By Don Higgins
Member of Rotary Club of Pinellas Park, Florida
Founding Board Member & Social Media Manager for the Rotarian Action Group for Peace

Back in 2010 when I first learned about “Peace” becoming an area of focus under the new Future Vision plan and the Rotary theme for the year was “Peace through Service”, I decided to develop an interactive web based tool to help teach about world peace. Of course I learned a lot myself during the development. The website is www.WorldPeaceProgressChart.org. The website allows users in all countries to rank their country on nine factors required for sustainable world peace, and there are links to references about each of the nine factors.

In 2011 I requested the Rotarians on Social Networks Fellowship that I was a member of to consider sponsoring the tool as a project in support of the Rotary theme. The ROSNF Board decided that it was not something they wanted to sponsor as it was not focused on social networking. I then approached the RI staff about starting a Rotary Action Group for Peace. They said there was one which had already been proposed and would be considered by the RI board in November 2011. They gave me the name of Al Jubitz to contact to see if I would be interested in joining that effort.

I was invited to join the effort by Al Jubitz. The RI board did approve the Rotarian Action Group for Peace in November 2011. This was the only RAG approved in 2011. I volunteered to help with the development of a social network presence. The startup team initially consisted of Rotarians Al Jubitz, Dennis Wong, Harry Anastasiou, and Rotary Peace Fellow Erin Thomas.

I consider myself a novice regarding world peace, and I have learned a great deal about the challenging business of working toward world peace though the opportunity to work with the startup team and the growing network of RAGFP members. Two of my favorite videos on the subject of world peace which make you think are the following:

The first video by Patrick Hiller a professor at Portland State University is about 28 trends toward world peace including social networking. The second video by Jody Williams a Nobel Peace Prize winner is about a realistic vision of world peace.

If you are a Rotarian or Rotaractor, I encourage you to join the Rotarian Action Group for Peace if you haven’t already by visiting the website www.RotarianActionGroupForPeace.org. Then learn more about how you can take action to start or support peace projects around the world sponsored by Rotary clubs and districts. View the example projects on the above website. Also “Like” the RAGFP Facebook page where announcements about peace projects and events are posted. You can also join the RAGFP Facebook Discussion Group to learn more.