Tuesday Talks- Peacebuilding & Conflict Prevention

Your District Peacebuilding and Conflict Prevention Committee is very pleased to present:

S. R. “MARTIN” RLA  

Mediator, Architect & Social Entrepreneur

Dedicated to Sustainability & Peacebuilding

“Two Drops for Peace”:

Building Resilient Communities Together 

The lessons of the past year have demonstrated just how interconnected we all are and that no size community - urban or rural - is immune to violence.  

Rotarians have demonstrated that we are uniquely prepared for the challenge.  To fight disease, we rely on physicians, but to address the deeper divides threatening our communities, we need peacebuilders with the skills to connect with each other and ourselves.

In this presentation, Martin will share his experience of transitioning from architect to peacebuilder; what he learned from being a Rotary Peace Fellow; and about how Mediators Beyond Borders Int’l, a Rotary Service Partner, is assisting Districts around the world to build Positive Peace and Resiliency in their clubs and communities. 

BIOGRAPHY:

S.R. “Martin” RLA practiced landscape architecture for 20 years before becoming a professional mediator, international trainer, and a community dialogue facilitator with a strong commitment to entrepreneurship, sustainability and peacebuilding.

Global Partnerships Manager for Mediators Beyond Borders International, where he has also been a co-leader for the Rwanda Project and co-founded the Peace Conversation Facilitation (PCF) Program. In 2019, Martin was recognized as “Innovator of the Year” for his efforts.

In 2008, Martin founded The Living Christmas Company, a social benefit company which rents living Christmas trees as an alternative to cut or artificial trees and employs Veterans, formerly incarcerated individuals and those experiencing homelessness.

In 2012, the billionaire investor Mark Cuban joined the team after a successful run on ABC’s Shark Tank.

As a volunteer, Martin designs Restorative Justice programs in schools, is a mediator for the Juvenile Courts, facilitates community dialogues with the Institute for Non-Violence LA, and works in prisons with the TRUTH Project.

Most recently, Martin lead on a UNDP-funded, conflict resolution training for youth leaders in Liberia ahead of their national elections. Martin is a member, Board of Directors of the National Association for Community Mediation (NAFCM) and is Recipient of the 2017 Rotary International Peace Fellow Award.