The District 5080 Peace Committee has created the District 5080 Peace Academy to standardize and structure the Peace and Peacebuilding related educational efforts within the District under one organizational umbrella. The District Peace Academy has leveraged the talents of many Rotarians to create several curricula to help Rotarians District-wide gain a better understanding of Peacebuilding as part of the DNA of Rotary. 

There are three major functions of the Peace Academy.

1. Peacebuilding Conferences
2. District 5080 Leadership Development
3. Peace Academy Speakers Bureau
4. Peace Literacy Project

In 2021, the committee designed an arc of 5 positive peace conferences to engage Rotarians in the conversations of peacebuilding activity in their clubs, in our District and beyond. 

The five Peacebuilders in Action Events consisted of the following:

    Peacebuilders in Action: Today for Tomorrow
    6 June 2021, Virtual via ZOOM
    Keynote Speakers: Patricia Shafer, NewGen Peacebuilders
                                      Al Jubitz, Rotary Action Group for Peace

    Peacebuilders in Action: Creating Healthy Conversations
    16 October 2021, Virtual via ZOOM
    Keynote Speakers: Dr. Peter Coleman, Columbia University
                                      Paul Chappell, Peace Literacy Institute

    Peacebuilders in Action: Raising the Pillars of Positive Peace
    12 May 2022, Colville, Washington at the  Spokane Community College
    and Virtual via ZOOM
    Keynote Speaker: Lorelei Higgins, Peace Fellow (Virtual)
    Lead Facilitator: Chris Offer, Rotary Peace Fellow

    Peacebuilders in Action: Working Together for Positive Peace
    18 May 2023, Tri-Cities, Washington at the REACH Museum   
    Honorary Chair: Al Jubitz, Co-Founder, Rotary Action Group for Peace
    Keynote Speaker: Michael Collins, Executive Director USA, Institute for
                                    Economics and Peace (Virtual)
    Facilitators: Katherine Hughes Fraitech, Rotary Peace Fellow
                          Solomon Odero, Rotary Peace Fellow
                          Andrew Stone, Rotary Peace Fellow

    Peacebuilders in Action: Building A Place for Positive Peace
    3 May 2024, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho at the Human Rights Education Institute
    Keynote Speaker: Devankar Mukhi, Community Development

As part of the Five-Year Strategic Plan development process (Jan 2024 - Jul 2024) a new them for the Peacebuilders in Action Summits was established. This theme is based on the committees vision of World Peace 2040. The theme describes the next steps for achieving this Vision during the five-year period of 2024 - 2029.

Each of the five Peacebuilders in Action Summits, held in conjunction with the annual District Conference, will focus on a specific area to expand our knowledge and actions for creating A World of Peace.

District 5080 Leadership Development focuses on several areas of knowledge, understanding and application to support leadership sponsorship of the principles of Positive Peace and Peacebuilding as an integral element of the DNA of Rotary. The topics covered in this education include:

• Understanding the DNA of Peace in Rotary,
• Facilitating Healthy Conversations Within and Among Clubs and Rotarians,
• Differentiating the Rotary Focus of Peace & Conflict Resolution with the IEP Framework of Positive Peace,
• Using the Framework of the 8 Pillars of Positive Peace to Enrich Rotary Humanitarian Projects.

The Peace Academy Speakers Bureau also offers programs to clubs in support of the club member’s desire to gain an understanding of Peacebuilding and to learn how to participate in this critical Rotary International principle. There are several standard educational programs that are designed to be part of a Club’s regular meeting. These programs include:

• Peacebuilding 101 in District 5080
• Healthy Conversations in Difficult Times
• The History of Peacebuilding and Rotary
• Peacebuilders: People of Action
• Becoming a Peacebuilder Club
• Peacebuilding at Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park and Beyond
• Experiencing the WGIPPA Waterton Assembly 2023

Members of the Peace Academy Speakers Bureau are working diligently to record and upload these presentations and other videos to the District 5080 Peace Committee YouTube Channel.

The Peace Literacy Project works with the Peace Literacy Institute and Oregon State University to develop a District-wide program on developing curricula for local teachers that are interested in promoting the ideas of Waging Peace among their students and in their communities.

Individual Rotarians, Clubs, or District Leaders that are interested in requesting assistance from the District 5080 Peace Academy can contact the Academy Coordinator, at [email protected].