THEWAVE ISSUE 08 - FEBRUARY - 2021 A NEW DAWN VOICES OF ROTARY ROTARIANS WORLD OVER Makerere! Rotary! Peace! The journey begins February 2021 The Wave | 1 Inside the Wave o5 Editor’s Note Celebrate the Makerere University Rotary Peace Centre o7 President Rotary International’s Message Holger Knaack o8 District Governor’s Message Rosetti Nabbumba Nayenga 10 Foundation Trustee Chair’s Message K. R. Ravindran 11 Our voice, vote and vocation can promote peace.... Rtn. Dennis Wong 10 12 The relationship between Peace, Rotary and UNESCO PAG Jones Kyazze 14 Peacebuilding Clubs: A blossoming dream Rtn. Alison Sutherland 16 2021 Rotary Peace Fellows Rtn. Godfrey Mukalazi 19 23 Gear up for a youth peace hub in Northern Uganda Ocen Ivan Kenneth 20 24 Kasule - An advocate for the rights of PWDs 31 Ronald Kasule 26 We all appreciate peace, but why do we promote conflict? Emilian Kayima 28 Moshi’s Rotary Peace Garden: A beacon of hope 37 Rtn. Francis R. Selasini 33 Tell Rotary stories, create 40 RC Kabulasoke-Gomba 45 RC Tanga Central impact reaches out to health centres donates maternity kits to Mikanjuni Hospital 34 From disaster to a miracle: 41 So long President Abel Overcoming physical... Mbilinyi 47 Mission Green: Rotaract clubs plant 10,000 trees 39 Ukonga Rotary Club’s 44 Lessons from Rtn. in Western Uganda road to charter Robinah Lubwama’s life 51 35 45 Makerere University Rotary Peace Centre Applications Ongoing February 2021 The Wave | 3 Editor’s Note Celebrate the Makerere University Rotary Peace Centre Fellow Rotarians and our friends, This editorial was written at the time when Uganda was undergoing a Presidential and Parliamentary election. The tension preceding this process notwithstanding, we largely had a peaceful election. This was indeed a good time to reflect on the theme for this month - Peace and Conflict Prevention/ Resolution. For many people, peace is equated to mean the absence of war. Thankfully in this edition, Rtn. Dennis Wong, a Co-founder of the Rotary Action Group for Peace and Rtn. Jones Kyazze, a retired International Civil Servant help us understand the different dimensions of peace. Editorial team: In January 2020, Rotary International and Makerere University launched the first Rotary Peace Centre on the African Continent. It was a great joy for every Guru Sykes Rotarian, especially those in Zone 22 to have Makerere host the seventh Rotary RC DSM Mbezi Peace Centre. This month, the first cohort of Peace Fellows will begin their classes for a year-long Certificate in Peace-building, Conflict Transformation and Development. What a joy for us, to partake of this achievement as we celebrate Rotary’s 116 anniversary this month. Application for the 2022-23 Helen Kawesa intake for all Rotary Peace Centres starts this month, check out the Rotary RC Kampala website for more information. Ssese Islands The Peace and Conflict Prevention/Resolution focus area receives the least requests for Global Grant funding in our District. In this edition, we bring you Gyaviira Luwaga articles from the executive members of the Rotary Action Group for Peace, RC Muyenga who are also willing to support Rotary clubs to develop projects in this Tankhill area. This edition is rich with articles about peace, and different projects implemented by Rotary clubs. As the countdown to the end of District 9211 era begins, we encourage you to continue sharing your club and personal Rotary stories for publication. The benefits of sharing your Rotary story cannot be Catherine Rose Baretto underestimated. Speaking at last month’s Zone 22 Zoom meeting, Jennifer RC DSM North Jones the Rotary International President Nominee encouraged us Rotarians www.malariafreeug.com to share stories about the good we do, as this will attract like-minded people to join us. “Good public relations is about telling our story. This is the greatest membership recruitment and retention tool. Telling stories about our work Phiona Atuhaire shapes how people view our organisation, which promotes our brand and RC Kampala North image,” she added during her presentation about - Leveraging Public Image to Grow Rotary in Africa. Allow me congratulate the Tanzania RYLA (Rotary’s Youth Leadership Awards) Contributing Photography and Interact Bootcamp teams for winning the international – Leaders in RYLA Ibrah Bagalana Awards. You are an inspiration to many youth, thank you for raising the D9211 flag high. Lastly, remember to send your articles with three to five action photographs by Ivan Koreta the 15th day of the month to [email protected]. Rotaract Club of UTAMU Maria Roselynn Muzaaki [email protected] Lewis+Shaw Advertising Ltd 0785168939 / 0776681666 February 2021 The Wave | 5 ROTARY INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE COUNTDOWN TO D9213 AND D9214 Holger Knaack In Rotary, 23rd February is our anniversary, workshops on building inner and outer peace that draw on and February is also the month when we focus