FIRST NOTIFICATION

IMPORTANT NOTICE TO ALL DISTRICT 9350 ROTARY CLUBS


(NOTE : THIS NOTICE IS NOT FOR ROTARY FOUNDATION AMBASSADORIAL SCHOLARSHIPS, THE SUBMISSION DEADLINE FOR WHICH IS AT A LATER DATE AND WHICH WILL FORM THE SUBJECT OF A  DISTRICT 9350 CIRCULAR TO ALL ROTARY CLUBS SHORTLY).
 

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS  WHICH ARE TO BE ADJUDICATED AND AWARDED ENTIRELY ON A COMPETITIVE BASIS BY THE ROTARY FOUNDATION OF ROTARY INTERNATIONAL   


The Rotary Foundation has announced a call for applications  for the 2010-12 Rotary World Peace Fellowships (RWPF) and January 2010 Rotary  Peace and Conflict Studies (RPCS) Program session.  

The deadline for completed applications to both types of Peace Programmes described below to be submitted to the District 9350 Selection Committee is FRIDAY 22 MAY 2009.

Programmes available
It is important to know that there are two types of Rotary Foundation Peace Study Programmes:

1. The Two Year Programme    

A two year programme from 2010 to 2012 offers fellowships for  master’s degree study fields related to peace and conflict resolution.   Beyond academics, the Rotary World Peace Fellows who participate in the program will also gain practical skills in conflict resolution appropriate to their individual careers.

Up to 60 Rotary World Peace Fellows each year enrol in the six Rotary Centres for International Studies based at leading universities in five countries: International Christian University, Japan; Universidad del Salvador, Argentina; University of Bradford, United Kingdom; University of Queensland, Australia; University of California-Berkeley, Calif., U.S.A., and Duke University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, N.C.


2.  The Three Month  Programme  

A three month professional development program to be held in Bangkok, Thailand, in JANUARY 2010 in terms of which up to 30 participants embark on three months of intensive study instructed by  some of the leading specialists in the peace and conflict resolution fields.   The customized curriculum has been crafted by specialists in the field to capitalize on the experience of both participants and lecturers while balancing theoretical and practical learning.

Ideal for busy professionals, the Rotary Peace and Conflict Studies Program’s customized curriculum helps promising leaders expand their global outlook, strengthen their negotiation skills, and ultimately make a positive impact on future peace and conflict resolution efforts worldwide.

Generally
Please deliver or post two hard copies of the  completed application form (complete with a Rotary Club endorsement) to get to  me before FRIDAY 22 MAY 2009 at 92 Camps Bay Drive, Camps Bay, Cape Town, 8005.  

No late applications will be accepted.

The District 9350 final selection committee interviews will take place  at my residence at the above address on SUNDAY 31 MAY 2009 – exact times to be  confirmed.

Rotary Clubs are hereby requested to find suitable candidates to be applicants.   

Applicants may be citizens of any country, but no applicants who have already applied for or have already been awarded any other scholarships / bursaries will be considered to be interviewed.

VERY IMPORTANTLY, it is also absolutely imperative that Rotary Clubs ascertain that prospective applicants have sufficient additional funds of their own available to augment the scholarship money awarded to them if they are successful.  Rotary International does not encourage successful awardees to work overseas to augment their money resources.  The adverse rate of exchange militates against awardees comfortably being able to afford the period of their studies without additional finance of their own, and the District Interviewing Committee must be shown tangible evidence of the applicants’ reserve funds before it will interview them.

Rotary Clubs are permitted but not obliged to offer financial support to applicants.  If they do so, the District interviewing committee will require a written undertaking to this effect from the club before it interviews the applicant.
 
Scholarships will not be awarded to applicants who are in any manner whatsoever related to Rotarians or who are members of Rotary Clubs.  Rotaractors and non-Rotarian alumni of the Ambassadorial Scholarships, Youth Exchange and GSE programmes ARE eligible as candidates for these scholarships.  
 
By means of these scholarships, Rotary is creating the leaders of tomorrow and is giving them an unequalled opportunity to foster world peace and understanding and good relationships between people of all colours, races and creeds in all nations around the world as well as advancing their own education and careers.  
 
Applicants who want to suggest a Peace Centre which does not give lectures in their home language must undergo a TOEFL language proficiency test in the language of the host country being applied for.
 
Clubs must interview the applicants before sending them onto the District for a final interview in order to assess them as we are only looking for the very best quality candidates. Do not send an applicant just because he or she has applied. Clubs must be absolutely captivated and overwhelmed by the overall standard, personality, ambitions, achievements and charisma of the applicant. Clubs should phone me after their interview to discuss their candidate’s suitability to be finally interviewed by District before they inform the applicant of the result of the interview.
 
Clubs can submit more than one applicant but must be prepared to sponsor each applicant and provide each one with a Counsellor.

There is no limit to the number of Peace Scholarship applicants that Districts can submit to the Rotary Foundation.  All applications will be treated on a competitive basis on their own merits.


For More Information  
Should your club or applicants need to ask any questions or obtain advice about the programme and the application / interviewing process, you / they must feel free to contact me at  powelltalk@icon.co.za, tel / fax +27 (0)21 438 8287 or cell +27 (0)82 556 3086.   
 

Kind regards,
 
JOHN POWELL
Chairperson District 9350 Outbound Peace Scholarships Selection Committee.
 
10 February 2009