As a humanitarian organization, peace is a cornerstone of the mission for Rotarians around the world. Rotarians believe when people work to create peace in their communities, that change can have a global effect. By carrying out service projects and supporting peace fellowships and scholarships, members can take action to address the underlying causes of conflict, including poverty, discrimination, ethnic tension, lack of access to education, and unequal distribution of resources.
In 2023, District 7080 Governor Kathi Dick spearheaded a fundraising drive to raise $30,000 to support three students in the MPACS program. By early 2024, more than 40 clubs joined this effort to pledge support for peace by assisting in covering education expenses. This is an amazing commitment by Rotarians to concretely support values of peacebuilding around the world.
Learn more about Rotary International's commitment to promoting peace
The Award's Purpose
The Rotary Peace Scholarship attracts and supports top graduate students from Canada and internationally whose research program is focused broadly on the questions of peace, in the fields of global political economy, global environmental governance, human rights and global justice, conflict and security, global social governance, civil society, multilateral institutions and diplomacy.
About the award and eligibility
This award supports the training of graduate students and community leaders originating from areas of conflict, with priority given to international students.
Students who are giving leadership in the area of conflict management in their home community and who are committed to working in the area of peace and conflict transformation after graduation will be invited to apply after they have been offered admission to the MPACS program.
The goal of the Rotarians of District 7080 is to sponsor three students each year in the amount of $10,000.00 per student. This is a three year commitment.
Waterloo is the place for Peace
Forty-five years ago Conrad Grebel University College established the first peace studies program at a Canadian university. The University of Waterloo has focused its reputation and resources to train students and provide research capacity to deal with global governance issues. This includes other faculties from the University of Waterloo, as they engage in creative conversations about ways that their research and faculty expertise can increase the capacity for peace building. Strategic partnerships with Rotarians around the world utilize the experience and resources Waterloo has for creating a more peace-filled world.
Past Award Recipients
Brendah Ndagire - MPACS Recipient
Brendah Ndagire completed her undergraduate degree in economics at the Uganda Christian University. After completing a fellowship with UrbanPromise in New Jersey -- working with youth in after school programs -- she went on to receive a master's degree in International Development from Eastern University in Pennsylvania.
Brendah's professional experience includes cultural orientation work with newly arrived refugees in Baltimore through International Rescue Committee. She also spent two years working alongside Mennonite Central Committee, accompanying peacebuilding processes in rural Colombia.
After studying economics and international development, Brendah felt the need to further her studies in conflict and peacebuilding practices. “My interest in peace was shaped out of my experience working in New Jersey and time I spent living in Baltimore, and my time working with Mennonite Central Committee in Colombia," she explained. "These experiences led me to ask myself 'How do I move forward with this interest in Peace Building and International Development?'"
Through the Master of Peace and Conflict Studies program, Brendah is researching women and peace, specifically examining how women lead peacebuilding processes, in what ways conflict is affecting women, and why it is important for them to be apart of peacebuilding processes.
Thomas Fraser - MPACS Recipient
Thomas Fraser received his Bachelor of Arts with a double major in International Relations and Development Sociology from the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Before embarking on his academic career, Thomas trained as a novice monk in the African Buddhist Seminary. During his undergraduate studies at the University of Witwatersrand, Fraser was involved in student protest movements and advocacy, specifically regarding food sovereignty and climate justice. He has worked a non-profit organization focused on the global development of civil society.
Thomas is a 2019-2020 recipient of the Rotary Peace Scholarship at the University of Waterloo. “The Rotary Scholarship came as a surprise,” says Thomas, “but I am immensely grateful, as it has made all the difference. I would not be here if it were not for the Rotary Scholarship.” During his first term in the MPACS program, Thomas worked closely with local climate activists and began volunteering at The Working Centre. More recently, Thomas also completed Transformative Mediation training at Community Justice Initiatives, where he will be stationed as a fall intern in the Conflict Resolution and Mediation program. Moving forward, Thomas seeks to focus intensively on his studies while remaining as socially engaged as possible.
Rizwan - mpacs recipient
Rizwan completed a Master of Business Administration at COMSATS University Islamabad in Pakistan. He is a 2018-19 recipient of the Rotary MPACS Scholarship.
Rizwan is a Christian peace activist from Pakistan who has experienced targeted violence due to religious intolerance. His mission is to promote respect and diversity by advocating for human and minority rights. Upon completion of the MPACS program, he plans to return to Pakistan and establish a Peace resource centre in his home community.
Katelynn folkerts - mpacs recipient
Katelynn Folkerts completed a Bachelor of Arts in Global Development with a minor in Economics from Queen’s University. Throughout her undergraduate degree, she enjoyed connecting her studies to practical experience developing literacy programs with remote Indigenous communities, and working for a drop-in center for marginalized adults in Kingston, Ontario. Katelynn became interested in peacebuilding while working in conflict early warning/early response for the Emergency Preparedness and Response Teams network (EPRT) in Jos, Nigeria. She used her MPACs degree to develop her particular interest in the contributions that youth make to peacebuilding by completing an internship with Mercy Corps in Haiti on a community violence reduction program based on youth-led community-based research, restorative justice and economic development initiatives. Katelynn also initiated a research project to understand the experiences of challenges of youth who are members of gang-like social groups in Haiti, in order to improve the relevance of future programs to youth who are more vulnerable to becoming involved in violence, and build on their unique capacities and understandings of conflict dynamics. After completing her MPACS degree, Katelynn hopes to continue to work on peacebuilding initiatives that affirm the unique capabilities and needs of youth in conflict areas.
Catherine Garacho - mpacs recipient
Catherine Garacho completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science with Minor in Law and Society from Concordia University. She is the 2017-18 recipient of the Rotary MPACS Scholarship.
Originally from Zimbabwe, Catherine moved to the United States and then to Montreal to pursue further education. Catherine has since moved to the Waterloo Region to pursue a Master of Peace and Conflict Studies (MPACS) degree in hopes of contributing to peace with particular interest in women’s rights and youth education.
“I come from a continent ridden in conflict,” explained Catherine. “The lexicon of conflict is written in our collective consciousness. I have no doubt that the MPACS program will provide me with the knowledge and skills that I seek in my quest to contribute to resolving conflicts in the continent where I hail from.”
After completing her MPACS degree, Catharine has dreams to continue her education in Law school in hopes of becoming a human rights lawyer.
Jessie Castello - conflict management recipient
Jessie Castello interned with CIVICUS in Johannesburg, South Africa, a global leader in civil action and protection of civil society. Prior to this experience Jessie has engaged in a wide variety of social justice community projects, including delivery of anti-bullying curriculum to elementary school students and summer camp leadership facilitation and mentoring. Jessie is enrolled in the Conflict Management and Mediation Certificate Program, offered by Conrad Grebel University College, and is completing a Master of Peace and Conflict Studies degree, also at Grebel.
Yelena Gyulkhandanyan - conflict management recipient
Yelena Gyulkhandanyan is a graduate of the Master of Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Waterloo. Yelena, who spent her childhood in Armenia, has a strong passion for civil society engagement and activism and is pursuing skills in mediation and dispute resolution through her enrollment in the Certificate in Conflict Management and Mediation. She has been engaged in the work of organizations such as Amnesty International, World University Service of Canada, Frontier College, and Justice for Children and Youth. During her studies, internship opportunities engaged her in the work of Search for Common Ground, Washington, DC, Policy Forum Armenia, Washington, DC, and Centre for Internet and Society, Bangalore, India. Currently Yelena is working for United Nations (International Organization for Migration in Yemen).