Rotary Day at the United Nations

This Veteran’s Day weekend found me in New York City working with five extraordinary Rotarians led by Kevin Raymond, District Interact Chair, and forty-eight juniors and seniors from throughout the entire District where we spent a whirlwind twenty-four hours.  Nineteen schools and our exchange student from Italy shared in this experience. This trip’s primary focus is participating in Rotary Day at the United Nations.  Rotary’s close ties with the United Nations, formerly known as the League of Nations, goes back to 1945 when 49 Rotarians helped draft the UN charter.  Rotary has an emphasis on building peace and goodwill in the world and the relationship with the United Nations is part of that ideal. 

Interactors for throughout the eastern seaboard joined together in a day-long event where this year’s topic focused on “Responsible Business, Resilient Societies”.  The morning’s events started with Ambassador Won-Soo Kim, Past General Secretary RI Edwin Futa, Rotary International President John Germ and Chief of Polio UNICEF Reza Hossaini.  Our students sat at the very same desk as global representatives might have while making world changing decisions such as the creation of the state of Israel in 1947. 

Our trip not only took us to the UN but Times Square, Broadway, the famed New York subway and the 9/11 Memorial Museum near Ground Zero.  An incredible twenty-four hours.