Alex Plummer was chosen by District 5190 last year to receive a Peace fellowship from the Rotary Foundation.   She was notified last November and has been working this long to start her journey.  She is on her way to Japan to study at the International Christian University in Japan to gain a master’s degree in Peace and Conflict Resolution.  Her initial desire to work in the field of peace and conflict resolution traces back to her childhood when she grew up in South Africa.  Her childhood was a stark realization of separation and vast disparities of wealth and opportunity.
 
 
Alex has spent over six years building her career in international development, community building and education. The majority of this time was been spent in economically and politically challenged areas of the world working with underserved communities.  She has a particular interest in post conflict and how to find sustainable solutions for the rebuilding of communities and securing strong futures.
 
Her career so far has included documenting human rights atrocities for a women’s rights organization in Junta-led Burma,  managing an exam preparation outreach program for civil society workers (also in Burma) and as a managing director of an organization working towards solving a myriad of social problems in post genocide Cambodia.
 
In her role as Managing Director at Journeys within our Community (JWOC) she lead an educational technology program which was co-funded by The Rotary Club of Sacramento. This project has enabled over 1000 underserved students to reap the benefits of technology in the classroom.
 
The six Rotary Peace Centers around the world all offer extremely interesting courses on Peace and Conflict Resolution. Her choice of the center in Japan was because of their program’s options to study courses in Education in Development and Global Communication, both of which are in line with her career and academic experience.
 
About Rotary Peace Fellowships:
 
Each year, Rotary selects up to 100 individuals from around the world to receive fully funded academic fellowships at one of our peace centers. These fellowships cover tuition and fees, room and board, round-trip transportation, and all internship and field-study expenses.   Fellows are selected through a globally competitive application process, based on the applicant's ability to have a significant, positive impact on the world
 
In just over a decade, the Rotary Peace Centers have trained more than 900 fellows for careers in peace building. Many of them go on to serve as leaders in national governments, NGOs, the military, law enforcement, and international organizations like the United Nations and World Bank.