I recently attended the Rotary Peace conference in Istanbul, Turkey at the same time the new Peace Center was being dedicated at Bahcesehir University. Opening the seventh Peace Center is a big deal. There have been over 1800 graduates with a Masters or Certification in Peace and Conflict Resolution since this program was started.
Some may say it’s no big deal but to me it’s drawing a line in the sand that says the only way to end hunger, war, disease, and poverty is to have peace. Think about it: Rotary got the war stopped in Gaza for three days to immunize children for polio. They did the same thing in Sri Lanka. Would we have had to do that if there was peace there? What about immigration? If there was peace in certain countries would we have to worry about people fleeing their countries to avoid being killed? What about climate change? People living in peace are more likely able to positively affect their environment if they aren’t worried about staying alive.
I attended a breakout session that was how environmental degradation, resource scarcity, and conflict are interconnected and play a critical role in shaping peace building efforts. Another breakout session concerned using AI for building peace, healing and safety through technology. They also talked about using AI to track cases of violence and help predict where they may flair up. Another session dealt with polarization and how the perception of polarization is stronger than the actual polarization. This shows the importance of listening to one another and understanding each other’s perspective. You can’t hate somebody if you know their story.
The last breakout session I attended dealt with the real cost of wars. Not just human life, mental health, dollars spent on making war but the environmental cost of the after effects of war. It was very eye opening.
I met a Peace Fellow graduate, Cecilia, who is originally from Romania and now lives in Estonia working for the European Union helping countries and businesses improve their cybersecurity. She also continues to collaborate with other alumni to find ways to further peace around the world.
In summary, it was a great conference that I wish everyone could have attended to see the work that Rotary is doing to make a positive impact in the world. REMEMBER, if it wasn’t for you, Rotary wouldn’t be able to do all the things that make this world a better place!
Lastly, I picked up three quotes at the conference. The first person to email me with the names of who the quotes belong to will receive a prize.
In Rotary,
Bruce
1. The true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members.
2. Life is short. Make it count by doing good.
3. It takes a great deal of courage to stand up to our enemies, it also takes a great amount of courage to stand up to our
friends.
I attended a breakout session that was how environmental degradation, resource scarcity, and conflict are interconnected and play a critical role in shaping peace building efforts. Another breakout session concerned using AI for building peace, healing and safety through technology. They also talked about using AI to track cases of violence and help predict where they may flair up. Another session dealt with polarization and how the perception of polarization is stronger than the actual polarization. This shows the importance of listening to one another and understanding each other’s perspective. You can’t hate somebody if you know their story.
The last breakout session I attended dealt with the real cost of wars. Not just human life, mental health, dollars spent on making war but the environmental cost of the after effects of war. It was very eye opening.
I met a Peace Fellow graduate, Cecilia, who is originally from Romania and now lives in Estonia working for the European Union helping countries and businesses improve their cybersecurity. She also continues to collaborate with other alumni to find ways to further peace around the world.
In summary, it was a great conference that I wish everyone could have attended to see the work that Rotary is doing to make a positive impact in the world. REMEMBER, if it wasn’t for you, Rotary wouldn’t be able to do all the things that make this world a better place!
Lastly, I picked up three quotes at the conference. The first person to email me with the names of who the quotes belong to will receive a prize.
In Rotary,
Bruce
1. The true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members.
2. Life is short. Make it count by doing good.
3. It takes a great deal of courage to stand up to our enemies, it also takes a great amount of courage to stand up to our
friends.