Ban Ki-Moon,
U N Secretary General
"You have overcome financial shortfalls, conflict and lack of security. You have conquered cultural barriers and lack of political will. At every turn, in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles, you have found creative solutions, in partnership with the World Health Organization, UNICEF and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In this way, Rotarians have shown the world what can be achieved when civil society and the United Nations partner together."
Kofi Annan
Former UN Secretary General
"The Global Polio Eradication initiative is a shining model of how we can come together against a common enemy of mankind"
Rotary International is a worldwide organisation of business and professional persons who are united in serving their local, national and global communities.
Rotary International is a big organisation. There are over 1.2million members in 168 countries and geographical regions. Rotarians are the members of Rotary Clubs that belong to Rotary International. There are 32,000 Clubs around the world.
Rotarians work together for the betterment of their local communities, for their national communities and for the people of the world.
Rotary International is non-political, and non-sectarian. Membership is by invitation only, and is equally open to men and women.
Rotary International believes that it is the first private organisation ever to set out to eradicate a world wide disease.
Since 1985, Rotarians have been fundraising and organising Polio Immunisation Days around the world. In 1985 there were some 300,000 cases a year. In 2007 there were just 1,181 cases. With our world wide network we are ideally placed to conduct a project like this with our partner agencies.
You can see the latest position by visiting www.polioeradication.org
Rotarians have launched major initiatives on literacy and numeracy in the developing world and in parts of the developed world.
Poor literacy skills are a major obstacle to human development, and a blockage to employment. By funding reading programmes in many countries, Rotarians are working for the betterment of all mankind.
The benefits claimed by most Rotarians for their membership of a Rotary Club are "fellowship" and the "opportunity to put something back into society".
If you would value the benefit of giving something back to your local community, and would enjoy doing it with a group of dynamic leaders in business and professions, you ought to make contact with your local Rotary Club, and introduce yourself.
By clicking on this link, you will see a list of Clubs in the London Area who have web sites. They would welcome an email from you.
To find out more about Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland, please click on the link "Link to RIBI" in the top right hand corner of this page. There you can meet the officers for Great Britain and Ireland, and read about our programmes at this level.
To find out more about Rotary International throughout the world, please click on the link "Link to RI" in the top right hand corner of this page. There you can meeting the officers for the whole organisation and read about our programmes and events at the worldwide level.