The Rotary International Presidential Conference on Peace – Istanbul (Türkiye) – 20/22 February 2025
The Rotary International Presidential Peace Conference was held in Istanbul, Türkiye, February 20-22, 2025, at the Hilton Istanbul Bomonti Hotel
Led by Rotary International President Stephanie A. Urchick, the event represented an important opportunity for the Rotary community and its partners to explore Rotary's contribution to promoting peace. The conference's central theme, “Healing in a Divided World,” focused discussions on four key areas:
- Peace in a polarized world
- Technology, media and peacebuilding
- Environmental issues in peacebuilding
- How to make peace last
During the three days, participants attended speeches by leading speakers, participated in round tables and in-depth sessions. These moments highlighted the many ways Rotary members, program participants, partners, and community leaders can promote peace across the organization's diverse areas of focus and programs. A significant moment of the conference was the launch of the new Otto and Fran Walter Rotary Peace Center, created in collaboration with Bahçeşehir University in Istanbul. This center represents a further step forward in Rotary's commitment to developing leaders dedicated to building global peace. The choice of Istanbul as the venue for the event underlined the city's role as a bridge between cultures and continents, symbolizing the importance of dialogue and mutual understanding in promoting peace. The conference offered participants the opportunity to share stories, insights and ideas on how to build peace both locally and globally, fostering meaningful conversations about promoting peace in communities around the world.
