(Extrait de l’allocution du 28 janvier 2016 / Auszug der Ansprache vom 28. Januar 2016)
Your club is at the cross-road between a local and a worldwide presence, in Geneva as well as in the UN. Geneva is an international city. I am happy for it to have a club like yours, whose international dimension is essential. Rotary has a local as well as a worldwide dimension. And your club is, by its members, a powerful pivot between those notions.
The Geneva Rotarian landscape is gaining an original touch, which is, however, not overshadowing the excellent local clubs. I know it will greatly contribute to the Rotary. It is a chance for us to have, with your club, a closer link to international organizations. We can be proud to be Rotarians, as way before the UN, Rotary has been working for peace on earth.
Usually, young Rotary clubs, are modest at first. On the contrary, you have already been acting with an ambitious project: for Syrian refugees in Lebanon. Just like Heracles who asserted his power straight from the cradle when strangling two huge snakes, you are accomplishing great achievements from the earliest days. You have showed up beautifully in the Rotarian landscape!
Congratulations to your new club, that has just joined the large Rotary family. I wish good luck and long life to this new Genève International Rotary Club.
