Texas Rotary district collects emergency funds for Hurricane Harvey

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Source:: Rotary.org

By Rotary International

Hairyung Sung (front row, second from left) with alumni from the Rotary Peace Center at Duke University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA.

By Hairyung Sung, Rotary Peace Fellow 2013-15 at Duke University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA

This June, I attended the Rotary International Convention in Atlanta, Georgia, as a Peace Fellow alumnus, and was also able to take part in both the Peace Assembly and the Presidential Peace Conference. On 8 June, some 90 current and former Peace Fellows from around the world came together for an open discussion entitled “Stories Sustain Peace,” and reflected on the day’s experiences. All of us were in absolute agreement that resolving conflict and promoting peace were long-term endeavors, and we encouraged each other to take whatever action we could.

At a reception at the Carter Center that evening, records and photographs from Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter’s visit to North Korea in June 1994 caught my attention. During that trip, Carter opened face-to-face dialogue with Kim Il Sung and successfully negotiated a new treaty between the U.S. and North Korea. As an aspiring Peace Fellow applicant, I had resolved to contribute …read more

Source:: Rotary International Blog

By Rotary International

Former Rotary Scholar Mikah Meyer, right, views the solar eclipse with friends.

By Mikah Meyer, former Rotary Scholar

Have you ever seen a 360-degree sunset? If you’re like me and spend a lot of time outdoors, you know that doesn’t make sense. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west, creating a blinding view as you drive east in the morning and a radiant sunset full of colors in the west in the evening. But a 360-degree sunset? Sounds like science fiction. But it’s not.

Fiction, anyway. It is science, which allowed scientists to predict that on Monday, 21 August, we would be able to view a total solar eclipse on a “path of totality” from the jagged coast of Oregon to the brackish marshes of South Carolina. Having been in both those places this year as part of my world record attempt road trip to all 417 National Park Service sites, everyone naturally asked at which national park I’d be viewing this rare event.

I had planned on being at Agate Fossil Beds National Monument in northwest Nebraska. But days before the eclipse, the forecast predicted clouds. Having just seen the surreal sunsets of Badlands National Park in South Dakota, …read more

Source:: Rotary International Blog

By Rotary International

Edina’s junior police officer, a member of the Rotary club, shares safety information with students.

By Tom Gump, president of the Rotary Club of Edina Morningside, Minnesota, USA, and a District 5950 trainer

Since 1 July, 2016, my Rotary club has recruited and brought in 31 new members. Eleven of these new members are women and eight of them are under 40 years of age. The club has gone from being classified as a “medium” sized club of 68 members in our district to being classified as a “large” club of 93 members in just over nine months. How did this happen? Here’s our tips:

Know your club’s strengths. If you meet in the morning, you will probably be a good fit for a 9 to 5 employee. But if you meet at noon, you’re more likely to appeal to retirees or parents of school-age children. If someone doesn’t fit your format, recommend them to another club. They won’t forget you and may send you someone another day. Let all the clubs in your area know you are looking for members, and they may send you some that better fit your format than their own.
Keep a list of potential recruits. It doesn’t …read more

Source:: Rotary International Blog

People donate money to good causes for all sorts of reasons; it could be a personal connection to a community in need, a debt of gratitude for a past kindness, or a desire to leave a legacy. We asked eight people around the world what motivates

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Source:: Rotary.org

Sam F. Owori was elected to serve as president of Rotary International in 2018-19 and would have been the second African Rotarian, and the first Ugandan, to hold that office. He died on 13 July, at age 76, from complications after surgery.  Owori is largely credited with the

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Source:: Rotary.org

By Rotary International

By Hiroko Seki, Rotary Club of Tokyo Yoneyama Yuai

The Ginkgo tree sapling at the Carter Center.

On 12 June, during the Rotary International Convention in Atlanta, we planted a Ginkgo nursery tree at The Carter Center, founded by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. The tree is a descendant of one that survived the atomic bomb in Hiroshima.

When I saw this young tree for the first time, I was blown away by its vigor and beauty. The sapling was cultivated from its mother tree by Green Legacy Hiroshima Initiative led by UNITAR Hiroshima, and cared for by Steaven Leeper and Elizabeth Baldwin for nearly six years before they brought it to Atlanta for the ceremony.

The day of the planting included heavy rain, so the ceremony was held inside. Then Rotary President John F. Germ, Past President Sakuji Tanaka, and the CEO of the Carter Center attended. A certificate was presented to Past District Governor Jiro Kawatsuma from Hiroshima. Visitors can now see the tree in a beautiful garden at the Center.

A few days prior to the ceremony, during the Presidential Peace Conference, our …read more

Source:: Rotary International Blog

By Rotary International

Petar Pešić addresses a recent meeting.

By Petar Pešić, a member of the Rotary Club of Nis, Serbia

Driven by a desire to help my local community, I discovered Rotaract when I was attending the Faculty of Law at the University of Niš, Serbia. In the Rotaract Club of Nis, I met a number of young people who, like me, shared an interest in improving our community. It made our actions easier that we all shared the same goal, and we took part in many projects that made us visible in the community.

Belonging to Rotaract basically gives you free access to great mentors in your host Rotary club. They are always there to point you in the right direction and assist you in discovering better ways of doing things.

I did not know it at the time, but every project I was a part of and every meeting and event I organized helped me for my professional work as a lawyer. By working on service projects, I learned much about correspondence, negotiations, and drafting documents, all things I now do on a daily basis. Wherever I went, whether Berlin, London, or Split, Croatia, I had somebody to call, someone local to meet, or …read more

Source:: Rotary International Blog

Rotary clubs raise $304 million in one year to strengthen communities and improve lives around the world EVANSTON, IL (August 10, 2017) — As part of Rotary’s year-long centennial celebration of The Rotary Foundation – the global membership organization’s

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Source:: Rotary.org

By Rotary International

Isma Seetal, middle left of banner, as a team assistant during District 5320’s Rotary Youth Leadership Awards event.

By Isma Seetal, Rotary Global Grant Scholar

“Education is the best way to change one’s standard of living.”

My mother would repeat this phrase over and over like a broken record. I was lucky to have been brought up by a hard-working, single, mother, who empowered my brother and me to climb the socio-economic ladder by giving us the best education she possibly could. Other children from broken families like mine did not have the same fortune. My unwavering drive to give back and improve my community led me to join the Rotaract club of Port-Louis, Mauritius in July 2012.

Isma Seetal, right, and Jerry Rekers, a past president of the Newport-Irvine Rotary Club, her host club.

“Driiiing! Driiing!” My alarm rang out on a Saturday morning. My mind and body knew it was the weekend, and ganged up on me so that I had to crawl sluggishly out of bed. But the reason for my early wake-up soon dawned on me. It was the day of Lolo’s follow-up doctor’s appointment.

Lolo is an eight-year-old boy, living in a poverty-stricken area of the island, whom I …read more

Source:: Rotary International Blog