Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology doctoral student Graham Amakanji Oluteyo has landed a prestigious Rotary Peace Fellow Award for the 2023/2024 academic year.
Amakanji is a doctoral candidate in Peace and Conflict Studies and also a lecturer in the School of Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance.
His selection followed a highly competitive process, reflecting his commitment to advancing peacebuilding, conflict transformation, as well as development.
The doctoral student recently concluded two prestigious doctoral research fellowships: the Social Science Research Council’s Next Generation Social Sciences Africa Doctoral Research and Dissertation Completion fellowships, supported by the Carnegie Cooperation of New York in the 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 academic years, respectively.
In his pursuit of furthering peace-building and conflict transformation, Amakanji is now set to embark on a transformative journey as part of Cohort 6 at the Makerere University Rotary Peace Centre, the first Rotary Peace Centre on the African Continent.
Skills and knowledge
This program, established in 2021, offers a yearlong certificate course in peacebuilding, conflict transformation, and development. It equips individuals with the skills and knowledge needed to become effective catalysts for peace, not only in Kenya but across the globe.
The Rotary Peace Centres program also offers tailor-made curricula to train individuals dedicated to peacebuilding and conflict resolution.
Makerere University’s program, hosted in the Great Lakes region, emphasizes a holistic understanding of peace beyond the absence of violence.
He will attend an intense 10-week onsite training program at Makerere University, and thereafter embark on his Social Change Initiative in his home country which will culminate in a Capstone Week. This will take place between 14th and 18th October 2024 where he will present the final report of his Social Change Initiative at the Rotary Peace Centre in Makerere.
The onsite study program combines class work and experiential learning with site visits to Kyegegwa District where fellows meet former ADR returnees; Namuwongo Informal Settlements; Muhokya Resettlement Village; Kigali Memorial Centre and Nyamata & Ntarama Districts.
Violent extremism
Among the industry facilitators will be a positive peace workshop facilitated by the Institute of Economics & Peace, Mediators Beyond Borders International, and facilitators from the Global and Regional Development Partners.
Amakanji’s proposed Social Change Initiative addresses the challenges of violent extremism in the Horn of Africa.
Moreover, using an Afrocentric approach, he aims to advocate scholarly and technocratic efforts to prevent recurring cycles of extreme violence in the Continent.
