February is Rotary Peacebuilding and Conflict Resolution Month. According to Rotary International, today, over 70 million people are displaced because of conflict, violence, persecution, and human rights. Half of this number are children.
As Rotarians, Promoting Peace is one of our seven areas of focus. While the idea of promoting peace may seem like a large and unattainable aspiration, I assure you that the work you do every day has a positive affect in the world. Our district has actively created and supported service projects in our local community and around the globe. These projects address the underlying causes of conflict, including:
- Access to healthy food and clean water
- Fighting disease
- Sanitation
- Access to education
- Empowering women and girls, etc.
Beyond these projects, we’ve supported peace scholars, who dedicate their careers to creating tangible projects to bridge the gaps between cultures/governments and actively work on conflict resolution.
I encourage you to continue your work in creating environments where peace can happen. Here are some simple things you can do to promote peace:
- Continue to expand your world by listening to speakers from different backgrounds.
- Find a new member to collaborate with on a service project.
- Refer a new speaker to your club
- Bring in a member of your community to a Rotary meeting or project
- Volunteer
- Participate in a global grant
- Join the District (or your club’s) Peacebuilding committee
- Check out the Rotary Action Group for Peace at rotaryactiongroupforpeace.org
You are the magic of Rotary, where people from different backgrounds, faiths, industries and experience come together to collaborate and make the world a better place. Whether you are working to expand education or provide healthcare, you are actively contributing a more peaceful community.
Thank you for all your work to build peace in our world!
Rotary District 5030 Governor, 2024-25
