More than a century ago, one man imagined a world where language would never stand in the way of friendship.
He created Esperanto, a language belonging to no country or culture, but to anyone willing to learn it. Even its name carries something beautiful: one who hopes. Perhaps that is why it found such a natural home in Rotary.
This week, we were especially pleased to welcome back travelling Rotarians Sherry Wells and David Yaki, who shared a few words reiterating their own involvement with Rotary’s Esperanto Fellowship and the friendships and experiences that have come from being part of something that reaches far beyond our own community. Because at its heart, Esperanto and Rotary share a remarkably similar dream: that when people find a way to understand one another, borders become a little smaller and the world becomes a little kinder.
In Esperanto, amiko means friend.
Amikeco means friendship.
Paco means peace.
Servo means service.
Amikeco means friendship.
Paco means peace.
Servo means service.
Four little words that somehow tell a very big Rotary story. Different countries. Different languages. Different lives. Yet through friendship and service, we discover that perhaps we have been speaking the same language all along.