March 28, 2024
Annapolis, US 48 F

Annapolis resident named Rotary Peace Fellow

Emily WillardThe Rotary Club of Annapolis announces thatEmily Willard of Annapolis has been named as one of 100 Rotary Peace Fellows to study peace building and conflict resolution.  The program was created as part of Rotary’s ongoing effort to promote greater tolerance and cooperation among people worldwide. The fellowship is a globally competitive and prestigious award, according to Kathleen O’ Brien, a coordinator of programs and grants at the Rotary Peace Centers

A graduate of Broadneck High School, Ms. Willard will attend Chulalungkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand, one of six Rotary Peace Centers.  She will obtain a professional development certificate in peace and conflict resolution in the Summer of 2014.

“My goals are to continue to provide unique research and expertise in the field of genocide prevention, and to continue to promote the movement of recognizing ‘the right to information’ as a human right,” Ms. Willard said.

Her long-term goals include designing and producing her own research projects that will contribute to forming better international genocide prevention policy with support from the National Security Archive and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. She has been a research associate in Washington, D.C., at the archive working on the Genocide Prevention Project, focusing on Rwanda and Bosnia. She is a specialist in obtaining and analyzing declassified U.S. government documents.

She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Studies and Spanish and a Master of Arts degree in International Affairs, both from The American University. She was nominated by the Rotary Club of Annapolis and her application was approved by Rotary International District 7620, which encompasses central Maryland and Washington, D.C.

The more than 780 Rotary Peace Fellow alumni are now working in high-level positions at prestigious organizations such as the United Nations, the European Parliament, Interpol, U.S. Agency for International Development, Organisation[CQ] for Economic Co-operation and Development, and the Organization of American States.  While war, famine, poverty and disease remain serious challenges worldwide, the Rotary Peace Centers program gives Peace Fellows the knowledge and tools to address them.

Ten years ago, Rotary decided to take a direct approach to world understanding by providing future leaders with the tools they need to “wage peace” on the global stage. Since 2002, Rotary clubs each year sponsor up to 50 scholars who embark on one to two years of study to earn master’s-level degrees in peace and conflict resolution at Rotary Peace Centers at leading universities in England, Japan, Australia, Sweden, and the United States.

  • Uppsala University, Sweden
  • University of Bradford, UK
  • University of Queensland, Australia
  • International Christian University, Japan
  • Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA

Established in 2004, the Rotary Peace Center at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok offers a three-month professional development certificate in peace and conflict studies each year for up to 50 mid-level professionals from related fields, such as public health, education, international law, economic development, journalism, and social justice.  

Ms. Willard, 27, is one of the youngest individuals ever selected for the program. After she completes the certificate, she is considering pursuing a doctoral degree in order to achieve her goals in a university setting as a professor of international relations and peace and conflict resolution.

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