2026 February

LET ACTION DEFINE US

FRANCESCO AREZZO , President, Rotary International

At last month’s International Assembly, President-elect Olayinka “Yinka” Hakeem Babalola called on members of the Rotary world to live out our presidential message for the 2026-27 Rotary year: Create Lasting Impact. 

This February, as we observe Peacebuilding and Conflict Prevention Month, we have an opportunity to channel Yinka’s call to action into real change. Peace is not simply the absence of war. A life free from conflict but marked by hunger, instability, or the inability to care for one’s family is not true peace. Peace requires liberty, opportunity, and respect for human dignity. Yet fear often blocks that path — fear of change, of cultural loss, of people we don’t understand. 

Fear isn’t defeated through avoidance or aggression. Knowledge is the first step toward peace. Rotary embraces this idea. Our Rotary Peace Centers and their peace fellows, along with other peace education initiatives, demonstrate how knowledge builds trust and helps communities find solutions to conflict. 

In Colombia, decades of conflict have left deep wounds. The 2025 Rotary Foundation Programs of Scale awardee, Pathways to Peace and Prosperity, partners with the United Nations World Food Programme to expand opportunity, improve conflict resolution, and connect people with social services. Its goal is to break cycles of violence, poverty, and food insecurity so peace can take root. 

In Maharashtra, India, People of Action honoree Swati Herkal built peace through prosperity. Her project confronted farmers’ declining soil health, rising debt, and illness caused by chemical fertilizers. She and her Rotary partners launched a regenerative agriculture program that revitalized the land, lowered costs, and restored stability. 

More than 1,100 farmers now participate and over 50 villages have adopted the model. Rotary also advances peace by restoring dignity. In Chad, Rotary Peace Fellow Domino Frank discovered that more than 1,500 women who fought in a rebellion had been erased from reintegration programs. His advocacy led to Chad’s first Rotary Foundation global grant and the creation of Corridors of Peace. More than 100 women — triple the goal — completed literacy and vocational training and formed a cooperative to support their families. 

From Colombia to India to Chad, the lesson is clear: Peace is not a dream. It is the result of sustained action with a focus on true, lasting impact. To replicate these successes, Rotary clubs can take three steps: Learn from peace fellows and other peace experts in our organization, apply a peacebuilding lens to community assessments, and prioritize impact over ceremony. 

In a world filled with fear, Rotary cannot be satisfied with half-measures and empty words. If we are truly people of action, then action must define us. Together, we can Create Lasting Impact — across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves.

SAM PAGDILAO: VOCATIONAL SERVICE EXEMPLAR

SUE VILLA STA. MARIA, Chairman, PRMFI

Past Chair of PRMFI PDG Sam Pagdilao recently celebrated his 69th birthday, reflecting on the number “69” as a symbol of reciprocity and balance. The metaphor captures the harmony he has pursued throughout his life — between authority and compassion, strength and humility, public duty and private devotion. 

As we observe Rotary’s theme of Vocational Service, Pagdilao’s journey stands as a compelling testament to one of its core principles: applying high ethical standards and integrity in one’s profession. 

The celebration, thoughtfully prepared by his five children, revealed the many dimensions of the man they honor: devoted father, loving husband to Chay, disciplined leader, decorated police officer, Rotarian, and former legislator. Each role was embraced not for prestige, but for purpose. 

A graduate of the Philippine Military Academy, a lawyer (UST, cum laude), and holder of a master’s degree in Public Administration, Pagdilao built a distinguished career in the Philippine National Police spanning nearly four decades. As a founding member of the Special Action Force and later as chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), he demonstrated both tactical skill and moral resolve. His leadership was especially evident in high-stakes operations, including the successful rescue of kidnapped businessman Robert Uy — an achievement that restored public confidence during a time of fear and uncertainty in the business circles. 

In recognition of his integrity and service, he received The Outstanding Filipino (TOFIL) award — the first ever conferred for police or military work. He was lauded for strengthening anti-crime initiatives and introducing reforms in police administration, operations, and community relations. Yet he was equally firm in addressing internal misconduct, insisting that erring officers be held accountable to preserve the organization’s honor. As he noted, many officers quietly serve with integrity, without fanfare, living out the true meaning of “to serve and protect.” 

His commitment to public service extended to the House of Representatives from 2013 to 2016, where he authored 38 bills and resolutions and co-sponsored 114 measures. 

