Partnering for Peace (PFP) was pleased to participate in the Rotary International Convention this year, with a booth and speaking opportunities. Having a staffed PFP booth in the House of Friendship (HOF) Peace Park was big positive for the partnership. This was the first year that a Peace Park was included in the HOF and PFP was specifically invited by the Peace Rotary Action Group (Peace RAG) to have a free booth next to the Peace Park. The Peace Park had a stage and various peace organizations including PFP were asked to have a booth all around the Peace Park. PFP’s booth was one of the best booths because we faced the Peace Park stage and we were close enough that we could hear everything and we had a lot of visibility and traffic at our booth. We raised awareness of and interest in the partnership, of Peace Corps and of the many current and potential benefits to Rotary at the International, District and Club levels. The other Rotary Peace organizations, such as the Institute for Economics and Peace, the Peace Fellows, the Peace Rotary Action Group, the Rotary Action Group to Combat Human Slavery, and many others, would like to partner with PFP and have PFP members helping them with their programs and projects.
We grew the PFP community by adding to the email list and added many personal connections. PFP would like to thank current PFP board members Cal Mann, Steve Werner, and Erica Brouillette and former PFP board member Bill Stumbaugh for helping with setting up the booth, staffing the booth, and speaking at a Special Briefing that took place on the Monday afternoon of the Convention. In addition to increasing awareness of the partnership between Rotary and Peace Corps among Americans attending the Melbourne Convention, there is a good possibility that Australian and Canadian Rotary clubs will develop a similar partnership with their country’s version of Peace Corps. And several Rotarians from Peace Corps countries came by to say how much meeting or being taught by a Peace Corps volunteer meant to them.
The Special Briefing with Steve, Cal, Bill and Erica was better attended than planned. Extra chairs had to be brought in and the enthusiasm and questions indicated a strong interest in the partnership. Many new Rotarian RPCVs attended and joined PFP. And a few District Governor Elects asked for someone from PFP to speak at next year’s District Conference. After the special briefing PFP had a Happy Hour that was also well attended and increased the fellowship we share together.
A few more details:
· Dozens of PC community members visited the booth: RPCV Rotarians, former PC host country staff, host country Rotarians who’d been counterparts to PCVs, family and friends of PC Volunteers (prospective, current and past), Rotaractors, Interactors, and Peace Fellows, fans, supporters, past-applicants who didn’t go, etc.
· US Rotary clubs can immediately begin building relationships with their local PC community members, such as the local PC Recruiter who might be able to connect them with PC Invitees or Applicants, local RPCV groups (find them at peacecorpsconnect.org/Affiliate Groups)
· Many PC host country Rotarians have fond memories of the PCV(s) in their community. They are interested in connecting with PC in their country again. (We informed them of how we can help them connect with the PC office in their country (Go to PeaceCorps.gov and you can get the contact by country.)
· US Interactors have low awareness of PC but once they understand what it is, they have a high level of interest. Speaking to their clubs should be high on our priority list and also then speaking to the Rotary club that is the Interact Club’s sponsor.
Finally, we had several Rotary leaders stop by the booth and express their support for the partnership, John and Marga Hewko, Stephanie Urchick (Rotary International President Nominee), Peter Kyle, immediate past RI board member, Al Jubitz, founder of the Peace Rotary Action Group, Fergal McCarthy, TRF Program Manager for the Peace and Conflict Area of Focus. We hope more PFP members will attend next year’s Convention in Singapore where we hope to have a booth if we find members to help staff it.