Laura McConatha is a Rotary International/Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) Positive Peace Activator and holds the dual roles of Service Chair and Peace Chair for the Americus Rotary Club in Georgia. She is recognized for her leadership in promoting peacebuilding, reconciliation, and community engagement through both local and international Rotary initiatives.

Laura has been tapped to serve at the district level in D6900 to work with clubs throughout our district to help incorporate the pillars of peace and peacebuilding actions and ideas into our service projects. She is the only person in the State of Georgia who holds the title of IEP Positive Peace Activator.

The photo shows Laura presenting on peace building at the RI Convention in Calgary, Canada,

Peacebuilding Work in Americus

McConatha leads the Americus Rotary Club’s Peace Committee, which has earned the club the distinction of Peacebuilder Club status from the Rotary Action Group for Peace. Her work focuses on applying Rotary’s 8 Pillars of Positive Peace to address root causes of violence and foster unity.

A key initiative she co-developed is the Grace Camp program, born from a series of community dialogue workshops with high school students and leaders. These sessions identified youth concerns, such as the lack of visible church engagement, and led to a faith-based collaborative offering summer programming to build a community safety net for youth. Grace Camp has been supported by the Americus Rotary Club, 10 local churches, and 3 community organizations.

Notable Events and Dedication

McConatha has participated in high-profile peace events, including:

• Dedication of a Peace Pole at the King Center in Atlanta, one of over 50 planted by Rotary District 6900, located just steps from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s tomb.
• Presentations at the Rotary International Conference in Calgary on “Building Peace and Promoting Unity in Rural Georgia” and “Positive Peacebuilding: Engaging Youth Through Rotary, Communities, Schools.”

With a stellar educational background and work history, Laura spent 20 years at the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving at Georgia Southwestern State University, where she co-authored where she co-authored its signature caregiving training program, Caring for You, Caring for Me.

For assistance in the area of peacebuilding, contact Laura via email at laura.bauer@mattieonline.com.