What is a Rotary Peace Fellow?
The Rotary Peace Fellowship is a fully funded program of The Rotary Foundation, designed to train the next generation of peacebuilders. Each year, Rotary selects leaders from around the world to receive academic fellowships at one of its Peace Centers, where they pursue graduate-level studies focused on peace, conflict resolution, and development. Scholars are not required to be endorsed by a Rotary club to apply—but Rotary Halifax Harbour was proud to support Michaela’s application and continues to cheer her on as she makes a global impact.
On April 21, Michaela helped host the Annual Seminar for graduating Peace Fellows, where she had the honour of introducing keynote speaker Rotary International President, Dr. Stephanie Urchick. The event concluded with a traditional Swedish dinner reception, and Michaela shared a photo from the celebration, featuring her husband and her Swedish Rotary Host Mom.
Sweden's Valborg celebration on April 30 was another highlight. This unique tradition in Uppsala marks the official arrival of spring, with the university vice chancellor declaring the season open before a crowd of over 100,000, followed by a choir and homemade boat races down the river—complete with spectacular (and often soggy) results!
In early May, Michaela joined a Rotary-sponsored study visit to the Åland Islands, an autonomous region of Finland known for its peaceful history. The group met with the speaker of the local Parliament, learned about the island’s peace processes, and connected with community leaders making a difference.
Michaela celebrated her birthday on May 5 with a dinner party hosted by her Rotary family and friends, and on May 10, she travelled north to Härnösand to present at District 2325’s conference, where she also serves as the Peace Ambassador.
As the academic year winds down, Michaela is preparing for her Applied Field Experience. This summer, she will be a Research Intern at the Climate Research Centre at the Red Cross, where she’ll focus on the intersection of climate security and human security—research that will help guide future Red Cross and UN responses in conflict-affected regions.
We are proud of Michaela’s work and grateful for her continued updates from Sweden. 📸 You can view her photo album here to follow along on her journey.
Thank you, Michaela, for representing Rotary and the Rotary Foundation with such passion and purpose—keep up the amazing work!
