What's Rotary
WHAT’S ROTARY?
Rotary
International is a volunteer organization of business and professional
leaders who provide humanitarian service, and help to build goodwill and
peace in the world. There are approximately 1.2 million Rotary club
members belonging to 33,000 Rotary clubs in more than 200 countries and
geographical areas.
Founded in Chicago in 1905, Rotary celebrated 100
years of service in 2005. The Rotary Foundation has awarded more than
US$2.1 billion in grants, which are administered at the local level by
Rotary clubs.
What is the purpose of Rotary?
Rotary
clubs exist to improve communities through a range of humanitarian,
intercultural and educational activities. Clubs advance international
understanding by partnering with clubs in other countries. Rotary also
encourages high ethical standards in all vocations.
Rotary clubs address critical issues at home and abroad by providing health care and medical supplies, clean water, food, job training, youth development, and education to millions of people in need. Examples of Rotary’s focus areas include:
Polio Eradication
- In 1985, Rotary International created PolioPlus – a program to
immunize all the world’s children against polio. To date, Rotary has
contributed US$800 million and countless volunteer hours to the
protection of more than two billion children in 122 countries. Rotary is
currently working to raise an additional US$200 million toward a US$355
million challenge grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
These efforts are providing much needed polio vaccine, operational
support, medical personnel, laboratory equipment and educational
materials for health workers and parents. In addition, Rotary has played
a major role in decisions by donor governments to contribute over $4
billion to the effort. With its community-based network worldwide,
Rotary is the volunteer arm of the global partnership dedicated to
eradicating polio. Rotary volunteers assist in vaccine delivery, social
mobilization and logistical help in cooperation with the national health
ministries, the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and the U.S.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Peace
- In an effort to educate tomorrow’s peacemakers and ambassadors, up to
110 Rotary World Peace Fellows are sponsored each year to study at one
of the eight universities for International Studies in peace and
conflict resolution. Since 2002, 339 fellows from over 75 countries have
participated at a cost of more than $23 million.
International Education
- Rotary is the world’s largest privately-funded source of
international scholarships. Each year, about 1,000 university students
receive Rotary scholarships to study abroad. Rotary clubs also
coordinate a high school-age student exchange program that has sent
nearly 8,000 students abroad for three months to a year.
Humanitarian Projects
- Rotary clubs initiate thousands of humanitarian service projects
every year. These volunteer-driven projects address the root causes of
conflict, such as hunger, poverty, disease and illiteracy.
Literacy
- Rotary clubs work to improve literacy rates worldwide. A unique,
Rotary-pioneered approach called the Concentrated Language Encounter
(CLE) has proven very effective in resource-strapped developing
countries. It was so successful in Thailand, that the Thai government
adopted the program nationwide.
Water Management - Recognizing the importance of clean water, many Rotary clubs help to install wells and develop water treatment and distribution systems to increase access to fresh drinking water for communities in need, especially in developing countries.