Two club members, Mohinder and Karen, attended a Rotary conference recently. There were speakers from within and beyond Rotary at the event held at the United Nations Maritime Organisation offices in London. Rotarians and friends of Rotary from over 50 countries attended to share experiences and ideas. All focussed around one of Rotary’s seven Areas of Focus – Peacebuilding and Conflict Prevention.
Read Mohinder’s views on the weekend:
“I attended the Rotary International Peace Conference on February 10, 2024 in London. It was a profound experience that taught me about Positive Peace, a concept that helps make peace and prosperity last. The conference showed the principles and practices of Positive Peace and how to apply them in real situations. The conference also had many engaging presentations, and performances that helped us understand the factors that contribute to peace in communities.
“One of the main things I learned was that we need to work together to promote peace. This was clear in the talks about the Positive Peace Framework and the exhibition of the Hibakusha portraits. The Hibakusha portraits showed us the human cost of conflict and the need to work together to prevent and resolve it. The conference also helped to collaborate and build partnerships with people from different sectors, such as government, civil society, academia, and the private sector from all across the globe. This way of working together is essential for making peacebuilding work well on a global scale.
“The conference also showed how Positive Peace can benefit society and mankind. We need peace more than ever in a world with many challenges such as war, instability, and injustice. The ideas and solutions discussed will and can change lives and communities, and give us hope for a better and more peaceful future for all. The conference also gave hope in a time of global conflicts and historical atrocities. We talked about the invasion of Ukraine by Russia and the Rwandan genocide, and we realized that we need to help the people who suffer from these problems and prevent them from happening again.
“To sum up, the Conference showed me the power of dialogue, cooperation, and collective action in making peace. I learned a lot about Positive Peace and how to use it in real situations. The conference was a source of hope, and brought all attendees together to learn about Positive Peace and how to make peace last in our world. It was a deep experience which I will cherish and hope to put into practice.”
Read more about the conference and watch recordings of some of the speakers on the Rotary in Great Britain and Ireland website.
