Peace Scholar from District 5550
Posted
on Nov 13, 2009
A Rotary World Peace Fellowship has been awarded to Abdikheir Sheikh Ahmed from Winnipeg. His sponsoring club is Winnipeg Charleswood. He will be attending the Rotary Centre at the University of Queensland in Brisbane starting in February, 2011.
He will study there for 15 months or more and come out of it with a master's degree.All of his expenses will be paid for by the Rotary Foundation.
Each year there are only 50 peace fellows selected globally by the Rotary Foundation Trustees. Our district is indeed honored by Abdi's selection.
Abdi is a native of Somalia but he really grew up in a refugee camp in northern Kenya; at the age of 11, his family was forced out of Somalia as a result of a horrible civil war. In Kenya there was conflict with the local people over the usage of natural resources, including water. Somehow Abdi was able to attend the Kenyatta University in Nairobi and attained a degree in environmental studies.
In 2003 he came as a refugee to Canada; he subsequently obtained an additional degree in international development from the University of Winnipeg as a "student of highest distinction". He now works for the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization of Manitoba where the executive director is Noel DePape, the only other peace scholar that we have had from District 5550. Abdi is a very exceptional person; his strongest character traits are his hunger for peace and his determination to work in conflict resolution.
Source: Laurence Vigras, RC Regina Eastview as published in Club Newsletter.
Each year there are only 50 peace fellows selected globally by the Rotary Foundation Trustees. Our district is indeed honored by Abdi's selection.
Abdi is a native of Somalia but he really grew up in a refugee camp in northern Kenya; at the age of 11, his family was forced out of Somalia as a result of a horrible civil war. In Kenya there was conflict with the local people over the usage of natural resources, including water. Somehow Abdi was able to attend the Kenyatta University in Nairobi and attained a degree in environmental studies.
In 2003 he came as a refugee to Canada; he subsequently obtained an additional degree in international development from the University of Winnipeg as a "student of highest distinction". He now works for the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization of Manitoba where the executive director is Noel DePape, the only other peace scholar that we have had from District 5550. Abdi is a very exceptional person; his strongest character traits are his hunger for peace and his determination to work in conflict resolution.
Source: Laurence Vigras, RC Regina Eastview as published in Club Newsletter.