The groundwork for peace

Following the news is challenging these days. Stories of war and violence are ​deeply discouraging. It breaks my heart when I hear about innocent bystanders, ​particularly women and children, who are caught in the crossfire of conflict.

Is there anything we can do about it? We certainly can’t turn away from the ​problem. I think in these times, we need to shift our focus from what we can’t ​change to what we can do. We can also support what we know works.

February is Rotary’s Peacebuilding and Conflict Prevention Month. It is one of our ​areas of focus because peace is central to everything we do in Rotary.

Even though most of us aren’t diplomats at the negotiating table or ​peacebuilders working on active conflicts, in Rotary’s singular way, what we do ​works to promote peace and prevent conflict somewhere, every day.

Every Rotary member should remember this during the month of February: ​When you support any of the areas of focus of The Rotary Foundation, you are ​contributing to peace. Foundation grants that address fundamental issues — ​such as a global grant focused on enhancing basic literacy in a community — will ​cultivate a better understanding of the world and lead to greater economic ​stability, laying the groundwork for peace.

You can say the same for all the areas of focus, from the environment to ​economic development. They help stabilize communities, lift families out of ​poverty, and foster the pursuit of education.

Peace is and always has been interwoven into the fabric of Rotary beyond our ​projects, too.

Rotary International President, Gordon McInally, has been stressing the importance of peace as an Area of Focus throughout his time as President.

In 1999, when we established the Rotary Peace Centres through a visionary ​initiative of our Foundation, we reaffirmed this commitment. This month, we are ​once again renewing that vision, with Bahçeşehir University in Istanbul, our host ​partner for the newest Rotary Peace Centre, as it takes its first steps to prepare ​for the initial cohort of students arriving in early 2025.

All along the way, as Rotary has evolved into a global force for good, it has ​championed peace and understanding in countless ways, and our Foundation ​remains the great driving force behind that vision. It will be part of Rotary’s ​eternal legacy.

And by supporting our work, you will be able to say that you are a part of that ​legacy. You can directly support it by visiting rotary.org/donate and selecting ​peacebuilding and conflict prevention as the area of focus.

So, yes, there is a lot you can do to support peace and prevent conflict. The next ​step is up to you.

Every Rotary member should remember this during the month of February: ​When you support any of the areas of focus of The Rotary Foundation, you are ​contributing to peace. Foundation grants that address fundamental issues — ​such as a global grant focused on enhancing basic literacy in a community — will ​cultivate a better understanding of the world and lead to greater economic ​stability, laying the groundwork for peace.

You can say the same for all the areas of focus, from the environment to ​economic development. They help stabilize communities, lift families out of ​poverty, and foster the pursuit of education.

Peace is and always has been interwoven into the fabric of Rotary beyond our ​projects, too.