The annual Rotary International Convention this year was in Atlanta, Georgia.  Art Bourgealt, Laura Elmore and Mark Heuchert were there along with 34,000 members from 197 countries for 5 days of training, celebration and learning about Rotary programs worldwide.  

 

Among the Keynote Speakers were Bill Gates, addressing the Gates Foundation partnership with Rotary International for the End Polio Global Initiative.  So far in 2017 there are only 6 reported cases of this disease in 2 countries, down from 36 cases in 2016.  As Gates said, "There is no better partner than Rotary".  We are close to ending the effects of this dreadful disease worldwide, but the efforts cannot end even then.  Maintaining consistent immunization in at-risk countries for 3 years after the last confirmed new case is imperative to assure that the disease is truly eliminated.  Then continuing the immunization efforts to stop a recurrence is also important.  To that end, various countries, along with the Gates Foundation and Rotary International have pledged an additional $1.5 billion over the next 3 years.  It will be an incredible accomplishment to share in the efforts of Rotary International to end a disease that has killed and crippled so many.  To hear Bill Gates, http://video.rotary.org/Gii 

 

Other key areas of focus for Rotary International include Ending Human Trafficking.  Senator Bob Corker, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, led a panel discussion that included Ashton Kutcher, co-founder of THORN, Digital Defenders of Children; Gary Haugen, CEO of International Justice Mission.  Rotary is teaming in the important work to stop human trafficking in the US and around the world.