Steve Lichty spoke at Lincoln South Rotary Club on April 14, 2023. Steve is a former Rotary Peace Fellow with nearly 15 years of experience with international development in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. He is from Carleton, NE and is currently living in Nairobi, Kenya.
A number of people have asked for Steve's presentation and, during the meeting he said it was okay to share.
Click here for Steve's presentation slides.
Contact information:
steven@realconsultinggroup.com
+1.352.262.3215
linktr.ee/stevenlichty
+1.352.262.3215
linktr.ee/stevenlichty
You are encouraged to review Steve's slides (link above) as this review cannot capture all of the information.
Steve applied for the Peace Fellow program in 2020. He was interviewed by Lincoln South Rotary Club Rotarians and Past District Governor Tom Cardwell and Mike Workman of Lincoln 14. They recommended Steve for the program and forwarded the application to Rotary International.
At the time of his selection there was an online program (during the pandemic) July to October 2021.Then an in-person five-week program was made available to him at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand, May and June 2022. There were 15 countries represented.
He shared that, the impact of the program, matched up with the goals of the Peace Fellows programs:Impact:
- - Increased skills and capacity to work in the peacebuilding and conflict transformation space
- - Building strong networks with key individuals from around the world
- - Leading to opportunities to give back to the Fellowship via reviewing and evaluating programs
- - Increased skills and capacity to work in the peacebuilding and conflict transformation space
- - Building strong networks with key individuals from around the world
- - Leading to opportunities to give back to the Fellowship via reviewing and evaluating programs
Kenya has been hit by various terrorist attacks. People are in constant fear of going to public places such as mall. Steve designed a social change program that has been implemented in Kenya. It is focused on adolescents in the marginalized population. They are working with the youth so that they can successfully contribute numerous missing pieces and, in the long term, build flourishing communities.
Somalia is coming in and recruiting the youth for gangs. And Mombasa brings in drugs.
The objectives of the program that Steve works with:
- Explore how trauma influences a proactive engagement with their future
- Understand the relationship between trauma healing and increased futures consciousness
- Empower them to impart their insight organically with peers, parents, and future generations
When asked about the short-term impact, Steve admitted that it is tough. He said this is like taking baby steps. The current program is teaching these the tools to change their thinking. And, the hope is that these youth will become the leaders of the program and carry it into the future. Without jobs in the current environment, it is impossible to know how this transition will take place. He said that we all need to change our position - from providing aid in the form of dollars - to aid in the form of tools and training to change the economic future.
Steve mentioned that, when people are asked about their future, they pull from their past - their experiences. An important part of this program is to provide positive experiences that might override their trauma - or at least provide an additional experience so that they remember more than the trauma.
He pointed out that there are 4 areas of trauma - adverse experiences:
- Childhood – abusive parent, may not have proper nutrition
- Community – in this context – may not have health care, may not have school, may not have security – gang infiltration
- Climate – limited drinking water shortages, resources lost due to natural disasters, disease spreading through communities
- Cultural – he mentioned that there are 60% /40% Christian which is a cultural challenge; things such as girls should not be educated is a feeling throughout all of the lower-class societies
Steve shared some information about the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP) and compared their 8 Pillars of Peace with the Rotary International 7 Areas of Focus. He said the organizations are working together an he has been invited to be an active participant. He was happy to meet Jennifer Jones at a meeting of the IEP earlier. He said that there is work being done to see how the organizations can continue to collaborate.
He knows that many in Rotary are business people and want to see the results of their investments. He has also been asked to be part of the panel that reviews the Peace Scholar program as well as participants and will be sensitive to the needs of Rotary, the participants, and the benefit to the world.
Steven Lichty is a co-founder and managing partner of REAL Consulting Group, a boutique consulting firm in Nairobi, Kenya.
He was a 2021-22 Rotary Peace Fellow at Chulalongkorn University (nominated by District 5650) and is currently working with Rotary International to conduct an impact evaluation of their Positive Peace Activator Program.
Steven has 25 years’ experience in various sectors across 80+ countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas. He works with strategic foresight, organizational development, training, research, and evaluation. Additionally, he works with academic and research capacity building with universities in Kenya. Steven has a PhD in African Studies and an MPhil in Futures Studies.
He grew up on a farm outside Carleton in Thayer County.
Click here for Steve's resume.