A member of the Rotary Club of Abbotsford-Sumas has been selected for a 2015 Rotary Peace Fellowship.
Maiden (Med) Manzanal has been assigned to the Rotary Peace Centre at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand to attend the winter session from Jan. 7 to March 27.
Dorothy van der Ree, president of the Rotary Club of Abbotsford-Sumas, said Manzanal was selected for the honour because of her strong background in conflict resolution, diversity education and her work for several world peace organizations.
“I have worked with Med over the last few years and found her to be very dedicated to resolving world issues and bringing peace and understanding to all, at home and abroad,” she said.
Manzanal is a senior community and international development consultant with GlobalStakes Consulting.
She is a 2012 recipient of a Fraser Valley Cultural Diversity Award – based in Abbotsford – in the category of Outstanding Achievement in Community Outreach.
Among the projects with which Manzanal has been involved are an Abbotsford review paper on community immigration and settlement planning and an evaluation of UNICEF’s response to the Typhoon Haiyan disaster in the Philippines.
Manzanal is a member of the B.C. Council for International Cooperation, the Emerging Leaders Network and the Canadian Executive Service Organization.
Each year, Rotary selects individuals from around the world to receive fully funded academic fellowships at one of its peace centres.
The fellowships cover tuition and fees, room and board, round-trip transportation, and all internship/field study expenses.
The three-month program at Chulalongkorn University is in peace and conflict resolution and incorporates two to three weeks of field study.
Candidates are selected based on their ability to have a significant, positive impact on the world.