Namaste!
 
My name is Saloni Lakhia. I have had the privilege of spending two enriching years as a Rotary Peace Fellow for which I shall always be indebted.
 
Upon graduation in June 2019, I returned to Mumbai, India, with a two fold agenda. First, I plan to continue my academic interests from my time at ICU by building on my existing research through seeking the expertise of multiple stakeholders that I know from my previous work experience as well as new ones I will connect with from now. Second, I have returned to my former position of gender policy practitioner within the State Government. I engage directly with Mrs. Vijaya Rahatkar, Chairperson, Maharashtra State Commission of Women, working proactively on reports concerning gender focused financial inclusion and providing innovative advocacy and monitoring approaches.
 
My prior work experience with various non-profit and government organizations provided me with the opportunity to observe ground level issues that were either not fully addressed, or at times not even considered. For example, a certain percent of women in Maharashtra were targeted with acid attack for avenging property disputes or predominantly, for refusing marriage proposals. The process of creating policies and schemes that not only provided free medical and legal aid, but also by identifying stakeholders, we were able to create a sustainable rehabilitation model, that has made them financially independent and secure. I had a strong desire to research and understand the root causes of the issues I had faced in the field, and I believed that the Rotary Peace Fellowship would provide me the opportunity to analyze these experiences from a diverse lens.
 
The Rotary Peace Fellowship is unique in the fact that it focuses and appreciates the humanities and social sciences, providing opportunities to pursue Peace from different perspectives. The Fellowship never feared to challenge the mainstream narrative of development, history, and the relationship between the global north and south. It challenged the Fellows to face their pre-conceived notions and construct new ways of thinking about world issues.
 
My future goals concern gender empowerment using a more region specific, local and community oriented approach. The research experience at ICU has enabled me with the tools I need to pursue the challenges I foresee in practicing this method. By going local, I aim to establish a more community-centered peace building approach that would provide sustainable conflict resolution.
This shall better facilitate their ability to change, empowering them to become change makers, just like how the Rotary Fellowship empowered me.