March 26th, 2020. South Sudan: Ranked 161/163. Written by Anis Zaman and RAGFP Staff. 

South Sudan, the youngest nation in the world, has suffered from many obstacles, including a 5-year civil war, little economic opportunity, as well as water shortages. In South Sudan, only 55% of people have access to safe drinking water. Due to increased costs of production, water providers in Juba are producing less and charging more, squeezing people’s access to safe water even further. People living in urban areas, particularly in poorer neighborhoods, have been hardest hit. They can no longer afford to buy enough safe water.

March 4, 2020. Syria: ranked 162/163, By Anis Zaman and Anna DaSilva, Rotarian Action Group for Peace

“The last thing I remember of Syria before we left, was when my mother was taking me from our place to our grandparents. The roads were full of dead corpses,” said Alia, a 7-year-old Syrian refugee who fled her home in Aleppo to Damour, Lebennan. “I miss my home a lot. I hope one day we’ll be back and things will be just like before.” Like Alia, hundreds of thousands of Syrians tell similar stories of destruction, loss, and despair.  According to the Institute of Economics and Peace's (IEP) Global Peace Index, Syria is the second least peaceful nation in the world after Afghanistan. The 9-year Civil war has left most of the nation's residents displaced from their homes. IEP determined that Syria has the highest rates of criminality, terrorism, access to weapons, violent demonstrations, political terror, and death due to internal conflict. 

February 26, 2020. Safeguarding Schools against Human Trafficking. Written by James Flannagan RAGFP Intern.

Estela Landeros is a Rotarian and lifelong educator who has tirelessly worked to eliminate human trafficking from schools worldwide. She partnered with Just Ask Prevention, a non-profit that educates teachers and students about the signs of human trafficking, as well as strategies to protect their communities.

February 20, 2020. Afghanistan 163/163. By the Rotarian Action Group for Peace.

Out of 163 nations, The IEP ranked Afghanistan as the world's least peaceful nation. The prolonged conflict has devastated the socio-economic system of Afghanistan. Despite many efforts by the international community, the region is still suffering from the lack of positive peace structures in place. The Majority of the Afghan population is living in inhumane conditions. Lack of access to clean drinking water, electricity, gas, and other utility services makes daily life in Afghanistan incredibly harsh. The United Nations and several NGOs are working in Afghanistan to improve the deteriorated socio-economic conditions but a majority of the population is still not receiving the resources they need due to conflict. According to the Afghan Ministry of Economy, in 2018 a total of 1,656 NGOs are working in Afghanistan. A total of 2,537 projects were undertaken and spent 876 million USD to improve the living conditions of over 37 million people.  The major spending was in the social protection sector but these projects rarely served populations outside of the capital city, Kabul. To build resilience in these communities, Peacebuilders and leaders must strategize projects to make resources available near these conflict zones. 

How to Add Peace in your Life 2020. By Barbara, Gaughen-Muller. February 3rd, 2020. 

Now that the calendar has flipped to 2020, we have a new year filled with promise and resolutions. If you are like most of us, your plate is filled to overflowing. Do you ever say to yourself, “I wish I could just find a little peace?” In our very busy lives with to-do lists and global unrest, you may feel peace is just impossible. My goal is not to give you one more should, like “you should be peaceful,” or one more item to add to your lists. I just want to show you how small steps can help you add peace to your daily life. The following five tips and tricks are easy and enjoyable ways to impact your — and others’ — lives for the better this new year, a new decade.