The conference, centered around the theme “Healing in a Divided World,” brought together leaders and peacebuilders from diverse backgrounds to discuss challenges and solutions for fostering peace in today’s global environment.
A key moment at the conference was the celebration of the opening of the Otto and Fran Walter Rotary Peace Center at Bahçeşehir University, which marked the introduction of the first 13 Rotary Peace Fellows. As Rotary’s newest global peace center, it provides peacebuilders from the Middle East and North Africa with the opportunity to earn professional development certificates in peace and development studies.
The Center contributed with a keynote speech by BAU Rector Prof. Esra Hatipoğlu and a breakout session lecture on Climate Diplomacy by Prof. Esra Albayrakoğlu, the Center’s Academic Director.
As BAU Rotary Peace Center, we participated in the conference, engaging with experts and fellow peacebuilders from around the world. This experience offered us valuable insights that will guide us in our efforts to address conflict and promote peace in our communities and beyond.
The 2025 Rotary Presidential Peace Conference in Istanbul highlighted the importance of collaboration, understanding, and action in healing divisions and fostering lasting peace globally.
