Several of the past and present Peace Fellows keep blogs. We will put links to any that we know about, on Fellows' individual web pages. Please let us know of any we have missed. Thank you.
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BRYAN NYKON
CANADA
Sponsored by: District 5040, Burnaby-Metrotown Rotary Club
Country of Citizenship: Canada
Language proficiency: English, Japanese, (conversational French)
Undergraduate degree: Asian Studies / International Relations
Areas of special interest: Media, Conflict Resolution
Background to RWPF Award: First heard about the award in 2004 from a Rotarian friend in Miyazaki, Japan.
What are you going to do with your RWPF?: Study Conflict Resolution at Bradford University and research the potential value of conflict resolution theory within the sphere of media production.
Profile: Bryan Nykon was born and raised in Vancouver, B.C., Canada. At the age of 17 he traveled to Japan on a government sponsored program aimed at promoting grass-roots international relations, and thus started his long term passion for travel and IR. Over the next decade Bryan spent 5 years in Japan as a student, competitive judoka, and eventually employee of the Government of Japan. In 2001 he graduated from the University of British Columbia with a bachelor's degree in Asian Studies and International Relations. From 2002-2004 Bryan was a Co-ordinator of International Relations in Miyazaki, Japan, where he worked with the local government to develop and implement courses, events and public policy aimed at promoting an international consciousness in the area. In 2004 he interned at the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo with the Political Affairs Department where he contributed to reports and recommendations on Canada's role in East Asian current affairs.
Deciding that public knowledge of social issues is the most powerful vehicle for positive change, Bryan's next step was to pursue a career in media production. In 2005 he returned to Canada to study film and documentary production at Langara College and UBC. Upon graduating he formed Captured Films Ltd. and has produced several media projects ranging from drug awareness projects for the Vancouver Police Department and public debates on homelessness for Shaw Television, to dramatic films that deal with issues of violence, substance abuse, and the misuse of power. Thanks to a Rotary Fellowship, Bryan will attend Bradford University from 2009-2011 to develop his knowledge of conflict resolution techniques and merge them with his future media production endeavours. His dream job is to work as a video producer or public information officer for the United Nations. In his free time, Bryan is an avid photographer, traveller, and enjoys all outdoor sports.