Rotary Club of San Marino

2 weeks ago

ROTARY PEACE FELLOW, FLORENCE MAHER, REPORT
Nearly two years ago, I arrived in Japan to begin a Master’s degree in Peace Studies as a Rotary Peace Fellow. Promoting peace is one of Rotary’s six focus areas as part of building international relationships, improving lives, and creating a better world. The Rotary Peace Fellowship supports this goal by training peacebuilders at seven Rotary Peace Centers on five continents. The center in Tokyo welcomed its first class of Fellows in 2002, and in August 2018 I joined nine other professionals as part of the center’s 17th cohort. The thousands of Peace Fellowship alumni now working worldwide to prevent and resolve conflict and build sustainable solutions form an incredible network and embody Rotary’s on-going commitment to peace.
My experience as a Peace Fellow consisted of three pillars: academics, professional development, and community engagement. The core of the program is devoted to graduate studies, and during the first year I focused on my coursework in peace and international development. During the spring, the Fellows at ICU visited Hiroshima and we met with Japanese peace activists, including a survivor of the atomic bomb. I then traveled to Mexico to conduct interviews for my thesis on business and human rights, the writing of which consumed much of my time and attention during the second year of the program. The ICU Rotary Peace Center has a strong academic focus, and every Fellow must draft and defend a substantive thesis. Fortunately, I am happy to report that I successfully passed my thesis defense!
In addition to the academic curriculum, professional development is an important component of the Fellowship program. Each Peace Fellow is required to spend several months in an “Applied Field Experience” of their design, with the goal of moving the skill-building out of the classroom and into direct practice. During the summer between my first and second years, I interned at the OECD in Paris, France, where I supported international cooperation on the peaceful use of nuclear energy. Based on my summer experience, I am planning to work in an international organization after finishing the Fellowship.
Engagement with the local community, including the Japanese Rotarians, has been a significant and meaningful aspect of the program. Upon arrival in Tokyo, I was met at the airport by my Japanese Rotarian host counselor, Joji “George” Kitami of the Yokohama Konan Rotary Club. His club and district welcomed me and invited me to many events. In the university neighborhood, I volunteer monthly with an English conversation club for Japanese from the surrounding community to practice English and interact with international students. I also sang in a local choir, and organized a bilingual peace workshop with a municipal civil society organization, “Glocal Mitaka.”
My Peace Fellowship has enriched me immeasurably: I immersed myself in peace research, acquired new professional experiences, and developed wonderful relationships with the other Peace Fellows and the Japanese host community. I hope that the Fellowship continues to flourish and to cultivate peacebuilders with local roots and global visions. Thank you, District 5300 and the Las Vegas Rotary Club, for your generous support!

by Florence Maher
Florence Maher was born and raised in Oregon. She attended the University of Nevada – Las Vegas (UNLV). She transferred to Howard University and graduated in 2009
with a Bachelor’s degree in economics and political science.
In 2011, she joined the U.S. Foreign Service and represented the American people overseas in Mexico, Italy, Honduras, and Washington, DC.
In 2017, with the support of the Las Vegas Rotary Club, she was selected for the Rotary Peace Fellowship.
In July 16, 2020, the Rotary of San Marino invited Ms. Maher to be a guest speaker.

sanmarinorotary.org
rotaryclubofsanmarino@gmail.com ... See MoreSee Less

Rotary Club of San Marino

2 weeks ago

ROTARY PEACE FELLOW, FLORENCE MAHER, REPORT
Nearly two years ago, I arrived in Japan to begin a Master’s degree in Peace Studies as a Rotary Peace Fellow. Promoting peace is one of Rotary’s six focus areas as part of building international relationships, improving lives, and creating a better world. The Rotary Peace Fellowship supports this goal by training peacebuilders at seven Rotary Peace Centers on five continents. The center in Tokyo welcomed its first class of Fellows in 2002, and in August 2018 I joined nine other professionals as part of the center’s 17th cohort. The thousands of Peace Fellowship alumni now working worldwide to prevent and resolve conflict and build sustainable solutions form an incredible network and embody Rotary’s on-going commitment to peace.
My experience as a Peace Fellow consisted of three pillars: academics, professional development, and community engagement. The core of the program is devoted to graduate studies, and during the first year I focused on my coursework in peace and international development. During the spring, the Fellows at ICU visited Hiroshima and we met with Japanese peace activists, including a survivor of the atomic bomb. I then traveled to Mexico to conduct interviews for my thesis on business and human rights, the writing of which consumed much of my time and attention during the second year of the program. The ICU Rotary Peace Center has a strong academic focus, and every Fellow must draft and defend a substantive thesis. Fortunately, I am happy to report that I successfully passed my thesis defense!
In addition to the academic curriculum, professional development is an important component of the Fellowship program. Each Peace Fellow is required to spend several months in an “Applied Field Experience” of their design, with the goal of moving the skill-building out of the classroom and into direct practice. During the summer between my first and second years, I interned at the OECD in Paris, France, where I supported international cooperation on the peaceful use of nuclear energy. Based on my summer experience, I am planning to work in an international organization after finishing the Fellowship.
Engagement with the local community, including the Japanese Rotarians, has been a significant and meaningful aspect of the program. Upon arrival in Tokyo, I was met at the airport by my Japanese Rotarian host counselor, Joji “George” Kitami of the Yokohama Konan Rotary Club. His club and district welcomed me and invited me to many events. In the university neighborhood, I volunteer monthly with an English conversation club for Japanese from the surrounding community to practice English and interact with international students. I also sang in a local choir, and organized a bilingual peace workshop with a municipal civil society organization, “Glocal Mitaka.”
My Peace Fellowship has enriched me immeasurably: I immersed myself in peace research, acquired new professional experiences, and developed wonderful relationships with the other Peace Fellows and the Japanese host community. I hope that the Fellowship continues to flourish and to cultivate peacebuilders with local roots and global visions. Thank you, District 5300 and the Las Vegas Rotary Club, for your generous support!

by Florence Maher
Florence Maher was born and raised in Oregon. She attended the University of Nevada – Las Vegas (UNLV). She transferred to Howard University and graduated in 2009
with a Bachelor’s degree in economics and political science.
In 2011, she joined the U.S. Foreign Service and represented the American people overseas in Mexico, Italy, Honduras, and Washington, DC.
In 2017, with the support of the Las Vegas Rotary Club, she was selected for the Rotary Peace Fellowship.
In July 16, 2020, the Rotary of San Marino invited Ms. Maher to be a guest speaker.

sanmarinorotary.org
rotaryclubofsanmarino@gmail.com ... See MoreSee Less