Peace
One of Rotary's founding ideals — and one of The Rotary Foundation's seven core areas of focus. From master's degrees in conflict resolution to community-led peacebuilding in our own districts.
A founding ideal, a present-day investment
Peace has been part of Rotary since the earliest days. Today, in a world where conflict displaces millions and divides communities, Rotary invests directly in the people and programmes that build understanding, prevent violence, and create the conditions for lasting peace.
130 peacebuilders trained every year
The flagship of Rotary’s peace work. Each year, The Rotary Foundation funds up to 50 master’s degree fellows and 80 professional development certificate fellows at Rotary Peace Centers worldwide.
Fellowships cover tuition and fees, room and board, round-trip transportation, and all internship and field-study expenses. They are supported by District Designated Funds donated by Rotary districts, directed gifts from individual donors, and earnings from The Rotary Foundation’s Endowment.
Fellows pursue master’s degrees in fields such as international development, peace studies, or conflict resolution — or a professional development certificate in peace and conflict studies. Each year, districts promote the programme to recruit candidates, mentor them through the application process, and submit recommendations.
Since 2002, more than 1,800 Rotary Peace Fellows have graduated from these programmes to advance peace locally and globally.
Rotary Peace Centers worldwide
Fellows are hosted at leading universities chosen for their faculty, networks, and depth of peace and conflict studies expertise.
- Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill — USA
- International Christian University — Tokyo, Japan
- University of Bradford — United Kingdom
- University of Queensland — Brisbane, Australia
- Uppsala University — Sweden
- Makerere University — Kampala, Uganda
- Bahçeşehir University — Istanbul, Turkey
A district-led nomination process
Districts promote the fellowship programme to local candidates and mentor strong applicants through the process. Clubs and districts are encouraged to submit recommendations alongside the candidate’s application.
Up to 50 fellows are selected annually for master’s degree programmes and up to 80 for professional development certificates. Successful candidates are notified by the Foundation Trustees in November.
More than the absence of war
Rotary partners with the Institute for Economics and Peace to promote the concept of Positive Peace — addressing the underlying attitudes, institutions, and structures that sustain peaceful societies, rather than simply the absence of violence.
Rotary clubs worldwide — including in District 1160 — participate in Positive Peace workshops and apply the framework to their community work.
Recommend a peace fellow. Or become one.
If you know someone working in peacebuilding, conflict resolution, or international development, the Rotary Peace Fellowship could be the next step in their career. Contact your local club or the District Foundation Committee about nominations.