We are asking for your participation to help in a Rotary Peace Community initiative, as part of the RI Presidential Rotary Peace Summit being hosted in Windsor, Ontario, Canada in April 2008.

As part of this event, we are looking for Rotary Clubs and communities that either have committed themselves to promoting world peace, or are interested in doing so.  We have developed a Peace Community Planning Kit, along with other materials that can be downloaded from www.rotarypeacesummit.org under the Peace Community option.  In the kit is information and materials to assist with this endeavour. There are also some great ideas and suggested activities for involving children.

We believe that peace starts in the family, in the home and the community. This is what this program is all about. We are suggesting that a Club or the community declare this commitment to peace annually through some special designation and event.  This can take the form of a peace park, special community event, a peace monument or a plaque placed in a prominent public area.

We are hoping that you are still committed to world peace and will help us promote this program in your community. You can start with your Rotary Club.

If your Club or community has already declared itself a Rotary Peace Community, there is a self-registry available on the website (or will be soon) where you can submit your Club’s or community’s information, provide a paragraph about your peace initiative and submit up to four photos.  Those declared and registered before the April event, will be invited to a special ceremony there, to receive a recognition citation from RI President Wilf Wilkinson.

There are wonderful projects already developed and completed. We hope we can count on you to bring together all the Rotary Peace Community initiatives under one “umbrella” and then promote world peace jointly.

There is a session on becoming a Rotary Peace Community at the Peace Summit. We look forward to meeting some of you there in April.

Yours in Rotary Service,
Anna Jurak