Rotary International President Kalyan Banerjee visits regional NSW
The Rotary World President Kalyan Banerjee visited District 9700 from May 21st to Mat 23rd . He discussed community 
and international projects involving local Rotarians during his visit.
Peace communities were a feature when President Banerjee, in association with Mayor Ken Keith, dedicated Parkes as the latest Rotary Peace Community.
The Rotary World President and his wife Binota also visited the Rotary Peace monument in Wagga Wagga during his visit to recognise the world wide initiation of the Rotary Peace Communities project by the Rotary Clubs of Wagga Wagga in 1992. Since Wagga Wagga became the first, Peace Communities have been established across Australia and in many countries throughout the world. Wagga Wagga will host the 2nd International Peace Communities Conference in September 2012.
The support Rotary provides to youth of the region was also highlighted during President Banerjee’s visit. Rotary Clubs in District 9700 are currently sponsoring 9 local students to spend a year at school in countries as diverse as Sweden, Finland, Belgium, Denmark, Austria, Germany, Brazil and Peru. President Banerjee will be meeting some of the Youth Exchange students from these countries currently being hosted for a year while they are attending our local schools.
Other youth programs highlighted include the annual enrichment camp for year 9 students. Local Rotary Clubs in Wagga Wagga, Young and Forbes also recently ran the Science and Engineering Challenge, in association with the University of Newcastle, involving several hundred students in teams from surrounding high schools. A major driver education and awareness program (RYDA) is also run successfully each year for Year 11 students in several towns across the district. The program aims to reduce the road toll amongst young drivers, by changing attitudes towards risky behaviour.
Rotarians also volunteer in several overseas projects to improve living conditions, health and education for those less fortunate than ourselves. Recent efforts have included supplying 350 simple water filters to the people of Leuro village in Timor Leste. This project was initiated several years ago by Rotarians in Leeton and has been supported throughout the District to support those people in our nearest neighboring country.
Several volunteers, including non-Rotarians, have recently returned from Nepal. They were involved in an intensive training program for teachers in remote villages in Nepal. The team was able to take teaching materials and other resources and upskill the local teachers who in many cases have very little formal teacher training because of the remoteness of their villages. The project built on an earlier visit last year and is on-going with more teams of education, health and building volunteers working on the project in the future.
These programs illustrate the Service Above Self ethos of Rotary and the theme of the World President who urges us all “to embrace Humanity”.