Rotary Melbourne Lunch 17 Sep

Rotary Melbourne Weekly Club Meeting - 17 September 2025

Guest Speaker Past District Governor Dr Murray Verso, Chair, Rotary International District9800 Peace Fellows Committee

Topic "Building Peace Through Rotary"

Details 12.30 for 12.50 - 2.00pm at No35 Sofitel Melbourne & by ZOOM  

Venue No35 Sofitel Melbourne

Our Peace Centre program is one of Rotary’s finest achievements. Past District Governor Murray Verso will speak about Peace Fellows and their impact. Thanks to our members under the guidance of Peace champion Bob Fels our Club has successfully nominated a scholar each year to district for consideration.

Rotary Peace Fellowships are awarded each year to 130 peacebuilders from communities around the world to study at one of its global peace centres located at premier universities including the newest peace centre in Istanbul. The fully funded Rotary Foundation scholarship allows Fellows to earn a master’s degree or a postgraduate certificate in disciplines related to peace and development, providing them with advanced skills, knowledge, and networks to become effective catalysts for peace.
Since the Rotary Peace Centers program began in 2002, more than 1,800 fellows have graduated with more than 40 coming from District 9800. They are now working on peace and development initiatives in more than 140 countries. Many serve as leaders in government, nongovernmental organizations, education and research institutions, peacekeeping and law enforcement agencies, media and the arts, and international organizations such as UNICEF, the United Nations, the World Bank, and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

Murray has been the chair of the District 9800 Peace Fellow Selection Committee since 2022.

He joined the Rotary Club of Williamstown, Victoria in 1981 and has served the club in many capacities, including two terms as club president (1986-1987 and 2008- 2009).

He is a Past Governor of District 9800 (2014-2015) and a past chair of the District 9800 Rotary Foundation Committee (2019-2022). He is also the District’s Council on Legislation Representative and represented the district at the Councils held in Chicago in 2022 and 2025.

Murray completed his three-year term as the End Polio Now Coordinator for Zone 8 (Australia, New Zealand & South Pacific countries) at the end of June. In April, he was the lead facilitator at the 2025 Global Philanthropy Seminar held at the Rotary One Centre in Evanston to prepare incoming polio coordinators from around the world for their new role. He remains a member of the Australian Polio Eradication Advocacy Task Force.

He has served as an RI President’s Representative at district conferences in New Zealand and Western Australia. He was a member of the Host Organizing Committee for the RI Convention held in Melbourne in May 2023.

Murray was the convenor of the Multi District Rotary Peace Summit held in Melbourne in February 2019 and the co convenor of the R100 Peace Symposium, the Future of Peace Leadership, held in April 2021 to mark the centenary of Rotary in Australia. Last year, he was appointed by Rotary International to be an evaluator of peace fellow applicants.

Murray is a Major Donor to the Rotary Foundation and is a member of the Foundation’s Bequest Society and the District 9800’s Paul Harris and PolioPlus Societies. He is a recipient of the Rotary Foundation’s Citation for Meritorious Service. 

Join us to hear about our most successful program.