21,000 Rotarians gather in Lisbon, injects € 80m to local economy

With  Nigerian Rotarians in active participation including Sir. Emeka Offor , the  Executive Vice Chairman of the Chrome Group, no fewer than 21, 000 Rotarians from about 150 countries  across the globe  have gathered in the  oldest city of  Western Europe Lisbon, Portugal for the 2013 Rotary’s annual international convention featuring the theme, “Lisbon – A Harbor for Peace“
The International annual convention, according to the organizers is expected to inject about EUR 80 million into the local economy.
However, in  Rotary’s 108 years of humanitarian service, Portugal is currently hosting  Rotary Convention  for  the first time.

From left: Senator Ken Nnamani, Sir. Emeka Offor, Executive Vice Chairman of the Chrome Group; Howard F. Jeter, and Adetukumbo Kayode on Sunday at the opening ceremony of the ongoing 2013 annual Rotary International Convention in Lisbon, Portugal.Photo by EEMEKA AGINAM

At the opening ceremony ,   flags of almost 200 countries  and regions were presented   including Nigeria  where Rotary clubs serve their communities.
In his keynote address, the  Rotary International President,  Sakuji Tanaka. Il Divo ,  told the gathering that   Rotery was committed to eradicate polio through  its humanitarian efforts.
According to him, the world will be a better place to live if all hands were on desk to put to an end polio which he said was causing more harm than good in countries of the world especially in the world.
Rotary’s top philanthropic goal, he said is the global eradication of polio, a crippling and potentially fatal disease that still threatens children in Nigeria, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Although some participants were unable to attend due to  inability to obtain  Visa from Portuguese Embassy in Nigeria,   this is the biggest convention ever held in Portugal where Rotary members from all over the world  joined   to embrace the Portuguese universal spirit of understanding and goodwill,  Luis Miguel Duarte, chair of Rotary’s  host organizing committee, said.
The annual convention is currently featuring success stories, idea exchanges and strategies to promote peace through volunteer service.
During his one-year term which will  end this June,  the  Rotary International President Sakuji Tanka has  held   series of international gatherings to advance peace and understanding in Berlin, Honolulu, and Hiroshima, cities heavily impacted by the events of World War II.
The peace summits focused on youth and the healing power of sustainable peace between nations.
“As a member of the first generation to grow up in Japan after World War II, I understand the importance of peace and its connection to our well-being,” Tanaka said, adding that,  “Peace is not something that can only be achieved through agreements, by governments, or through heroic struggles. It is something that we can find and that we can achieve, every day and in many simple ways.”
Europe was declared polio free in June 2002, but remains at risk as long as the disease has not been eradicated worldwide.
It would be recalled that Rotary had launched its polio eradication program in 1985, and in 1988 when it  launched the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI).
Since then, Rotary has contributed more than EUR 913,861,000 (US$1.2 billion) and countless volunteer hours.
Portugal’s 157 Rotary clubs have contributed EUR 590,400 (US $773,670) to polio eradication, and the Portuguese government has contributed EUR 763,114 (US$ 1 million).
Rotary clubs have long embraced the call for peace at the grassroots level by addressing the underlying causes of conflict and violence, such as hunger, poverty, disease, and illiteracy. Today, Rotary builds peace and international understanding through education, humanitarian service, and by connecting with youth.
Since 2002, Rotary clubs, each year sponsor up to 60 scholars who embark on one to two years of study to earn master’s-level degrees in peace and conflict resolution at Rotary Peace Centers for International Studies at leading universities in England, Japan, Australia, Sweden, and the United States.
Established in 2004, the Rotary Peace Center at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand offers a three-month professional development certificate in peace and conflict studies each year for up to 50 mid-level professionals from related fields, such as public health, education, international law, economic development, journalism, and social justice.
Rotary is a worldwide organization of business and professional leaders who provide humanitarian service and help to build goodwill and peace