Rotary Peace Through Service Australia

Rotary International themed the Rotary year 2012-2013 ‘Peace Through Service’.  This requires all Rotary Clubs to focus on peace in their community.   Australian Rotary Downunder Magazine published an article on the background of Susan Carew, a Rotary Peace Scholar overviewing her work with the clown doctor Patch Adams in Russia, peace education in schools and travelling the World and then Australia as a World Peace Clown.   The article invited Rotary Clubs from around Australia to initiate through their School Link program  introductions for Susan aka Peacefull to come to their school to teach peace education and sustainability.

John and Judy Stafford from the Rotary Club of Naracoorte in South Australia contacted Susan and invited her to come to Naracoorte.  They developed a comprehensive schedule that not only linked schools (teaching peace sessions) but utilised clowning to build bridges through community build with the Hazara Afghans (Multicultural Resource Centre) and to bring joy and cheer to the elderly at the Longridge Nursing Home.  Peacefull was invited to teach a clown workshop for locals and invited to facilitate a workshop with teachers at a Secondary College in Mount Gambier.    The project was very successful and there was excellent feedback.  

It was estimated, through this initiative of the Rotary Club of Naracoorte, that approximately 700 children and adults had face to face contact with the Peace Clown and after local newspapers wrote stories coupled with an interview with Susan on ABC regional radio, the media reach was estimated at 5,000.   This was over a period of 1.5 weeks and is a testimony to the initiative of the Rotary Club of Naracoorte.

The project is in alignment with UNESCO’s of promoting a Culture of Peace and has the potential to be developed in schools and their local communities.

The presentation below provides an overview of the Peace Through Service project in South Australia and is an excellent case study of what other Rotary Clubs or community groups can do to facilitate peaceful communities in harmony with Rotary’s mission of World Peace.