By Albert Essien, Published in Rotary International 

Fante Mayera is a medium-size rural community of about 800 people in the greater Accra region of Ghana. In August, I visited the community with the manager of the Rotary-USAID partnership in Ghana and other officials to meet with villagers and check on the progress of a borehole and latrine. I had been part of an initial visit with my Rotary club in 2016 to assess conditions there, and it was exciting to return and see the difference this important collaboration is making.

By Rhea Wessel and Andrew Chudzinski, Published in Rotary International

On the nightly news and around her city, Pia Skarabis-Querfeld saw the refugees arriving in Berlin after fleeing war, persecution, and poverty in their home countries. Wanting to help, she gathered a bag of clothes to donate and headed to a nearby gym filled with refugees. What began as a single act of charity eventually evolved into an all-encompassing volunteer project.

By Makiko Nakasone, February 26, 2018

We cannot hope peace for tomorrow unless we learn from yesterday.  So we have been helping the students at Glendale Unified School District learn about the historical events such as Hiroshima and the Japanese American internment during WWII, so they understand how dramatically common people's lives change because of war, how important peace is and how they may take an action toward peace building.

By Bill Gates and Melinda Gates, Published in Gates Notes

We are outspoken about our optimism. These days, though, optimism seems to be in short supply. The headlines are filled with awful news. Every day brings a different story of political division, violence, or natural disaster. Despite the headlines, we see a world that’s getting better.

By Rotarian Action Group For Peace, February 12, 2018 

RI President Ian Riseley and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau welcomed 800 Rotarians from around the world to the Presidential Peacebuilding Conference on Environmental Sustainability and Peace, held in Vancouver, Canada, on February 9 - 11. It was the first of six Rotary Peacebuilding Conferences slated in 2018. RAGFP was pleased to be a partner for this important event.

By Arnold R. Grahl, Published in Rotary International

A program created by Rotarians in Seattle, Washington, USA, is fighting hunger and poverty in Arkansas thanks to connections formed through Rotary. Rotary First Harvest has been funneling donations of imperfect or “ugly” produce to food banks in Washington via donated shipping since the 1980s. The program also organizes volunteers for gleaning, the ancient practice of going through fields after harvest to pick up remaining crops for the poor.