{"id":1978,"date":"2026-05-04T03:19:27","date_gmt":"2026-05-04T03:19:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dg-newsletter2526.rid3450.org\/?p=1978"},"modified":"2026-05-04T03:19:49","modified_gmt":"2026-05-04T03:19:49","slug":"rotary-international-president-message-march-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dg-newsletter2526.rid3450.org\/?p=1978","title":{"rendered":"Rotary International President Message May 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/span>

Rotary International President Message May 2026<\/h2><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Francesco Arezzo
President 2025-26<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n

May 2026<\/strong><\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Shoki Wafula did not know what to expect when he was forced to leave his birth country of Uganda for South Africa. What he found was a Rotary community that welcomed him with warmth and friendship. That experience inspired him to help create a Rotaract e-club where young leaders from around the world could connect, develop their skills, and serve together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, that community includes members across multiple continents who collaborate on leadership development, peacebuilding, and service initiatives. For Wafula, the experience reinforced the lesson that meaningful service begins with people who feel connected, valued, and empowered to lead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His story reminds us why Youth Service Month is so important. Through Rotaract and programs like Rotary Youth Exchange, young people build leadership skills, develop global understanding, and discover the impact they can make through service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rotary\u2019s Action Plan calls on us to enhance participant engagement. At its heart, that goal asks a simple question: How can we ensure that participation in Rotary is meaningful and fulfilling for everyone? Youth programs and Rotaract provide a powerful answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When clubs mentor Rotaractors, host exchange students, or support youth leadership initiatives, they create opportunities for members to share their experience in ways that feel personal and rewarding. These connections deepen members\u2019 sense of purpose and strengthen the bonds within our Rotary family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They also create lasting pathways into Rotary. Thousands of young people complete Rotary programs each year, and they carry those experiences with them throughout their lives. Many remain eager to stay connected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Organizations such as Rotex International, an association of former Youth Exchange students, help Rotary program alumni continue serving as mentors, leaders, and advocates for our youth programs. As Rotex co-founder Hans Lee wrote in a recent reflection on Youth Exchange alumni, \u201cexchange doesn\u2019t end when you return home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we welcome these young leaders into our clubs and activities, we strengthen the continuity of Rotary across generations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During Youth Service Month, I hope every Rotary club reflects on how youth programs can enhance engagement for new and longtime members. Collaborate on service projects and invite youth voices into your planning and decision making.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rotary\u2019s message to the world is that we can Unite for Good.<\/em> Youth programs show us how that happens in practice \u2014 when generations come together, share ideas, and work side by side in service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we invest in young people, we are not only shaping future leaders. We are building a stronger, more connected Rotary today.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Francesco ArezzoPresident 2025-26 May 2026 Shoki Wafula […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":419,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1978","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-may-2026"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dg-newsletter2526.rid3450.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1978","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dg-newsletter2526.rid3450.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dg-newsletter2526.rid3450.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dg-newsletter2526.rid3450.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dg-newsletter2526.rid3450.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1978"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/dg-newsletter2526.rid3450.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1978\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1980,"href":"https:\/\/dg-newsletter2526.rid3450.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1978\/revisions\/1980"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dg-newsletter2526.rid3450.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/419"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dg-newsletter2526.rid3450.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1978"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dg-newsletter2526.rid3450.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1978"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dg-newsletter2526.rid3450.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1978"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}