In June 2025, The Prem Rawat Foundation (TPRF) presented its Peace Education Program at the Rotary International Convention in Calgary, Canada. Rotary International is one of the world’s largest humanitarian and service organizations, comprised of 1.4 million members worldwide. One of Rotary’s seven areas of focus is Peacebuilding and Conflict Prevention, making this convention an important venue to present the Peace Education Program. This year, Rotary’s annual convention brought together 16,000 Rotary members and participants from 140 countries.
Several Peace Education Program volunteers are Rotarians themselves, contributing to peacebuilding efforts around the world. Among the TPRF delegation in Calgary were two Rotarians: Peace Education Program Director Willow Baker, who is the Rotary District 5240 Peacebuilder Chairperson, and David Hughes, a founding member of the UK and Ireland Rotary Action Group for Peace.
During the five-day convention, the TPRF team gave a poster presentation and a live session at the Rotary Peace Park, a beautifully designed space for dialogue and networking in relation to Rotary’s peacebuilding initiatives. The Peace Park hosted nearly 50 stage presentations and 16 poster presentations, with topics ranging from peacebuilding to humanitarian and human rights work, and more. The Rotary International President, Stephanie Urchick, as well as five former Rotary International presidents, addressed the Peace Park attendees, speaking to the intersection of Rotary’s work and peacebuilding.
During their poster and live presentations at the Peace Park, TPRF introduced the Peace Education Program as a practical and widely accessible resource for Rotarians to use in their clubs, districts and communities as part of their peacebuilding and conflict resolution work.
Watch the TPRF team present at the 2025 Rotary International Convention in Calgary, Canada
Reflecting on her experience in Calgary, Peace Educator Program Director Willow Baker shared, “It was an honor to be invited to present the Peace Education Program at the Peace Park. Rotary’s dedication to peacebuilding and conflict prevention closely aligns with the Peace Education Program’s emphasis on inner peace as a foundation for lasting change. I am pleased with the response from Rotarian peacebuilders across the globe and look forward to our ongoing collaboration.”
The team received strong interest in the Peace Education Program throughout the convention, including from Rotarians based in Canada, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and the United States. In response, the Peace Education Program team has already hosted an informational webinar and is currently conducting two workshops for Rotarians to experience the program firsthand, with the goal of supporting future implementation in their clubs, districts and communities.
