Rotary Friendship Exchange in Sweden

By Ruzaik Farook

Rotary Clubs are service organisations that strive to improve the quality of life in their communities, promote high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace. Rotary Friendship Exchange is a part of such mission to build goodwill and peace among many communities and cultures beyond the border.

A team of 12 Rotarians from Rotary International District 3220 Sri Lanka and Maldives left for Sweden to take part in the Rotary Friendship Exchange (RFE) to RI District 2400 Sweden recently.

Chathurka Wickramasinghe led this 12-member team as the Team Leader. The 12 members participated who in this exchange were Chathurka Wickramasinghe, Marshad Barry, Gihan Panditaratne, Nishantha Jayamanna, P. Maheswaran, ArunaIndrajith Yapa, Mohomad Shiyam, P.T.P. Warnathilaka, Deepal Jayasekara, T. Sandarasekaran, Pujitha Marasingha and Kasun Attanayaka.

Marshad Barry along with Gihan Panditaratne did a presentation for the members of RI District 2400 of Sweden about Sri Lanka and Rotary activities of Sri Lanka during the tour in the four cities where they were hosted. They were hosted by Rotarians from four cities in Sweden namely Karlsham, Karlskrona, Kristianstad and Falkenberg.

During the 14 days tour they were accompanied by Sweden Rotarians for many interesting places in the four cities such as Karlsham museum, Picnic by Morrum River, Naval museum and Recycling station in Karlskrona, Holy Trinity Church and IKEA museum, Vodca Factory in Kristianstad, Varberg with the old Fortress in Falkenberg were few among the important places they visited. Also in all four cities club banners were exchange during the official Rotary meeting.

The participants clubs which represented in the tour will undertake assist in hosting of the Swedish Rotarians, during the reciprocal visit to Sri Lanka from 8 to 20 November.

At present Jit Seneviratne Immediate Past President of Rotary Club of Colombo West is the Chairman for the Rotary Friendship Exchange for Rotary year 2016/17. This Rotary Friendship Exchange was taken place under the guidance and blessing of the Present Governor of Rotary for the year 2016/17 Senaka Amerasinghe.