Rotary, whose primary mission to eradicate polio is almost done, is focusing all of its projects under the umbrella of peace now, and Tom Schneider, vice president of public relations and peace for the Rotary Club of San Miguel de Allende Midday, will present some of those exciting projects from SMA and around the world Tuesday, March 7, at 12:30 p.m. at Hotel Mision, Salida a Queretaro 1. The meeting will be free and in English.
Rotary Is Peace, a five-minute video, will be shown in English. The video says, “Now is the peaceful time in the history of the world!” Combat deaths, violence against women and children, slavery and more are at all-time historic lows. While we hear about violence more from the 24-hour news cycle and social media, the actual numbers are way down. Rotary, now in its 100th year, has been a part of this. Through a Rotary grant, the Spanish “Rotary Es Paz” has been produced. Members of both San Miguel Rotary Clubs are now distributing the videos on a USB drive.
Also featured will be the Columbian Forgiveness Project in which Rotary will support a special year-long program designed by Mediators Beyond Borders International to teach forgiveness.The government of Columbia has been engaged in a brutal internal armed conflict since 1964 with the FARC guerrilla group that has killed more than 220,000 people and generated more than eight million victims.
The FARC has recently signed a treaty with the government, disarmed and agreed to be a political party. Everyone is not happy with this political solution but the people in the most affected regions still need to find new ways of dealing with trauma. They have endured years of violence from both sides. Many of these people still seek revenge for the wrongs done to them by combatants.
Instead of retributions, people are learning methods to not harm to their neighbors or other families. The objectives are to train vulnerable population to become peacebuilders; help them recover from psychological and social damages; and strengthen their knowledge of conflict resolution, mediation and other peacebuilding tools. “This is the front line of peace,” said Schneider.
Also featured will be a Rotary project entitled Non-Violent Peace Force in which professionally prepared, unarmed civilians deploy into conflict zones to prevent or reduce violence and provide direct physical protection to civilians under threat. This also strengthens local peace infrastructures that help communities protect themselves and resolve conflict nonviolently.
Unlike traditional military peacekeeping, this is done without the use of weapons. The Unarmed Civilian Protection emphasizes relationships over military power. Initial studies by the United Nations show the Unarmed Civilian Protection methods are more effective and a less expensive option to armed protection. The United Nations is considering a major training expansion to not only save money but also be more effective in their peacekeeping mission.
Locally, Rotary and Camino de la Paz have presented events surrounding the United Nations International Day of Peace on September 21. In April 2015, they hosted a peace and prosperity conference showing the economic value of positive peace.
Rotary is where neighbors, friends, and problem-solvers share ideas, join leaders, and take action to create lasting change. For more information, contact President Nate Fultz at[email protected], and see RotarySMAMidday.org. To view Rotary is Peace, see https://player.vimeo.com/video/132750732. To view Rotary Es Paz, see https://youtu.be/FQuw79m1X8U. To inform Rotary that you have viewed either, please go to www.RotaryIsPeace.org o www.RotaryEsPaz.org.
- What: Rotary Presentation
- Title: Rotary Peace Projects in SMA and around the World
- Date, time: Tuesday, March 7, 12:30 p.m.
- Where: Hotel Mision,
- Address: Salida a Queretaro 1
- Extra info: 415 112 3413
- Cost: Free
By Robin Loving
