Nov 2017: House of Beaufort on a Global Peace Stage: Rotary Day, United Nations, Geneva.

How do you ensure that your organisation’s core message is conveyed to a global audience of international diplomats, investors and peacemakers, in just two minutes?

How do you distil your philosophy and key achievements so that an audience is totally engaged by an inspiring narrative that showcases rather than highlights your platform? Above all, how do you motivate an audience of 900-plus to invest, emotionally and professionally, in your work?

This was our brief when Rotary International approached House of Beaufort to coach 6 outstanding Rotary Peace Laureates for their maiden speeches at the UN in Geneva. The Laureates, honoured for their commitment “to creating peace and resolving conflict” across the globe, were variously involved in projects that deconstructed the fundamental causes of conflict – whether poverty, ethnic tensions, lack of access to education or the unequal distribution of resources. Their organisations offer rehabilitation programs that bring hope, peace and better futures to those scarred by violence.

Alejandro Reyes Lozano, from Bogota, Colombia, is currently training women from six Latin American countries to develop the critical skills required for peace-building and conflict resolution in their communities. Above all, this project aims to create an international network of women peace-makers. Alejandro was also a highly-respected government peace mediator with the FARC guerrillas and a key leader in the negotiations that ended decades of civil war.

Kiran Singh Sirah is the charismatic President of the International Storytelling Centre in Tennessee, USA.  The global centre uses the concept of “storytelling” as a cathartic technique for victims of violence and a vehicle for peace-building and positive change.

Taylor Cass Talbott has developed a global grant to improve sanitary conditions for waste collectors in Pune, India, and has transformed lives by adding dignity and safety to their working conditions.

Safina Rahman of Dhaka Mahanagar, Bangladesh, is a visionary advocate for women’s rights and as the owner of a garment factory was the first employer to provide maternity leave and health insurance for her female employees.  She is also committed to furthering the educational opportunities of impoverished girls.

Ann Frisch has focused her efforts on building unarmed civilian protection units during armed conflict. Her Southern Thailand Peace Process Training Program has established units that protect women and children from rape and abuse, while providing “safe zones” that remove families, teachers and community members from the radar of daily armed conflict.

Jean Best (Scotland) has designed a peace project that teaches teenagers the conflict resolution skills that may then be used to build “peace-related services projects” in their schools and wider communities. She has also created peace hub models in Australia, England, Mexico, Scotland and the US.

Over a period of several weeks, we worked with the Laureates, ensuring speeches were polished, rhetorically sound and perfectly pitched to the audience.

We were delighted to be involved with Rotary International on such a worthy project and look forward to continuing our relationship with the organisation in the future.