Peacemaker of the Year
The La Jolla Golden Triangle Rotary Club Peacemaker Award honors individuals or organizations who have made a significant impact on peace, demonstrating exemplary performance in the field of peace building and peace making. The award is designed to honor individuals or organizations of the local, national or international community who have made a significant, distinguished difference in advancing conflict prevention and resolution, improving community development, and increasing human rights through the leadership and coordination of peace building efforts. The awardee will be selected based on demonstrated commitment to the foregoing and actions taken to mediate and resolve conflict and/or create conditions that prevent conflict resulting in a more peaceful environment in the local, regional and/or the national/international sphere.
2023-2024 Peacemaker of the Year award recipient San Diego International Sister City Association (SANDISCA)
David Tansey, a charter member of the LJGTRC, and Chair of the Pathways to Peace Committee, introduced Timothy Stiven, the President of San Diego International Sister City Association (SANDISCA) which was recipient of the LJGTRC 2023-24 Peacemaker of the Year Award. Timothy introduced Kathleen Roche-Tansey (Founding President of SANDISCA in 1993), President Emeritus Michael McQuary, Executive Director Jessica Censotti and Student Ambassador Aaron Combs.
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2022-2023 Peacemaker of the Year award recipient Abdul Quam Almas
On 2/10/23 Steve Brown shared with the Club, the La Jolla Golden Triangle Peace Committee’s selection of the Peacemaker of the Year for 2022-2023, Abdul Quam Almas. Abdul was instrumental in supporting and promoting the efforts that the Club implemented in Afghanistan projects, primarily started by Steve Brown, Fary Moini and Rick Clark.
2020-2021 Peacemaker of the Year award recipient Dr. Cynthia Villis
Cynthia has been directly involved with approximately Rotary Foundation sponsored 35 Peace Scholars and the Kroc School of Peace Studies for around 22 years. In most cases our club has been the host club and Cynthia has done most of the work.
- She also has coordinated the District Peace Forums at USD since inception for nine years.
- She also has held the position as Secretary in the San Diego~Jalalabad Sister Cities Foundation since 2004 and as such has done much to help our various programs in Afghanistan including writing our first big grant for $450,00 from the U.S. State Department for a program we now call Afghan Youth Connect. Since AYC's inception in 2008 more than 30,000 Afghan High School Students have participated in that program. Were it not for Cynthia's efforts in securing that grant, I doubt we would have been involved in this program for the last 11 years.
