By Tom Gump —
Much has been written about RI President Stephanie Urchick’s initiative of using the Rotary Action Plan to grow Rotary. Recently, I witnessed her living another of her major initiatives – “Healing in a Divided World,” which focuses on Rotary’s peace efforts. Interesting trivia about our president – by the end of her term, she will have visited every Rotary Peace Center in the world. Stephanie’s trip to the Peace Center at International Christian University (ICU) in Japan on 11 December was a trip I will never forget.
Morning briefing: ICU’s College of Liberal Arts 9:30 a.m.
RI Director Mick Isao Mizuno, from Japan, arranged for our transport to the peace center. We were kindly greeted by the chair of the peace center, Professor Arakaki, members of his staff, a current Rotary Peace Fellow and the Host Area Coordinator. Arakaki gave us a history of the non-denominational private university, established in 1949, after the end of World War II. It came about in part through the efforts of Prince Takamatsu and U.S. General Douglas MacArthur and was the first liberal arts college in Japan.
After a rigorous application and venting process by the Rotary International board, which included a competition with other universities, ICU became one of the original Rotary Peace Centers and the only one in Asia (home to a little over a third of all Rotary members). ICU provides a Master’s Degree Program in fields related to Peace and Conflict Resolution and Prevention and is one of seven Rotary Peace Centers.
Campus tour 10 a.m.
Under a perfectly blue sky, we embarked on a tour of the campus led by Associate Director Walter P. Dawson. The campus is nestled in a forest, affording a clear view of snow-capped Mt. Fuji from the top floor of its tallest academic building. Smiling students passed us by as they rode around campus on their bicycles. I had a peaceful feeling just being there. To me it is the perfect setting for a peace center.
But it wasn’t always like this. Before it was a university, the site contained an assembly plant for war planes. It is interesting to think how much the purpose of the land has changed. Our tour director shared that at the time the university was founded, there was a big debate whether all the buildings should be demolished or whether some should be kept and renovated. In the end, they decided to leave one building to preserve the area’s history.
The remaining building, which used to have a gun turret on each side of its roof to protect the warplane assembly, has the following quote written on its foundation:
And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. Isaiah 2:4 KJV
Personally, I think the right decision was made to keep the building.
Japanese Tea Ceremony 10:30 a.m.
Walking through the forest, we arrived at a traditional Japanese home. After taking off our shoes, we were led to a room with a large mat on the floor and two stools. We were instructed to sit on the stools as other dignitaries arrived, removed their shoes, and sat cross-legged around the perimeter of the room. Two student representatives from the University’s Tea Ceremony Club, dressed in traditional Japanese kimonos, served a traditional Japanese Tea, including tea and a small desert, as we learned about the ceremony.
Rotary Peace Fellow presentation 11 a.m.
We then proceeded to a very modern steel and glass building, where we were joined by Rotary Peace Fellows from the class of 2022-23. This class includes 18 fellows from 14 countries with diverse backgrounds including international development, peacebuilding and conflict resolution, human rights, education, military, security, art, and social justice.
An Afghani woman who had been forced into an arranged marriage at a very young age shared her story. She worked hard to learn the language, eventually becoming a volunteer teacher and principal. We were also inspired by a West Point graduate and former military officer who is using his military background to promote peace.
Chartering a new Rotaract Club 12 p.m.
One of my favorite presentations was from a Peace Fellow from Germany who had just started a Rotaract club for Peace at ICU. The formation certificate from RI for “The Rotaract Club of International Christian University, Tokyo, Japan” just happened to arrive that morning, so President Stephanie was able to charter the club in person.
Cultural luncheon 12:30 p.m.
Afterward, we were treated to a wonderful traditional Japanese lunch hosted by University President Shoichiro Iwakiri on the top floor of the administration building. From an outside deck with glass walls we got a magnificent view of Mt. Fuji. Two students entertained us with traditional Japanese harps. After lunch, we had an informal meeting with the class of Peace Fellows followed by a photo session.
Press interview 1:30 p.m.
A meeting had been set up for Mr. Shigeru Seno, a senior staff writer for Nikkei and Nikkei Asia to interview President Stephanie virtually. Nikkei is the world’s largest financial newspaper, with a daily circulation exceeding 1.73 million. The outlet comprehensively covers Asian business, politics, economics, and culture. The interview covered many topics including President Stephanie’s plans for the remainder of her term, her perspective on how close we are to eradicating polio, how best to promote female leadership in Japan, the 2025 Rotary Presidential Peace Conference 20-22 February in Istanbul, Türkiye, the importance of adapting to change (a pillar of Rotary’s Action Plan), and ongoing issues in the Middle East.
As we listen, Director Mizuno and I were inspired by her answers to the questions and her main message points:
- Rotary is a forward-looking, diverse, global humanitarian membership organization that does the world’s best service.
- People join and remain members of Rotary because they’re eager to create positive change in their communities and the world.
- Rotary members make meaningful friendships and grow professionally through leadership opportunities and networking.
- Rotary has made peacebuilding the cornerstone of our global mission. Creating peaceful, welcoming, and inclusive societies is at the heart of what we’re about. We believe that when people work to create peace in their communities, it has a global effect.
- Rotary’s work is defined through our seven areas of focus, which are aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Final reflections 3 p.m.
On the ride back to Yokohama to attend the 53rd Rotary Institute, I could not help but reflect on the current state of our world and realize just how blessed I am to be a member of Rotary with its focus on positive peace.
Tom Gump is the 2024-25 aide to the president and an RI director-nominee. He is a past governor of District 5950 (Minnesota, USA) and a member of the Rotary Club of Edina/Morningside, Minnesota, USA. He is a member of RI’s Membership Growth Committee (2022-25) and has served as an International Assembly Training Leader and General Chair of the 2022 Rotary Zones 25B and 29 Institute.
https://blog.rotary.org/2025/02/04/a-day-with-the-ri-president-at-the-rotary-peace-center-in-japan/