President Lynne introduced Sally Angelson to us as a ‘neighbour’, while she works in an office at Community House just outside our meeting room, Sally was able to share even more links to us through Rotary International's Peace initiatives. After a 25 year career working in conflict zones around the world, Sally now lives in Dunedin and has recently graduated with a PhD from the Peace and Conflict Study Centre at Otago University. In recent years, Sally attended a Rotary International ‘Positive Peace Activators’ meeting in Indonesia. Sally explained that ‘negative peace’ refers to the absence of violence, while ‘postive peace’ involves organisations that drive initiatives and actions based on community needs and services. Sally told us that living in peace and in a peaceful world is both global and local. She has learnt that some of the ‘answers’ lie in our everyday local actions such as listening, communication, connection and care for each other valuing inclusion, relationships and a sense of belonging. Sally wove Rotary's values of service, fellowship, diversity, integrity, networking and action into her talk.
Sally now works in Dunedin for English Language Partners. She helps our former refugee and asylum seekers to feel supported and provided with access to opportunities for work in our community. She is sensitive to the tough situations and years of living in refugee camps endured by these people and is passionate to apply positive peace principles to encourage people to people connection and unlock barriers.
Please say hi to Sally if you see her at her office when you come to Dunedin Community House for our Rotary meetings, and we hope to have more discussions with Sally again soon!
For your information, Rotary South Pacific's recent email newsletter to members featured links to Rotary's Peacebuilding inititatives such as Peace Fellowships | Rotary International.
