"As part of Foundation Month, it is my privilege and pleasure to update you on the current state of District and Club success in the Rotary Foundation Peace Fellowship program.
This program is the second biggest in the Rotary Foundation portfolio after polio eradication. As you know, it is fully funded by the RI Foundation, not requiring specific top-up funding from the District or clubs within the District.
Including the selection of Tania Miletic in the initial 2001 intake, when she completed the Masters’ course at the International Christian University in Japan in 2002, there have been 34 successful candidates selected from candidates nominated by District 9800.
Of these 34 candidates, 14 have undertaken a Master’s Course and 20, the Certificate Course made up of 14 men and 20 women.
In the first 9 years there were 12 successful candidates, and in the past 8 years there have been 22 successful candidates. There has been at least one successful candidate in each year of the program due largely to the efforts of Bob Fels. There have been 3 successful candidates in each of the past two years, representing 3% of the world total from only one District, an amazing outcome!
Half of the successful candidates have been endorsed by Rotary Club of Melbourne. Other successful District clubs include Chadstone/East Malvern (5), Canterbury (3), Balwyn (2), Caulfield, Carlton, Albert Park, Gisborne, Glenferrie, Fitzroy and Brighton.
The biggest cohort has come from Victoria Police and, more recently, RedR, and I sincerely acknowledge the enthusiastic support of those two organisations.
We now have to gird up for our recruitment effort in 2019. As part of this effort we must continue to expand our recruitment sources. We must now also reflect on how we can best synergise our District Fellows and Rotarians to enhance peace building in our community, state and country.
To this end we have formed a small committee recruited mostly from our club, to consider and act on these matters. They include Honorary member Tilman Ruff, PDG Murray Verso, Andrew Miles (representing past Police Fellows), Kelton Dennis, Bob Fels, Ari Skinner, Mark Pinoli, and myself. Anyone Member who would like to participate is most welcome.
Our medium term project is to co-ordinate a successful peace symposium as part of the R100 celebrations in 2021. An outcome focus from that event will be the utilisation of our undoubted expertise to enhance peace building in our own Clubs, City and State. I suggest you watch this space!" Thank you Rob Helme
Check out the new Application Form and please talk to Rob if you have queries or would like to be part of this innovative team. Peace_fellowship_flyer2019_(1)_(1).pdf
