Page 14 - 2024-25年度DRFS扶輪基金會研討會手冊

We offer the fellowships through our Rotary Peace Centers located at leading
universities around the globe. More than 1,800 peace fellows have graduated from
Rotary Peace Centers and are working in more than 140 countries toward a better world.

And thanks to a US$15.5 million gift from the Otto and Fran Walter Foundation, we
can continue supporting peacebuilders in more regions with the next peace center in
Bahçeşehir University in Istanbul, Turkey.

The first class of fellows will arrive in Istanbul in early 2025. To mark this occasion,
Rotary members, Rotary Peace Fellows, Positive Peace Activators, and others will be
invited to attend a Rotary presidential peace conference planned for February 2025.

The theme of the conference (not our annual theme ... that’s coming soon) will be
Healing in a Divided World. This conference will focus on Rotary’s peace efforts and
provide opportunities to learn together.

You’ll hear more about the peace conference at our convention in Singapore. I can’t wait
to see all of you there!

But there’s so much more you and members in your districts can do to promote peace in
the meantime. Members who want to spread hope for peace in their community can plant
a Peace Pole in the local park, playground, or any community space. And one of my
favorite tools for peacebuilding is The Four-Way Test. We would live in a better world if
every Rotary member truly lived The Four-Way Test instead of simply reciting it.

Rotary members have plenty of ways to support peacebuilding efforts, but today, I want
you to remember this: To spread peace around the world, we must first find peace
within ourselves.

Performing acts of kindness can ease symptoms of anxiety or depression and promote
social connection more effectively than any other known approach. We find joy in
helping others, but we also face a tough balancing act. We must change ourselves and
stay true to who we are.

That’s why I have adopted the colors orange and sky blue as my theme colors. As a
dominant color of autumn, orange represents the shifting of seasons — the end of one
phase and the beginning of another. In fact, orange is the primary color of change.
Blue, on the other hand, is associated with knowledge and intelligence — trust, loyalty,
and dependability. Blue inspires open communication. Combined, these colors
represent our burning need to move forward together as we change ourselves and
change the world.

With that, I’ve teased you long enough. Who’s ready to hear the 24-25 annual theme?

All right, I’ll tell you our theme. After one quick story!

Years ago, I was in the Dominican Republic helping install water filters. Two young boys
watched as dirty water entered a filter in one end and emerged clean out the other end.
I’ll never forget the first time we stopped the water flow. One of the boys grabbed my
sleeve and said, “Show me the magic again.”

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