Dear
Fellow Rotarians,
Rotary Youth Exchange is where my heart is. As you probably know my wife
Susanne and I hosted more than 40 youth exchange students over the past
years.
Many Rotarians over many generations have shared in this experience, and I
want to thank Youth Exchange officers, host families, and other volunteers
for their contributions. Together, we’ve helped young people build an
understanding and appreciation of different cultures, learn new languages and
forge lasting friendships across the globe.
To ensure that our legacy continues, these valuable, life-changing
experiences must build from a foundation of safety and well-being for all our
students, families and communities. To that end, Rotary’s Board of Directors
has been regularly monitoring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on
communities around the world to determine whether it is safe to reinstate the
Youth Exchange program for the 2021-22 school year.
With the continued uncertainty of the pandemic and COVID-19 virus variants,
inconsistent disease mitigation efforts, and the global imbalance of vaccine
access – the board has decided to suspend the Youth Exchange program through
30 June 2022.
The board’s decision was informed by scientific data, global health guidance
and a number of factors required to guarantee a safe, equitable and quality
experience. Careful consideration was also given to ease and availability of
international travel, access to medical care and insurance coverage, school
delays and closure, potential financial impact on participants’ families and
Rotary volunteers.
Given the global imbalance of access to the COVID-19 vaccine and the
financial impact of the pandemic, many areas of the world would be unable to
participate in 2021. Moving forward with only the limited number of
participating countries with access to the vaccine would contradict Rotary’s
core value of fairness and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Our ability to meet in person is limited now, but we know that Rotary Opens
Opportunities, always. Now is the time to get ready, so that when the
pandemic is behind us, Rotary’s Youth Exchange program will come back
stronger than before, serving a world that is yearning to reconnect.
Sincerely,
Holger Knaack
President, Rotary International 2020-21
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