Peace Through Service

The theme for the Rotary Year 2012-13 announced by the incoming President of Rotary International, Sakuji Tanaka, unveiled at the International Assembly, is :

“PEACE THROUGH SERVICE”

Peace, in all of the ways that we can understand it, is a real goal and a realistic goal for Rotary. Peace is not something that can only be achieved through agreements, by governments, or through heroic struggles. It is something that we can find and that we can achieve, every day and in many simple ways.

No definition is right, and no definition is wrong,
 However we use the word, this is what peace means for us

“In Rotary, our business is not profit. Our business is peace,” . “Our reward is not financial, but the happiness and satisfaction of seeing a better, more peaceful world, one that we have achieved through our own efforts.”
Tanaka will ask Rotarians to focus their energy on supporting the three priorities of the RI Strategic Plan , he said. He added that he will ask the incoming leaders to promote three Rotary peace forums, to be held in Hiroshima, Japan; Berlin; and Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.

RI Theme 2010-11 speech of Ray Klinginsmith

Read the full text of the speech by incoming Rotary International President Ray Klinginsmith. Click here

Polio remains top priority with Ray Klinginsmith

District governors-elect got their first glimpse of the 2010-11 presidential emphases during the second plenary session of the 2010 International Assembly.

Polio eradication and outreach to youth and young adults top RI President-elect Ray Klinginsmith's "to-do" list. Also featured are the Future Vision Plan's six areas of focus:

* Peace and conflict prevention/resolution
* Disease prevention and treatment
* Water and sanitation
* Maternal and child health
* Basic education and literacy
* Economic and community development

RI Theme and Role of Rotarians

The 2009-10 RI theme acknowledges the important role individual Rotary clubs will play in shaping the future of Rotary.

RI President-elect John Kenny unveiled the theme, The Future of Rotary Is in Your Hands, on Monday during the opening plenary session of the International Assembly , an annual training event in San Diego, California, USA, for incoming district governors.

"The future of Rotary will not be shaped at RI headquarters -- it will be shaped in each and every Rotary club," Kenny said, "because it is for each of us -- as Rotarians -- to do what is necessary to keep Rotary strong."

Kenny acknowledged the foundation established by past Rotary leaders and laid the responsibility for building upon that success on every Rotarian.

"Each one of us is standing on the shoulders of generations of Rotarians past, and it is our responsibility to determine Rotary’s future," Kenny said.

"Everything begins and ends with our clubs," he said. "Our clubs can and do work together; they work through their own districts, in cooperation with other clubs and districts, and with the support of our Foundation.

"But at the end of the day, everything that we accomplish is done through the strength of our clubs. And so each club must have autonomy to serve where and how it can serve best."

At the same time, Kenny highlighted the importance of the RI Strategic Plan , adopted by the RI Board of Directors, as an essential tool in providing continuity. 

"The plan is designed to strengthen and proclaim the core values of Rotary: service, fellowship, diversity, integrity, and leadership," Kenny said. The training sessions for incoming governors during the weeklong assembly are all tied to some component of the strategic plan, and a final group discussion on Saturday will seek to tie all the pieces together and show the future district leaders how to take the strategic plan to the club level.

Kenny concluded his remarks by sharing a favorite saying from his homeland, Scotland: "We must look beyond our own parish pump."

"It means that we must look beyond our own home and our own community," Kenny said. "We must look beyond our own needs, and we must be aware that ours is only one community, of one country, of the many communities and countries in this world."

Rotary Theme 2009-10

The incoming world leader of Rotary International, John Kenny, has announced

the next Rotary year’s theme (2009-10) at the International Assembly: “The Future of Rotary is in Your Hands”

Indeed.  Considering the challenges that our world faces today on various fronts including population, health, hunger, literacy, climate changes, which would have far-reaching repercussions on our planet Earth, the time to bring about the positive change is now.  

You, who are going to be the leaders of your club next year, will have to start planning for all those good things that you would like to leave for your children as a legacy for their future.  Dream now, so that the Future of the next generation is secure.