Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Learn about Rotary’s values and committment.

The Value of All

Everyone who engages with Rotary — no matter who they are, where they are in the world, or how long they have been connected with Rotary — should feel valued, respected, and welcomed. These ideals reflect what current and prospective members want and expect from their Rotary experience: respect, ethical leadership, inclusion, and the opportunity to work together to create more just, open, and welcoming communities for all people.

Diversity has long been one of Rotary’s core values and continues to serve as a foundation for how we interact with each other and our communities. But we know there is more for us to learn and do in order to ensure that our organizational culture reflects and exemplifies DEI in all ways.

The Board of Directors convened the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion  to assess the current state of DEI within Rotary and develop a comprehensive plan of action with achievable, measurable, and meaningful outcomes for Rotary. This plan will be presented to the Board of Directors in October 2021.

As a first step in that new plan to ensure our organization values and lives the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion, the Board of Directors, with guidance from the DEI Task Force, revisited and took measures to strengthen Rotary’s DEI statement adopted in 2019. The result is a new commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion:

At Rotary, we understand that cultivating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture is essential to realizing our vision of a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change.

We value diversity and celebrate the contributions of people of all backgrounds, across age, ethnicity, race, color, disability, learning style, religion, faith, socioeconomic status, culture, marital status, languages spoken, sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity as well as differences in ideas, thoughts, values, and beliefs.

Recognizing that individuals from certain groups have historically experienced barriers to membership, participation, and leadership, we commit to advancing equity in all aspects of Rotary, including in our community partnerships, so that each person has the necessary access to resources, opportunities, networks, and support to thrive.

We believe that all people hold visible and invisible qualities that inherently make them unique, and we strive to create an inclusive culture where each person knows they are valued and belong.

In line with our value of integrity, we are committed to being honest and transparent about where we are in our DEI journey as an organization, and to continuing to learn and do better.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion is not a political issue; we all have the right to be treated with dignity and respect, to have equal opportunities for fellowship and service, and to be given the same platforms for our voices to be heard.

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