the power of storytelling, 40 participants will be sharing on promoting peace. There is a reason for their stories and reaching around 400 extended family and this: Contributing to peace and international community members. These inspiring but marginalised understanding has been a high priority for us women will reclaim their inner strength as peacebuilders at since our earliest days. the grassroots level. In this way, we will take steps toward the sustainable, peaceful society we need so much, not only We are often asked: “How can we get involved in our region but throughout the world. — Nino Lotishvili in peace now?” There are many paths to peace in Rotary. Our youth programs point us in the I was excited to join the peace incubator project and to direction of Positive Peace, as does the work of further strengthen my ties with Rotary’s peace community intercountry committees and the Rotary Action by working with past and current peace fellows to develop Group for Peace. these proposals. My team wrote five proposals — three in Bangladesh, one in Iraq, and one in Poland — that focus Another path is the Rotarian Peace Projects on the arts and on education to generate dialogue across Incubator (RPPI), an inspirational collaboration religious divisions and avert the radicalization of young among Rotarians, Rotaractors, and Rotary people. I was inspired by how, despite the pandemic, we Peace Fellows and alumni. Led by Rotarians came together via technology with a vision to develop, test, in Switzerland and Liechtenstein, RPPI has and strengthen ideas and to produce workable solutions My fellow Rotarians, we have begun the countdown to 1st July designed 48 global projects that any club that clubs across the world can support to advance peace. 2021 when D9211 becomes D9213 and D9214. I am sure many of can support, either directly or through Rotary I am excited to work with Rotary’s peace community to Foundation global grants. Nino Lotishvili and transform these visions into reality. — Matthew Johnsen you have questions about life after D9211. GOOD NEWS! I know Matthew Johnsen, alumni of the Rotary Peace people who have the answers. Send your questions to henry. Center at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Here is further proof that in Rotary, we prefer action to words. Thailand, are two of the many volunteers. This is Rotary at its best. I encourage you to visit rppi.ch to [email protected] or via WhatsApp +256-781236099. explore the projects and support them. Remember to include your name and club. During my Rotary peace journey, I have learned how personal resilience helps build inner We have lasted 116 years because of our strong ethics, our In the March Wave issue, we shall talk about the following programs: peace and create sustainable outer peace. passion for Service Above Self, and our unique approach to 1. Rotary Uganda Cancer Program This was the inspiration behind the Women problem-solving. One of our greatest strengths is how we 2. RI-USAID WASH Partnership Peace Ambassadors for the South Caucasus reach across our communities and national, ethnic, religious, 3. Mission Green project, which is based on my field research in and political divisions to unite people of all backgrounds and 4. Fitness and Nutrition (FAN) Georgia. The RPPI team of Rotarians and peace to help others. This month, let’s celebrate our history and the 5. The Rotary Blood Bank fellows recognized the incredible potential of many ways that Rotary Opens Opportunities to advance 6. Rotarian Malaria Partners Uganda women from mixed-ethnicity families who live world understanding, goodwill, and peace, our ultimate on borderlands to be role models for peace mission. No issue too sensitive, No question irrelevant. within and beyond their communities. Through Rtn. Henry Rugamba RC Kampala Member – Redistricting Team 2021 6 | February 2021 The Wave February 2021 The Wave | 7 ROSETTI NABBUMBA NAYENGA But peace is not just an academic idea for the Rotary Peace Fellows. The “advancement of international understanding, goodwill and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of service” is a collective responsibility. District Governor FELLOW ROTARIANS As I was contemplating on my message for this who are being trained to become catalysts of peace. One month, I was reminded of one of my favorite prayers of the hallmarks of the peace programme is the social - the Peace Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi: “Lord, change initiative that Peace Fellows will undertake, after make me an instrument of thy peace.” We are living completion of their studies, to promote sustainable peace in a world filled with conflict – in homes, workplaces within their communities. and communities. And although these situations distress us, our responses to them are often wanting. But peace is not just an academic idea for the Rotary Many times we find it easier to keep our distance; Peace Fellows.