As PRMFI Chair, he was both tough and compassionate, introducing the digitalization of the Philippine Rotary Magazine alongside Editor-in-Chief Sonny Coloma. 

At the heart of his character lies family. His 92-year-old mother, Anunciacion — an educator and three-term mayor — spoke during the celebration about faith and service, values deeply rooted in their family’s legacy. Even the disciplined officer reveals a gentler side: playing the saxophone and singing alongside his daughter on the keyboard. 

In the symmetry of “69,” we see more than a number. We see a life lived in balance — where integrity anchors leadership, and service becomes its own enduring reward.

ROTARY PEACE CENTER IN ASIA

SONNY COLOMA, Editor-in-chief

A new Peace Center was launched by Rotary International at the Symbiosis International University in Pune, India last January 26. Philippine Rotary welcomes this auspicious development. Both President Francesco Arezzo and Trustee Chair Holger Knaack presided at this event that was graced by the presence of university leaders, peace fellow alumni, and Rotarians from host districts 3131 and 3141.  

This Peace Center will focus on issues and peacebuilding approaches related to countries in Asia, such as the Philippines, Thailand, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. We live in a period of uneasy peace and turbulence in many hotspots across the world. Rotarians are called upon to serve as crusaders for peace, goodwill and understanding.  The emergent Peace Center in Pune would be an ideal focal point for launching peacebuilding initiatives. As explained by The Rotary Foundation: “With a strong focus on Positive Peace, the center will offer a diverse curriculum including modules in post-conflict recovery and healing, social justice, population displacement and migration, diplomacy, and humanitarian response. Upon completion of the program, peace fellows will be awarded a postgraduate diploma in peace and development studies by the university.” 

Rotary Foundation Trustee Bharat Pandya’s thoughts are instructive: “Peace is the foundation for safety, prosperity, and sustainable development in our societies. The establishment of Rotary’s Peace Center at Symbiosis is a proud moment for Rotary that will empower future peacebuilders. 

We urge our Clubs to work on being able to tap talented and capable individuals who will undertake advanced studies at the emergent Peace Center in Pune. 

Indeed, as enunciated by then RI President Sakuji Tanaka in 2012-2013, Rotary promotes Peace through Service.  

BUILDING PEACE AT SCALE

HOLGER KNAACK, Foundation Trustee Chair

February is Peacebuilding and Conflict Prevention Month, a perfect time to reflect on The Rotary Foundation’s mission to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace. Whether improving health, supporting education, or alleviating poverty, peace is at the heart of everything Rotary does. 

Rotary Peace Centers bring our ideals into the world by training the next generation of peacebuilders. Since 2002, more than 1,800 Rotary Peace Fellows have become catalysts for peace in over 140 countries. 

I am often asked whether our peace fellows continue working for peace after their studies. The answer is a resounding yes. Many serve in United Nations agencies, governments, nongovernmental organizations, and groups they’ve founded themselves. 

Recently, I met with the recipients of our latest Programs of Scale award, Pathways to Peace and Prosperity in Colombia. This $3 million partnership with the World Food Programme is establishing four peace hubs that will train 1,000 people in conflict resolution and support 700 entrepreneurs in communities touched by conflict. 

During the meeting, I thought I recognized one participant as Brigitta von Messling, a German peace fellow I worked closely with in Berlin 13 years ago. But so much time had passed I wasn’t sure. When I asked Gladys Maldonado, a leader of the Colombia initiative, she confirmed it was Brigitta: "Brigitta is based in my city, Cúcuta, and is an active member of my Rotary club. She does wonderful work with the United Nations as an observer of the 2016 peace agreement Colombia signed with rebels. She even travels to remote locations in the Catatumbo region, an area of northern Colombia that has experienced violence by armed groups. 

She has my utmost admiration. I had the good fortune of meeting her three years ago. She’s incredibly intelligent, with a gift for recognizing the strengths of others. 

Brigitta is invaluable to my country, my city, and my Rotary club. She connected me with the World Food Programme so we could build the Programs of Scale project, which has filled my city and country with hope." 

What Gladys said about Brigitta echoes so many stories we hear about Rotary Peace Fellows worldwide: They are invaluable.  They remind us that peace is built one person at a time. 

Your support of The Rotary Foundation opens countless opportunities for transformation.