Rotary International’s newest Programs of Scale grant will foster people’s capacity to build and sustain peace in Colombia. The US$2 million grant, the fifth that Rotary has awarded, was announced at the 2025 Rotary International Convention in Calgary, Canada.
The Pathways to Peace and Prosperity in Colombia program involves Rotary partnering with the World Food Programme on initiatives that enhance people’s ability to resolve conflicts peacefully and equip local leaders with tools for economic self-reliance.
“This program [will] strengthen conflict-resolution capacity, expand access to economic opportunities, and expand access to social service programs in conflict-affected areas,” said Mark Daniel Maloney, chair of The Rotary Foundation and a past RI president.
“The long-term goal of the program is to break the cycle of violence, poverty, and food insecurity for conflict victims to achieve sustained peace,” he added, speaking at the convention’s third general session on 24 June.
The World Food Program USA will contribute US$1 million to the initiative, for a funding total of US$3 million.
“[Colombia] is a country of astonishing beauty and courage, where the road to peace has been long, painful, and unfinished,” Rotary People of Action honoree María Cristina Cifuentes told the audience. “In Colombia, we know that peace requires working with communities to co-create lasting solutions. And we also know … that Positive Peace is not the absence of war, but the presence of equity, justice, trust, and opportunity.”
The previous Rotary Programs of Scale grant recipients have worked to promote sustainable farming in India, fight cervical cancer in Egypt, reduce deaths of mothers and newborns in Nigeria, and decrease cases of malaria in Zambia.
Foundation endowment reaches $2 billion
Maloney highlighted members’ commitment to the Foundation’s Endowment, which reached US$2 billion in assets by June 2025, representing a doubling of its value over the last decade. Foundation trustees joined him on stage to celebrate.
“Your gifts, commitments, and dedication matter not just today, not just this year, but for future generations of Rotary members to come,” Maloney said.
Maloney also announced during the general session that a new Rotary Peace Center will be established at Symbiosis International University in Pune, India. At the new center, peace and development professionals from across the region will deepen their understanding of peace studies, conflict transformation, and sustainable development.
“The fellows of Symbiosis will focus on peacebuilding efforts throughout Asia,” said Rotary International President Stephanie A. Urchick. “With each new peace center, we are building a network of peacebuilders who are local experts with global reach.”
Rotary Peace Centers have trained more than 1,800 Rotary Peace Fellows to build peace through careers in government, education, international organizations, and other fields.
