District Governor’s Message

George Azar

District 2452 Governor 2022-2023

February’s Message

Governor George Azar

Congratulations to all of us as we celebrate the 118th Anniversary of Rotary.

The first meeting of Rotary that was held on February 23, 1905, in Chicago opened the doors to the reliable perception of humanity and giving.

Today, our clubs continue to bring new ideas and fresh enthusiasm to the service that has spanned generations. As we are reflecting on past accomplishments, I ask you to continue to lead Rotary into the next century of service. Continue to focus on projects that will help in elevating our communities.

Now, February of every year is celebrated as Peace & Conflict Prevention Month, since we are a humanitarian organization, peace is a cornerstone of our mission.

We believe that when we work to make a change in our communities, we create peace. Rotary, Rotaract and Interact are practitioners of goodwill.

We fight diseases, provide clean water and sanitation, improve the health of mothers and children, support education, and grow local economies that directly builds the optimal conditions for peaceful societies. We are advocates of respect that help communities in being connected, inclusive, and resilient.

As we celebrate these important milestones in our club’s history, remember the responsibility for Rotary is yours. Take pride each day in the decisions you make and the actions you take, because these choices are determining the course of Rotary for us all. I can think of no place better to entrust the strength of this organization than to the members who have built it.

Truly; The Future of Rotary is in Our Hands.

Rotary & Peace by District Peace Fellowship Subcommittee Chair

Past President Mona Jarudi

District Peace Fellowship Subcommittee Chair 22-23

Country Membership Chair 20-23

Past President, RC Beirut Cosmopolitan 2018-19

As early as 1934, Rotary has been encouraging conversations to build goodwill within and across cultures, through Rotary’s Institutes of International Understanding. This initiative provided a platform for world leaders, economists, scientists, politicians where they discussed issues such as the economy, world peace and scientific advances. Rotary was present at the inception of the United Nations in 1945 and was one of only 42 organizations invited to serve as consultants to the U.S. delegation to the UN charter conference in San Francisco, California. Throughout that process, Rotary members served as delegates, advisers, and consultants: guiding agendas, drafting resolutions and helping resolve disputes between delegates. Today, Rotary holds the highest consultative status offered to a nongovernmental organization by the UN Economic and Social Council, which overseas many UN agencies. As a humanitarian organization, Peace is the most important pillar of Rotary’s mission and one of its seven areas of focus: Peace and Conflict Prevention and Resolution. Engaging in service projects and supporting peace fellowships and scholarships, Rotarians take action to address causes of conflict, which include poverty, discrimination, ethnic tensions, lack of access to education, and an unequal distribution of resources.

Stemming from the belief that peace is an important catalyst to development of individuals and communities, Rotary forged alliances with the Institute of Economics and Peace, formed Rotarian Peace Action Groups and launched the Rotary Peace Centers Program in !999 to train new generations of peace builders.

D-2452, through the years, has been a leader in initiating and implementing major projects in the seven areas of focus. Peace Education has been on its radar since few years. In 2018, a