Each year, The Rotary Foundation awards up to 50 fellowships for master’s degrees and 50 for certificate studies at premier universities in six locations around the world. In the summer of 2019, Kalika Kastein, an outgoing Class of XVI Rotary Peace Fellow from International Christian University (ICU), Tokyo, will graduate from her master’s degree. Kalika … Continue reading Rotary Peace Fellowship: Spotlight on a fellow – Lorraine Hayman, Class XVIII

In October 2019, I was invited to attend the Rotary District 2780 Conference, along with my host district, 2750, and two other Rotary Peace Fellows, Derek from the United States, and Ousman from Gambia.  My host district is in Odawara, which is about 2.5 hours away from where I live. While I have been to … Continue reading Rotary District 2780 Conference: Joining the World – Jaclyn McAlester, Class XVIII

In 2004, Kazuyoshi Ohtaki was invited by a friend to a meeting at the Shintoshin Rotary Club in Tokyo. He had heard about Rotary Clubs, but he did not know exactly how it worked. This gathering allowed Mr. Ohtaki to see how people used friendship to strengthen themselves and unite efforts to make an impact … Continue reading Rotarian Profile: Mr. Ohtaki and his commitment to volunteer service as a Rotarian – Angela Betancur, Class XVII

Three feet is the average distance between two people in conversation.  To speak of “the last three feet” refers to the power of in-person communication in an age of impersonal electronic messages, as well as the distance and difficulty of bridging linguistic and cultural differences.  Traveling to Hiroshima and Kyoto this March, with many opportunities … Continue reading The Last Three Feet: Reflecting on our Rotary Peace Fellow Travel to Hiroshima and Kyoto – Florence Maher, Class XVII