Rotary International has awarded $158,000 to the Seeds of Hope (SOH) International Peace Leadership Academy, a unique program that trains young adults in conflict resolution, peace building and civic leadership. The initiative was created through a partnership of the Rotary Club of San Antonio, Belfast and London, Derry (Northern Ireland), Dublin and Clonmel (Ireland), and the Hague (Netherlands).
The SOH academy is hosted on the famous Corrymeela Community Campus; an organization founded to promote peace and reconciliation in 1965 in Northern Ireland. It is in a stunningly beautiful location. But it was born during an ugly era; The Troubles (1960s-1990s), a decades-long, violent conflict between Protestant unionists and Catholic nationalists. As violence grew, Corrymeela became a refuge for displaced families and a safe place where divided community leaders could meet to grow peace and reconciliation.
Students who attend Corrymeela’s SOH will not only learn of Rotary’s philosophy of Positive Peace, they develop practical skills in public communication, organizational management, and leadership to effectively serve their communities. The academy emphasizes peace application in which students are to apply what they learn to difficult, real-world situations.
“Peacebuilding is hard work. Very.” Said Ken Nixon of the Rotary Club of Belfast, the project’s host club. “Peace requires action. And courage. So, we teach young leaders how to have the hard conversations, how to build trust where it’s been broken, and how to stand up and take the lead when no one agrees on the way forward.”
“Hosting this program here, in Northern Ireland, is deeply personal for many of us,” said Nixon. “We’ve learned some hard lessons in Northern Ireland. Our SOH academy makes sure those lessons are shared at home and abroad.”
The Seeds of Hope international Leadership Academy is backed by over 40 Rotary Clubs across 12 countries. It reflects Rotary’s growing focus on Positive Peace—which is not just the absence of violence, but the presence of justice, reconciliation, opportunity, and inclusion.
“Northern Ireland is a living laboratory for peace makers. But this isn’t just Northern Ireland’s story,” said McGuire. “This a global story—and Rotary is helping write the next chapter.”
