Date/Time/Location:

Saturday, October 26

  • 5:00 – 7:00 PM (Greenwich Mean Time)
  • 9:00 – 11:00 AM (Pacific Daylight Time)

Join us on the live streamed event here!

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The Rotarian Action Group for Peace, the War Prevention Initiative by the Jubitz Family Foundation and the Conflict Resolution Program at Portland State University are proud to host a globally-streamed event featuring Dr. Joseph G. Bock, Director of Graduate Studies at the Eck Institute for Global Health at the University of Notre Dame. Dr. Bock will engage with Rotarians from around the world about how Rotarians can become more involved in preventing conflict and promoting peace. 

  • Viewer questions can be submitted online or in person at the workshop, at any time during the presentation.
  • Use the “Chat” feature on the right hand side of the U-stream screen.
  • The presenters may not be able to get through all of the questions. Similar questions may be put together, and in some cases, the Rotarian Action Group for Peace may get back to you separately about a question if it does not fit into the program timetable.

PART 1 (9:00 AM – 9:50 AM Pacific Daylight Time)

The human, economic, social and political costs of large-scale violence and war are immense. Global conflict often has its roots in local conflict. Preventing violent conflict at a local level is usually seen as an issue for the police or military; however, local organizations like Rotary clubs can have a significant impact.

In the first part of this seminar, Dr. Bock will talk about how both the horizontal and vertical relationships that Rotarians bring to the table can be leveraged for better community relationships. With more than 1.2 million members in almost 35,000 clubs worldwide, Rotary International is one of the largest organizations with the guiding principles of advancing international understanding, goodwill and peace. Rotarians already maintain strong relationships between clubs and with other organizations, and Rotarians also have important local relationships with mid- and top-level leaders in their communities from the religious, government or law enforcement sectors. In his most current work, Dr. Bock focuses on violence prevention through what he calls “early warning and response systems.”

At this event, Rotarians will have the opportunity to hear from Dr. Bock about how he sees their network and relationships leading to stronger peacebuilding networks, including early warning and response systems. Participants will be able to join the discussion by submitting questions throughout the presentation.

Part 2 (10:00 AM – 11:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time)

In the second part of this seminar, Dr. Bock will look at some specific examples of how Rotarian involvement can contribute to violence prevention and peace.

Klamath Basin Watershed, USA – We will share a video presentation about the work of Rotarian Jim Root (Klamath Falls, Oregon, USA) which describes how he brought together his community to solve a conflict that was escalating around the Klamath basin watershed. Dr. Bock will comment on this example of early conflict response and answer questions from audience members.

Sri Lanka – Dr. Bock will tell about his work with Rotary clubs and other organizations during the two years he spent in Sri Lanka. While there, he witnessed Rotary clubs separating along ethnic lines during the time leading up to the greatest conflict. He will explain his interaction and take questions from audience members.

Rotary Global Grant for Mediation, Uganda – We will share a video presentation about a project that is jointly managed by Rotary Peace Fellows Robert Opira (2005-07) and Godfrey Mukalazi (2004-06), along with five US-based Rotary clubs and the Rotary Club of Kololo-Kampala in Uganda. Together they applied for a Rotary Foundation Global Grant in Peace and Conflict Prevention/Resolution and created a project that focuses on creating a culture of dialogue and mediation in four “hot-spot” districts of Uganda. The Peace Fellow-led Great Lakes Center for Conflict Resolution is training mediators to help create empowered community leaders by giving them tools to identify potential areas of conflict within their communities. Mediators then provide mediation to conflicting parties and train additional community members. The project also works with youth groups to create a dialogue about peaceful conflict resolution and to create income-generating projects which will bring together youth of different tribal backgrounds to work together towards a common cause. Dr. Bock will comment on this example of early conflict response and answer questions from audience members.

More About The Speaker:

Dr. Bock has addressed gatherings at the World Bank, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, and a UN Assembly in Cairo. He has also consulted with the Asia Foundation, directed international programs from on the ground with American Refugee Committee and Catholic Relief Services, served three terms in the Missouri House of Representatives, and directed external relations for the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame.