Rotary magazine for June and July showcased some of the amazing work being done by Rotarians in these islands to help with the Ukraine crisis. I am so in awe of how much is being done.
I understand we are now up to more than £3 million in donations and £1 million plus in kind, over and above the more than 20 Rotary International disaster grants of £25,000 each of which have been secured.
Listen to this edition’s OneVoice columns
When in Houston for the International Convention, I was able to share this with our General Secretary, John Hewko, and we decided to record a brief video to thank you all.
Ukraine is not the only country with citizens suffering. If people displaced as a result of conflict were a nation they would be the 14th largest country on earth!
Our world needs us now more than ever and our Rotary mission of peace has never been more relevant than it is today.
But peace is so much more than the absence of war: it is an integral part of all of our work as Rotarians and Rotaractors.
In June, we hosted a fantastic webinar ‘We are all Peacebuilders’ which took a deep dive into what this means and how it translates tangibly into the service projects we all work on.
Ukraine is not the only country with citizens suffering. If people displaced as a result of conflict were a nation they would be the 14th largest country on earth!
The keynote speaker was Steve Killelea, an entrepreneur, philanthropist and founder of the Institute for Economics and Peace. He has been recognised as one of the world’s 100 most influential people for his work in this field.
Thank you Jannine Birtwistle for making this happen and your dedicated work as Rotary GB&I peace specialist. In its simplest of forms, peace-building can be as simple as being kind to others. A smile translates in any language!
Let us all bring warmth, understanding and empathy for our fellow human race into everything we do. The world will be a better place for it.
I encourage you to take a moment to watch both of these videos which are available on demand on our Rotary YouTube channel.
I think you will find both inspiring and uplifting to see how much the service we give makes a difference.
