, together with other natural and man-made disaster can disrupt communities and thwart development efforts by creating havoc and tremendous destruction as a tragedy. This made me curious to know about environmental factors related to climate change and learn how to deal with this challenge to bring peace and stability. Likewise, I planned my AFE in relation to my master thesis on “Climate Change induced Displacement and Global Policy”.

To supplement my knowledge in the relevant field, I joined an intensive course on “Global Policy and Governance” with Duke Geneva Program. I learned about international humanitarian actions covering legal aspects and major practical and policy considerations with regard to implementation. This also helped me to acquire a strong foundation in academic theory and current events conducted by academia as well as global practitioners working in the policy making field through candid discussion.

In addition to learning valuable skills essential in the climate change planning and policy issues, I also did a three month internship with UNDP Climate Change, Disaster Risk Reduction Team (CDT) under Geneva office. During the internship, I gained further insight in how UN-affiliated organizations can act as key partners for those marginalized by environmental impact. On top of that, this enabled me to realize the global crisis and sense how to mitigate the subsequent disaster risk and adverse impact on human society.

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Martin Luther King Jr.


VOLUME 10ISSUE 1

CENTER STAFFCENTER DIRECTOR

PROF. GIORGIO SHANI

ASSOCIATE DIRECTORPROF. YUICHIRO KANAZAWA

COORDINATORMIYOKO MISUMI

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Documents

International Christian University Rotary Peace Center Change · Rotary Peace Fellows class at International Christian University 2017 16 C hange happens all around us. It is the