By Sakuji Tanaka

RI President Sakuji Tanaka

2012-2013 Rotary International President Sakuji Tanaka

It’s a great honor to serve as your 2012-13 RI president and represent you in Rotary. Since joining this organization in 1975, it has changed my life and given me more than I ever anticipated. I look forward to sharing some of that with you.

Through Rotary, I learned the purpose of my life wasn’t to earn more, but to help others. Through our service, we learn that the problems that may seem large to us are really very small.

I also learned that through Rotary, we could build peace. As part of the first generation to grow up in Japan after World War II, I understand the importance of peace and its connection to our well-being.

Peace can mean many things for many people, but however we understand peace, Rotary can help us achieve it. Rotary helps us meet the basic needs of health care, sanitation, food, and education. These can bring peace. In addition, we need peace as well for vaccinators to go into countries such as Afghanistan to prevent children from getting polio. It is through our work as Rotarians that we help to build the foundation for a more peaceful world.

Through service, we can bring peace. This is why our 2012-12 Rotary theme is Peace Through Service.

During my year as your president, I look forward to hearing from you on LinkedIn and when I post on the blog. I also hope to see you at one of my three Rotary Global Peace Forums.

Read more about RI President Tanaka and watch a profile.