Rotary International Convention leaves Calgary with message of peace- Calgary, Alberta -CANADA
June 21-25, 2025
With the conclusion of the Rotary International Convention on June 25, some 16,000 guests from over 140 nations gathered to spread a shared message of goodwill and peace.
Ranging from fundraising efforts to direct action, Rotarians will be leaving Calgary over the next several days to take lessons learnt to their home districts, all to improve their local communities.
“The world right now can feel divided, but Rotary brings together people from every corner of the globe, not to erase
our differences, but to celebrate them,” said Rotary International President Stephanie Urchick.
“That’s how we spread peace, because peace is more than the absence of conflict: It’s the presence of understanding.”
“We want to see what we can do to be peaceful Rotarians and see what we can do to help the community. We’re going to have a peace walk on September 8 in LA, and that way people could see that Rotarians are peaceful individuals, and we’re just there to spread the awareness of peace,” said Alex Parajon, District Governor for the Rotary Club of Glendale Sunrise in Los Angeles.
He said in a world divided and in fear, that there needs to be more awareness of peace.
Tangibly, his group of Rotarians has been helping immigrants to LA who have been afraid to go to their jobs or even go to the grocery store to get food because of the raids by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement targeting Latinos in LA.
“The world’s so divided now, and we need folks to be talking about it more, just to create the awareness about what peace is,” Parajon said.
The RAGAS peace pole is unveiled during the Rotary International Convention at the Hilton Garden Inn in Calgary on Friday,
One of the lasting legacies that will continue on in Calgary is a Peace Pole, which will remain in perpetuity at the Hilton Garden Inn in the East Village.
Dave McCleary, Global Chair for the Rotarian Action Group Against Slavery (RAGAS) said that more than 500 of the Peace Poles have been installed worldwide as part of peace awareness.
The Calgary Peace Pole, like others installed elsewhere, contains the message “May Peace Prevail On Earth.”
“The Peace Pole is about creating peace within a community, and peace with survivors, peace with the community, make them understand the importance of peace around the world,” said McCleary.
“Every time somebody sees that, it creates peace. We launched one in the U.S. at a facility that did drug addiction and talked about the peace that they felt by seeing that every day. That’s what’s so important about these Peace Poles. It’s more than just a symbol. Every time someone sees that, it makes them want to work towards peace.”
May Peace Prevail On Earth International and The Peace Pole Project promote the message, May Peace Prevail On Earth, which is a “Registered Trademark” of May Peace Prevail On Earth International.
You must contact us if you are interested in a trademark license agreement. Send an email to: info@worldpeace.org
Excerpts from: June 20, 2025. ARYN TOOMBS / FOR LIVEWIRE CALGARY