2025 World Affairs Seminar & Youth Empowerment -“Peacebuilding – Creating Lasting Change”
“Rotary believes that if concerned citizens work together to create peace locally, we can create lasting change globally.”
Rotary Builds Peace Brochure (https://my.rotary.org/en/document/rotary-builds-peace-brochure )
In 2014, as a relatively new Rotarian interested in global health, I discovered the Rotary District 6270 sponsored World Affairs Seminar (WAS) held annually since 1977 for high school students at Carroll University in Waukesha, WI. The 2014 WAS theme “World Health: Issues and Responsibilities” was right up my ally so I reached out to Tom Plantenberg, the late WAS Director, to see if I could attend a youth event (since I am only young at heart but the rest of me is old). He said, “Of course! But only if you will be a presenter”. That experience opened the door to a kindred Rotary friendship and life-changing connection, and an imperative opportunity for me and fellow Rotarians to promote and empower today’s youth, future Rotarians, and potential world peacebuilders!
WAS is committed to promoting “Peace Through Understanding” by providing a week of presentations, discussions, field trips, guided group problem solving and diplomacy skill development, and fun! The week ends with an amazing international talent show put on by the students who have made lifelong friendships from around the country and world.
Between 200-300 attendees each year are considered delegates simulating a United Nations delegation of ‘global thinkers’, who will learn about current issues from world class speakers – even Nobel Laureates - to gain diverse perspectives and be connected with resources to propose potential action plans for change. On one of the final days, guests are welcome to attend presentations and join in a Rotary “Partner Day Lunch”, often featuring the current or former President of Rotary International.
Last year, RI 2024-2025 President Stephanie Urchick joined us, listening to current and former Delegates as they shared their perspectives and ideas that are both humbling and hopeful. President Urchick then shared her Rotary vision with lunch attendees and later gave an inspiring presentation open to the public.
This year’s theme promises to be relevant and central to Rotary’s ideals: “Peacebuilding: Creating Lasting Change”. The program is being finalized with distinguished speakers who bring impressive diplomatic and peacebuilding experience. Clubs from D5650 have sponsored several past WAS delegates, and registration is currently open for WAS 2025 from June 21-27, 2025 (https://worldaffairsseminar.org/register/). Perhaps graduates from RYLA would consider attending WAS and continuing to connect and grow in the Rotary ideal of ‘Service Above Self’!
If you or someone you know is interested and has questions, please feel free to contact me:
Barbara Engebretsen, Wayne Rotary Club – baengeb1@wsc.edu.