Applications invited for Rotary Peace Fellowship

Rotary International is a private, non-profit, non-religious, non-governmental international service organization. They are the world’s oldest service club dating back to kindle fellowship among members of the business community.

Rotary Peace Fellowship Program:

Applications are open for the Rotary Peace Fellowship Program 2021-22 by The Rotary Foundation, US. The Rotary Peace Fellowship is designed for leaders with work experience in peace and development. Their fellows are committed to the community and international service and the pursuit of peace. Each year, The Rotary Foundation awards up to 50 fellowships for master’s degrees and 80 for certificate studies at premier universities.

Since the program began in 2002, the Rotary Peace Centers have trained more than 1,300 fellows who now work in more than 115 countries. Many serve as leaders in governments, NGOs, the military, education, law enforcement, and international organizations like the United Nations and the World Bank.

Program Details:

• Master’s Degree Programs: Accepted candidates study peace and development issues with research-informed teaching and a diverse student body. The programs last 15 to 24 months and include a two- to three-month field study, which participants design themselves.
• Professional Development Certificate Program: During the one-year program, experienced peace and development professionals with diverse backgrounds gain practical skills to promote peace within their communities and across the globe. Fellows complete field studies, and they also design and carry out a social change initiative.

Eligibility:

Rotary Peace Fellowships may not be used for doctoral study. The following people are not eligible for the master's degree program:

• Active Rotary members
• Employees of a Rotary club or district, Rotary International, or other Rotary entity
• Spouses, lineal descendants (children or grandchildren by blood or legal adoption), spouses of lineal descendants, or ancestors (parents or grandparents by blood) of any living person in these categories
• Former Rotary members and their relatives as described above (within 36 months of their resignation)
• Recipients of Rotary Global Grants Scholarships must wait three years after completing the scholarship to apply for Rotary Peace Fellowship programs.

Rotary Peace Fellows who have completed the certificate program must wait three years to apply for the master’s degree program. Certificate fellows are not eligible for another certificate fellowship.

Rotary Peace Fellows who have completed the master's degree program must wait five years to apply for the certificate program.

Application process:

• They are now accepting applications for the 2021-22 Rotary Peace Fellowship program.
• Candidates will have until 31 May to submit applications to their district. Districts must submit endorsed applications to The Rotary Foundation by 1 July.

For more information please click here.  

What exactly does the Rotary Club do?

This is the most frequently asked question on Google: What exactly does the Rotary Club do? 

Rotary is an organization of business and professional person united worldwide who provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations and help build goodwill and peace in the world.

Founded in 1905 by a lawyer, Paul Harris, Rotary is a worldwide body with presence in more than 120 countries and geographical regions of the world with 1.2 million Rotarians in nearly 34,000 Rotary Clubs across the globe. 

Rotary Clubs are part of the world body, Rotary International, which has its headquarter in Evanston, USA.  

Rotary brings together professionals from different vocations.  None of the businesses in a Rotary club can hold monopoly, and therefore, prominent leaders in diverse professions and businesses are invited to join Rotary. 

Rotary is a great teacher. 

It is a way of life. 

Religion, caste, colour, geographical boundaries, cultures, do not matter. The basic philosophy is that we as a human race, are one; wherever we may live.  And respect for One's individuality and diversity is acknowledged and respected without any discrimination.  

Rotarians represent hope when everything else fails.  They are often the first responders in any crisis situation and take care of the rescue, and rehabilitation. 

Wherever they find the people in need, they try to find a sustainable solution to human issues. 

We are the 'People of Action'.   People call us differently, the saviours, the harbingers of hope, the humanitarians, and whatnot. Put this all together, and we are the Rotarians. 

Whenever you find this symbol of Rotary anywhere in the world, or in the form of a pin on the lapel of a person, go ahead, and share your problem.  And they will find a solution. 

Talking about what we do?   

To mention just a few, 

- Rotarians worldwide identified polio as a curse on humanity in 80s, and took it upon themselves to rid this world of polio saving millions of children from this crippling disease.  From nearly 122 countries afflicted of this disease, 99.9 per cent of the world has been rid of polio with Rotary spending  more than $1.7 billion — including matching funds from the Gates Foundation — and countless volunteer hours to protect more than 2.5 billion children.

- For last several years, over 50 medical missions comprising Indian doctors and Rotarians have worked beyond borders, in Africa and other countries, to help combat disease through the expert hands of Indian doctors. 

- A similar number of mega medical camps are held in the far-flung, tribal areas of our country bringing relief to their health issues. 

- We hold the distinction of having the largest number of Rotary managed blood banks in the country today to save precious lives and encouraging voluntary blood donation; 

- In Chandigarh alone, more than 800 lives of children suffering from congenital cardiac disease have been saved, including many underprivileged children from abroad. 

The six core areas of Rotary's work are: 

• Peace and conflict prevention/resolution.
• Disease prevention and treatment.
• Water and sanitation.
• Maternal and child health.
• Basic education and literacy.
• Economic and community development.

In Chandigarh, Rotary came in May 1958 and since then has worked for the people of the city making ways across the globe. through its major humanitarian initiatives.   This blog does chronicle some of its projects over the years. 

- Rtn CJ Singh

Rotary Salutes Frontline Heroes

Rotary Distributes 500 Sweet Boxes to the Health Warriors

Rotary Club of Chandigarh handed over 450 boxes of sweets to PGIMER Director Dr Jagat Ram here today.

The words cannot express the gratitude that we owe to doctors, nurses, paramedic staff fighting the pandemic to save human lives, said President Sukhjit Singh Gill of Rotary Club of Chandigarh, handing over the gifts of gratitude to the frontline heroes who are healing the suffering humanity against Covid19.

Fifty boxes of sweets would be handed over to the doctors, nurses and paramedics in General Hospital Sector 16 too, he informed.

Dr Jagat Ram, Director, along with Dr Meenu Singh from Paediatrics department received the gifts from Rotary Club of Chandigarh represented by President Sukhjit Singh Gill, President-Elect Jaspal Singh Sidhu, and Rtn Lalita Grover.

Dr Jagat Ram, Director PGIMER thanked the Rotarians especially past Rotary International President Rajendra K Saboo for his leadership assisted by senior Rotarians like past district governor Kawal Bedi who helped raise funds for the cause.

The Club had earlier paid tribute to the great congribution that the army, police, and other frontline heroes are making to protect the country and save human lives by sending the greetings and gratitude of the society towards them through boxes of sweets, including 4000kgs for army, 2000kgs for the police personnel, and now another 500kg for the medical fraternity engaged in fight against Covid19.