2. Gololcha Boru Gololcha
Gololcha Boru came to Canada as a son of a political refugee from Ethiopia. Settling in the central park neighbourhood of Winnipeg, Manitoba he grew up to the harsh realities of poverty, gangs, and racism. It was this upbringing that shaped his views and motivated him to change the narrative of individuals from marginalized communities. Upon graduation from the University of Winnipeg began working at the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization of Manitoba Inc. (IRCOM Inc.) in the same neighbourhood he arrived as a refugee 20 years earlier. During his time at IRCOM he disrupted for the better many sectors such as education, justice, sport, and health for newcomer youth. In 2020, he was chosen as a United Nations People of African Descent Fellow with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. After participating in the fellowship, he was a part of a group of global civil society actors and institutions that successfully lobbied for the operationalization of the Permanent Forum of People of African Descent that held its first session on December 5, 2022 in Geneva. Prior to to beginning his Rotary Peace Fellowship he worked at the municipal government of Winnipeg in the recently formed Community Development Division developing and implementing the Newcomer Welcome and Inclusion Policy that aims at making Winnipeg more welcoming to newcomers by better meeting their distinct needs, improving newcomer access to City services, and increasing public awareness and education on human rights, equity, diversity, and inclusion.