International Friendship Day is celebrated on July 30th in India, and I was invited to say a few words at the virtual celebration hosted by the Rotary Club Kakinada and its President, Pavan Kumar Mangalampalli.
Rotary Club Kakinada was established 77 years ago, and boats a robust history of service. Learn more here: https://www.rotaryclubkakinada.com.
Joined by 98 Rotarians across continents, I shared how our club and foundation continue our decades of commitment to service through friendship and collaborations, specifically highlighting the work of our International Services Committee, Embassy Relations Committee, Twin Cities/Sister Cities Committees, the extent of our domestic and international grantmaking, and our signature projects - feeding the homeless, distributing dictionaries to students, planting trees in honor of our speakers, with a special mention about the longevity of providing fellowship to wounded warriors and their families dating back to WWII.
I noted that this club year, specifically, we are focused on equality for all, which we see as the "ultimate act of friendship," as selected by our theme "Change: Uncomfortable. Necessary. Rewarding." I mentioned that in our 108th year our club continues to honor our club mantra "Transforming the world through service."
It was great to see several familiar faces from our club joining the celebration, which also was live streamed on Facebook. Speakers from five continents also discussed their methods for delivering service, and celebrated the bond of Rotary friendships and partnerships.
I ended with a short passage from the United Nations on the importance of friendships:
"Sharing the human spirit through friendship - Our world faces many challenges, crises and forces of division — such as poverty, violence, and human rights abuses — among many others — that undermine peace, security, development and social harmony among the world's peoples.
To confront those crises and challenges, their root causes must be addressed by promoting and defending a shared spirit of human solidarity that takes many forms — the simplest of which is friendship.
Through friendship — by accumulating bonds of camaraderie and developing strong ties of trust — we can contribute to the fundamental shifts that are urgently needed to achieve lasting stability, weave a safety net that will protect us all, and generate passion for a better world where all are united for the greater good."
To view the entire celebration, find it here on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rotaryclubkakinada/videos/1173001683081029/?vh=e&d=n