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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 nearly 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$1.9 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.
What do Rotary clubs do?
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 more than US$700 million toward eradicating polio, a figure which will rise to more than US$850 million by the time the world is certified polio-free. These funds provide polio vaccine, operational support, medical personnel, laboratory equipment and educational materials for health workers and the public. Rotary members have helped immunize over two billion children in 122 countries.
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, Rotary supports six Rotary Centers for International Studies based at prestigious universities in five countries. The program, launched in 2002, provides master'slevel education in conflict resolution to classes of up to 60 Rotary World Peace Scholars chosen annually.
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 schoolage student exchange program that has sent nearly 8,000 students abroad for three months to a year.
Humanitarian Projects - Rotary clubs initiate thousands of volunteer service projects every year. These 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.
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