2016/7 Rotary Global Scholars Presentation

Rotary Global Scholars in the area of focus Peace and Conflict Prevention/Resolution, Catherine Glen (far left) and Laney Lennox gave a presentation to the Club Monday 28 November. Their well received address detailed their backgrounds, current activities and future plans.

Catherine Glen, from South Carolina near Florida (famous for its official State Hospitality Beverage - tea -particularly 'sweet tea' which is 50% sugar!) has been involved in working with children since university helping children improve their lives in the US and Japan. Noting that childhood adversity results in life long negative health and educational outcomes and children are more likely to be aggressive, involved in anti-social behaviour, or go to prison she concluded by stating she wanted to continue improving special needs programmes after school, develop school community interventions, train youth as leaders and promote peace.

Laney Lennox from Louisiana, 200 miles north of New Orleans, noted that she had wanted to study abroad as part of her peace studies degree and chose Northern Ireland. She is particularly interested in "narrative theory" (how people deal with experience by observing stories and listening to the stories of others) pointing out that sharing stories creates common human identities. She concluded by noting that NI is amazing place for someone interested in story telling and that she is involved in story-writing centres and workshop groups for different communities hoping to work in this area when her studies are finished.