RI President Elect Sakuji Tanaka asks us to engage in “PEACE THROUGH SERVICE.” In his major address at the International Assembly, Tanaka indicated that peace can be defined by what it is not. It is a state of no war, no violence, no fear and no danger of hunger or poverty. Peace builds bridges of friendship and tolerance among people and nations. Through our Rotary service we learn that cooperation is more productive than conflict.

On a personal level Tanaka shared that he was part of the first generation to grow up in Japan after World War II. “We now place a great priority on peace . . . We saw the great economic growth that came when our national made the choice to change our way of thinking and embrace peace.” A focus on peace has allowed us to open our minds, be more tolerant and direct our energies toward positive goals. In Japan it is traditional to prioritize the needs of the society over the needs of the individual and this is what helped Japan to survive and rebuild.

The President Elect also stated that he will support the goals of the Strategic Plan and will encourage Rotary to have a greater continuity of service and achieve more significant goals over the long term. “In Rotary, our business is not profit. Our business is peace. Our reward is not money, but the happiness and satisfaction of seeing a better, more peaceful world – one that we have achieved through our own efforts.” Tanaka will be promoting three Global Peace Forums to be held in Hiroshima, Berlin and Honolulu.