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Kalyan Banerjee
President, Rotary International
2011- 2012
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Rotary
International
Presidents
Message
June 2011
All of us in Rotary are looking to change the world – why else
would we be Rotarians? We believe that our world can be happier, healthier,
and more peaceful, and that we can create that better world through our
service.
In 2011-12, I will ask Rotarians to Reach Within to Embrace Humanity.
I will ask you to search first within yourselves, to understand that all of
us, everywhere, have the same dreams, the same hopes, the same aspirations,
and similar dilemmas. When we understand, and truly feel, that
others’ needs are the same as our own, we begin to understand how
important our work is. In the year ahead, we will have three emphases in
our Rotary service.
Our first emphasis in this Rotary year will be the family. The family
and the home are at the core of all our work – all our service begins
here. And through the family, we approach all of our community and indeed,
all of humanity, as an extended family, in which all members care for each
other. In times of joy and in times of need, no one is ever alone.
Our second emphasis will be continuity – finding the things we do
well and taking them to the next level. We must build on our successes,
expand on them, and strive to do even more. Of course, our greatest
obligation is to PolioPlus, where success is now so close.
And our third emphasis will be change. We must understand that true
change can only begin with each of us, and start within us. We cannot share
peace with others if we do not have it to give. We cannot look after the
whole world without first looking after those closest to us: our families,
our clubs, and our communities.
Mohandas K. Gandhi said, “You must be the change you wish to see
in the world.” In Rotary, we endeavor to live ethically and honestly,
to share friendship and fellowship, to see equal worth in every human
being. We are not interested in the lowest common denominator, for Rotary
is anything but common. Instead, we work to elevate ourselves, elevate
others, and thereby embrace the world.
Together, we will Reach Within to Embrace Humanity. And in
peace, harmony, and friendship, we will bring change – and a more
joyful world.
Kalyan Banerjee
President, Rotary International
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