An Invitation to Unite for Good
Rotarians gathered at the District Conference in Hobart were honoured to hear from Dr Jessie Harmon, personal representative of Francesco Arezzo, who shared an inspiring message on behalf of the global Rotary leadership.
For Dr Harmon, the visit to Tasmania carried a personal connection. It is a place where she and her partner Andrew lived until their mid-twenties, and where extended family still reside. Returning to the island brought back many memories and felt very much like coming home.
Standing before Rotarians from across the district, Dr Harmon delivered an invitation from President Arezzo to Rotarians everywhere — an invitation to Unite for Good.
President Arezzo’s message came with four clear requests.
Unite to Build Peace
Peace can feel like a large and distant concept in today’s world. Yet Rotary has placed peace and international understanding at the heart of its mission for generations.
As Dr Harmon reminded the audience, Rotary has long played a role in promoting dialogue and cooperation across nations. Rotary was involved in the formation of the United Nations and continues to invest in global peace initiatives.
One of the most significant examples is the Rotary Peace Centers program, established in 2002. Since its launch, more than 1,800 Rotary Peace Fellows have graduated and are now working around the world in diplomacy, humanitarian work and conflict resolution.
Yet Rotary’s contribution to peace is not limited to global programs.
Every project that provides clean water, improves education, supports families or strengthens communities contributes to peace. When Rotary reduces poverty, builds relationships and strengthens communities, it helps create stability and understanding.
Unite to Finish What We Started
Dr Harmon also highlighted Rotary’s long-standing commitment to eradicating polio.
In 1985, Rotary made a promise to help rid the world of this devastating disease. Through the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, Rotarians have partnered with governments and leading global health organisations to tackle the disease on a worldwide scale.
The results have been extraordinary.
Cases of paralysing polio have fallen by 99.9 percent, from more than 350,000 cases annually in 1985 to just 51 cases last year.
Rotarians have helped vaccinate more than three billion children, and the infrastructure developed through the campaign now supports broader public health systems in some of the world’s most vulnerable regions.
But Dr Harmon reminded the audience that while the progress is remarkable, the mission is not complete.
“We are almost there,” she said. “But almost finished is not the same as finished.”
Rotary must continue until polio is eradicated for good.
Unite to Deliver Lasting Impact
The third request from President Arezzo is for Rotarians to focus on projects that create meaningful, measurable and sustainable impact.
Rotary’s work is about more than temporary charity. It is about creating change that lasts.
Dr Harmon pointed to the many ways Rotary clubs already deliver this kind of impact, including:
Supporting literacy through programs such as Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library
Partnering with organisations like World Vision to support sustainable nutrition initiatives
Raising awareness of family violence across Australian communities
Supporting leadership and development opportunities for young people
Each of these initiatives reflects Rotary’s commitment to making a long-term difference.
Unite to Grow Rotary
The final request was to grow Rotary itself.
Membership growth, Dr Harmon explained, is not simply about numbers. It is about expanding Rotary’s ability to serve.
“When our hands are few, our reach is limited. When our hands are many, our impact becomes extraordinary.”
Across the world, including in Australia, Rotary faces an important choice: whether to preserve the Rotary we remember or to build the Rotary the world needs today.
That means asking important questions:
Who is missing from our tables?
Whose voices are not yet part of our conversations?
Whose ideas and energy could help transform our clubs?
And perhaps the most personal question of all:
When was the last time each of us invited someone to join?
Every new member brings fresh skills, ideas and networks that strengthen Rotary’s capacity to serve.
A Shared Responsibility
Dr Harmon concluded by encouraging Rotarians to accept President Arezzo’s invitation.
An invitation to unite for good.
To build peace.
To finish the fight against polio.
To deliver meaningful and sustainable impact.
And to grow Rotary so the organisation can continue creating positive change for generations to come.
Her message resonated strongly with Rotarians gathered in Hobart — a reminder that whether in Tasmania, Victoria or anywhere in the world, Rotary’s mission remains the same: to create lasting change in communities and across the globe.
