District 9910 is delighted to share news on their Rotary Peace Fellowship Scholar, Scarlett Hawkins.

Article provided by D9910 District Membership Chair PDG Elaine Mead and District Rotary Peace Fellowship Chair PDG Peter Garnett, in collaboration with Scarlett Hawkins.

The Rotary theme for February was Peacebuilding and Conflict Prevention and, with all the challenges our world is currently facing, it is wonderful to be able to share positive news about the impact of the Rotary Peace Fellowship programme. District 9910 is delighted to share how their Rotary Peace Fellowship Scholar, Scarlett Hawkins is going in her studies.

Scarlett, and her partner Jero, arrived at the Duke-University of North Carolina Rotary Peace Center in August 2021. On their arrival they were collected from the airport by the Rotarian responsible for supporting the Fellows upon arrival and stayed at the home of her Rotary Host Counsellor the first night. The next day, “we went to the meeting of the Rotary Club of Southwest Durham which was in the gorgeous historic Hope Valley Country Club - talk about a culture shock!”

The same afternoon, they moved into their apartment, which was furnished generously by the Rotary clubs. The clubs have a warehouse full of furniture that is taken by and recirculated to fellows each year as one cohort finishes and another starts. In Scarlett’s words “It's been a huge relief to just walk into our place, throw down our suitcases, set up a few furniture pieces and have a new home set up!”

Scarlett is now in her second semester of the Master in Global Studies, Migration and Labor Rights at the University of North Carolina (UNC) in Chapel Hill. In addition to her program, she is undertaking two Graduate Certificates: International Peace and Conflict Resolution at UNC, and International Development Policy at Duke University.

Scarlett is a Gender-Based Violence Specialist who, at the time of being selected for the prestigious Rotary Peace Fellowship, was working in Vanuatu on the Spotlight Initiative to Eliminate Violence Against Women and Girls. First with the United Nations Population Fund and then with the International Organization for Migration, the UN migration agency.

“I have taken to life in Chapel Hill with great enthusiasm. Through my interdisciplinary studies, I am undertaking a strong mix of practical and theoretical classes this semester which include conflict transformation, project management for international development, social work for refugees and recent migrants, and violence prevention through public health approaches. My research interests relate to structural drivers of violence in the emerging area of the humanitarian-developing-peace nexus, with a focus on mechanisms for community healing, addressing root causes of conflict, and accountability to affected populations.”

“Currently I am seeking internship opportunities for the summer as part of my Applied Field Experience. I hope to work in peacebuilding or humanitarian affairs for a United Nations agency or a peacebuilding-oriented civil society organisation. I am looking at opportunities both in the United States and across Latin America.”

“Whenever I’m not nose-deep in a book or journal article, I love to ride my bicycle around town, go to a yoga class, or explore beautiful North Carolina with my partner Jero, who is a chef working at a popular Asian Fusion restaurant. I have strategically waded into the ferocious debate about which of the state’s two signature barbecue styles is best with characteristic Peace Fellow diplomacy – by indulging in both kinds regularly and with great enthusiasm!”

Applications are now open for the Rotary Peace Fellowship for Master’s Degree and Professional Development Certificate programs around the world. To anyone considering taking the next step in their commitment to service before self, Scarlett says: “Don’t hesitate to apply for the Rotary Peace Fellowship – it’s a life-changing experience!”