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 SEPARATE LATER DATE AND WHICH WILL FORM THE SUBJECT OF A SEPARATE SET OF DISTRICT 9350 CIRCULARS TO ALL ROTARY CLUBS).

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS WHICH ARE TO BE AJUDICATED 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 2013-14 Rotary World Peace Fellowships (RWPF) and January or June 2013 Rotary Peace and Conflict Studies (RPCS) Program session.

Completed applications for both types of Peace Programmes as described below must be submitted by email to the District 9350 Selection Committee c/o Mike Walwyn (mike@seaboard.co.za) no later than 31 MAY 2012.

Programmes available

It is important that clubs (and of course candidates) must understand that are two distinctly different Rotary Foundation Peace Study Programmes :

1. The Two Year Programme

A two year programme from 2013 to 2015 offers fellowships for master's degree study fields related to peace and conflict resolution. Apart from their academic studies, Peace Fellows who participate in the programme 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 seven Rotary Centres for International Studies based at leading universities in six 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., Uppsala University in Sweden and Duke University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, N.C.

2. The Three Month Programme

A three month professional development program will be held in Bangkok, Thailand, commencing in JANUARY OR JUNE 2013 in terms of which up to 30 participants embark on three months of intensive study instructed by some of the leading specialists in the fields of peace and conflict resolution. The customised curriculum has been crafted by specialists in the field to capitalise on the experience of both participants and lecturers while balancing theoretical and practical learning.

Ideal for busy professionals, the Rotary Peace and Conflict Studies Programme'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.

Application procedure

Completed applications (which must carry a Rotary Club endorsement) must be mailed to reach me before THURSDAY 31 MAY 2012 at 3 Marne Avenue, Claremont, 7708. Applications may also be scanned and e-mailed to me at mike@seaboard.co.za., and we would prefer that this method is used.

No late applications will be accepted.

The District 9350 final selection committee interviews will take place at my residence at the above address during JUNE 2012 – exact times to be confirmed.

Rotary Clubs are hereby requested to find suitable candidates to be applicants. As we are intent on ensuring that we reach the maximum number of potential candidates, we would urge clubs to ensure that the programmes are widely publicised in their communities, and particularly at the appropriate educational institutions.

Applicants may be citizens of any country, but no applicants who have already applied for or have already been awarded any other scholarships or 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 finances. Our unfavourable exchange rates militate 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 wish to attend 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. Please do not forward an application just because a candidate has applied. Clubs should 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 may 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 and documentation about the programme and the application / interviewing process, you / they must access the Rotary International website. This provides details of the programme and the application forms can be downloaded from there. I am also available to answer any queries you may have in this regard, so please feel free to contact me at mike@seaboard.co.za. Tel +27 (0)21 4211666 or cell +27 (0)83 300 4363 should you have any questions.

Kind regards,

MIKE WALWYN
Chairperson District 9350 Outbound Peace Fellowships Selection Committee.

9 January 2012