On Sunday 23rd February, the Rotary organisation turns 120. Rotarians around the world will be celebrating not only the longevity of the organisation, but its many achievements in that time. A few of these include:
- The first Community Service project - building a toilet for the Magic Mile shopping strip a key feature of Chicago
- Having 66 Rotarians working on the development of the United Nations: some representing their countries, others working on the Constitution, Helping with the development of the Universal Declaraton of Human Rights. Today, Rotary partners with many of the United Nations bodies such as the World Health Organisation, World Bank, UNHCR and others. A Rotarian represents the organisation on these bodies at the highest level Consultative Observer.
- Leading the world's largest peace time project - the eradication of Polio. The project has reduced the incidence of Polio worldwide to only 2 cases this week (22nd February) one, each in Pakistan and Afghanistan - the only two endemic countries in the world. This week also saw 571,000 children in Gaza immunised. Rotary itself has contributed over 2 Billion dollars and many thousands of hours to this project. Additionally, they have lobbied and had governments and non-profits as well as individuals contribute and additional 3 Billion dollars.
- Establishing Rotary Peace Centres at universities in different parts of the world. There are now over 1,800 graduates who have studied Peace & Conflict Resolution who now work in over 140 countries in a range of governments, non-profits, community development organisations and more.
- Rotary has Seven Areas of Focus. Environment, Peace, Disease Prevention & Treatment, Water, Sanitation & Hygiene, Maternal & Child Health, Basic Education & Literacy and Community Economic Development.
- Everything Rotary does is designed to lead to successful communities living in a peaceful world.
Rotarians - People of Action
