Class XII (2014-2015)

Sponsor Club: Spokane South, WA, USA, District 5080

Host Club: Pine Rivers Daybreak, AUS, District 9600

Devin Biviano is a multi-disciplinary peace and conflict resolution professional from Spokane, Washington, USA. Fortunate to be exposed to a diverse range of cultures, foods, languages and global issues from a young age, Devin took an early interest in communication, mediation and conflict resolution, developing a fiery passion for world travel and adventure as a high school exchange student in Germany. This led to his studies at Seattle University, where he was immersed in the Jesuit system of combining academic studies with personal exploration and engagement with social justice issues. While working as an economic development intern with Care International in Zambia, he undertook a project that documented, through interviews and photography, the high success rate of projects in a pilot program in order to ensure future donor funding. Following graduation, he decided to take “one year” off before pursuing further study—but quickly got pulled into opportunities in such diverse fields as farming, sustainability and environmental issues; NGO administration and fundraising; mental health and social services; beaches and heartache; and the culinary and performing arts, in places such as Italy, Central America, Cambodia and Uruguay. Most recently, Devin completed the intensive Yoga Development Course at Yasodhara Yoga Ashram in Canada, becoming a resident teacher, youth program facilitator and a skilled fruit and vegetable preservation specialist. He hopes to use the education and experiences of the Rotary Peace Fellowship to continue his work in identifying how humans can begin to build systems in the 21st Century that recognize the mutually beneficial option of keeping Planet Earth around for future generations.