Our Rotary International President, Olayinka Babalola (YINKA), and our District Governor for 2026-2027, Donna Hood, want to emphasize PEACE BUILDING and Creating Lasting Impact. PEACE BUILDING has always been important for Rotary and now especially with so much conflict in our world. As Yinka said in the July issue of our Rotary Magazine, “As we prioritize impact, we must also consider how our actions can contribute to peacebuilding. PEACE DOES NOT HAPPEN BY ACCIDENT. It must be built deliberately and strategically. As you plan your next project, ask yourself: How does this create the conditions for peace?” Yinka emphasizes that the more you can change your community and beyond, the more you will change. Share with people how Rotary has changed you.
As I have been on my journey to get more informed, I have been helped by the only District Peace Committee that currently exists in District 5470, the Grand Junction noon club. Our hope is that other clubs will also form a Peace Committee and find ways to incorporate the principles of peace building and reducing conflict in our communities and around the world with our projects and our grants. Thanks to Andy Smart and Miffie Blozvich, both on the Grand Junction Rotary Club Peace Committee, I have received lots of information to help us in our goals. There is also a state chapter of the Peace Initiative that Andy co-chairs with a Rotarian from the Fort Collins club.
There is a free course online and it is very helpful in explaining the terms and goals for peace building. The most important is the definition that has been developed by the IEP- the Institute for Economics and Peace. The web address for this website is “www.economicsandpeace.org”. Even if you don’t have time or inclination to take the course, you may want to just browse the site.
There are many terms and acronyms in this free and easy to access class, but I will share their definition of peace which will keep us all focused using similar language. I will continue to share additional information.
POSITIVE PEACE: “is defined as the attitudes, institutions and structures that create and sustain peaceful societies. Positive peace is defined as a more lasting peace built on sustainable investments in economic development and institutions as well as societal attitudes that foster peace. “
NEGATIVE PEACE: “is defined by the absence of war and violence and the absence of the fear of violence. “
There are many more pieces to all of this, but as an introduction, I feel this is the most important with which to begin.
DG Donna Hood would like all of us to find ways to incorporate the values and concepts of peace and the reduction of conflict into our projects, our grants and community activities.
The IEP and its researchers have developed an extensive systemic approach inclusive of measurements for each indicator of positive peace. Please contact me for any comments or additional information. If you are already incorporating some of these concepts, I would like to hear about it.
If your club is interested in starting a Peace Committee or participating in a District Peace Committee, please email me, text me or call. We would like to have District Wide participation for this initiative.
Ann Harris, Ph.D.
Past District Governor 2004-05
District Peace chair 2026-28
P.O. Box 1386 Carbondale CO.81623
970-618-6001. rotaryann@gmail.com