Wednesday, August 29, 2007 Rotary creates 3 scholarships
CONFLICT-stricken Mindanao can be healed through education and in- depth cultural understanding.
This was the message of Bichai Rattakul, former Thai deputy prime minister and Rotary Foundation past president.
Rattakul was the guest of Rotary’s two-day Visayas and Mindanao Multi-District Conference.
Joseph Michael Espina, governor of Rotary district 3860, said that Rotary clubs in Mindanao spearheaded a blood-letting campaign among Christians and Muslims.
Rotary Foundation also created three scholarship programs. The Ambassadorial Scholarship that supports about 1,000 students; the Peace Scholarship that has 60-70 slots for six international universities; and the Peace Program, a three-month intensive course on international understanding in Chulalongkorn University in Thailand.
Under the Peace Program, which is designed for employed individuals, there are students like an incumbent member of the Sri-Lankan parliament and a director of a Hawaiian university.
Curriculum
Scholars undergo intensive curriculum and field immersion on the peace process.
“With all these scholarships, unfortunately, I haven’t come across with any application from the Philippines,” said Rattakul.
Scholarship applications are processed through a local Rotary Club. Local clubs will also provide more information to facilitate scholarship applications. (JSC)
