Brandon McNally, MA in International Relations, Leiden University, The Netherlands
(Rotary Club of Lethbridge East and Rotary Club of The Hague International),
Global Grant Scholar, 2018-2020
Brandon McNally is an MSc student at Leiden University in The Netherlands where he studies International Relations and Diplomacy. The program trains students in the areas of mediation and negotiation while providing an in-depth study of the areas which affect the international realm (such as law and the economy). Brandon’s specific interests lay in evaluating the connection between the environment and conflict.
Brandon obtained a BA Political Science with a minor in Religious Studies from The University Lethbridge. During his time at the University of Lethbridge Brandon was an active participant in student government, a board member of the Lethbridge Public Interest Research Group (LPIRG), and member of several campus clubs/organisations. He was the recipient of The University of Lethbridge President’s Grant for International Community Engagement, with which he went to Nepal to intern at ECCA, an environmental NGO. He also gained extensive research experience by independently completing field research on the Navadurga, a tantric Hindu tradition, and through his role as a research assistant for Dr. Rodrigues in the final year of his BA.
Human rights has always been a passion of Brandon’s. He has been a member of Amnesty International in various capacities, including a National Youth Coordinator for Amnesty International Canada’s English branch. Following his undergraduate Brandon worked for Peace Brigades International (PBI) in Kenya as a field officer. PBI provides security mechanisms for human rights defenders at risk. Brandon assisted in providing security assessments, accompaniments, advocacy, as well as recommending and fulfilling non-violent protection measures.
After completing his master’s degree Brandon intends to work on diffusing conflict and developing peace in order to help build stable societies where human rights are respected and advanced.
To find out more about Brandon’s career, visit his LinkedIn page.
Aneel Brar, PhD in Medical Anthropology, University of Oxford, UK
(Rotary Club of Red Deer East and Rotary Club of Faringdon & District)
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Global Grant Scholar, 2018-2019
Aneel is a PhD student in medical anthropology at the University of Oxford. His principal concern as a researcher is the sociosomatic condition of humanity—i.e. how social, political, and economic forces register on the body and serve to deepen inequality and health disparity. His work focuses on disempowered women in rural Rajasthan, India—specifically on how social forces become embodied as illness among pregnant women and young mothers. Aneel’s objective as a medical anthropologist is to translate lessons from research into policies and programs that reduce structural violence and advance health equity.
In addition to his PhD work, Aneel works as the Chief Operating Officer of the Mata Jai Kaur Maternal and Child Health Centre (MJK), a non-profit organization that provides prenatal care, safe childbirth, and mental health services to low income and vulnerable women in rural Rajasthan, India. MJK is a collaborative effort of the Prominent Homes Charitable Organization based in Calgary, Canada, and the local Rajasthani community. As part of this work, Aneel is leading the development and implementation of a community-based maternal mental health intervention funded by Grand Challenges Canada.
Aneel is born and raised in Calgary, graduating from the University of Calgary with bachelor’s degrees in biology and political science (though, as a running back for the U of C Dinos, his focus back then was mostly on football). He then received a master’s in political science from McGill University focusing on international development. Before MJK, Aneel worked with Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and has represented Canada at several North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) youth leadership forums on development and security in Afghanistan.
After several years working and living in rural India, Aneel decided to return to graduate school to develop specific skills related to global health. He graduated with a Master of Medical Sciences degree in Global Health Delivery from Harvard University, and recently completed a year as a Visiting Academic at Harvard Medical School’s Department of Global Health and Social Medicine.
Aneel’s long-term goals are to continue working at the nexus of global health research and practice and fostering the connection between rural India and Canada. He hopes to continue working towards finding solutions to global health issues in India, but also among vulnerable populations in his native Alberta.
To find out more about Aneel’s career, visit his LinkedIn page.
You might have heard about a District Parade Float making it's way around the District and into communities and events near you.
Please see the established web page for information about the float and how to book, transport and a per-use charge.
Rotary Employment Partnership – District 5360 Receives Inclusion Alberta Leadership Award
Since 2013, District 5360 has supported the Rotary Employment Partnership in Southern Alberta. The leadership of many Rotarians in the District was recognized at the Inclusion Alberta Family Conference in May of this year when District Governor Rick Istead accepted the Inclusion Alberta Leadership Award on behalf of the District. The Award recognizes exemplary leadership in advancing the full inclusion of individuals with developmental disabilities. Rotarians are making a difference in lives, one job at a time.
The Rotary Foundation inducted into University of Oxford’s Chancellor’s Court of Benefactors
The Rotary Foundation inducted into University of Oxford’s Chancellor’s Court of BenefactorsThe Rotary Foundation has been welcomed into the University of Oxford’s Chancellor’s Court of Benefactors for its continuous support of the
Rotary clubs fight modern slavery with Freedom United
Fighting modern slaveryAn estimated 40.3 million people around the world live in slavery involving either sexual exploitation or forced labor. A Rotarian Action Group and Freedom
