Politiek en religie

Hoe gaat Rotary om met politiek en religie?

Rotary wordt beschouwd als een apolitieke en areligieuze organisatie. Om deze reden wordt er niet over deze onderwerpen gediscussieerd. Rotarians staan echter midden in de samenleving en hebben dagelijks te maken met politiek en religie en problemen die zich in dat kader voordoen.

Rotarians zijn vrij zich diepgaand over politiek en religie te laten informeren, zonder echter hierin als Rotaryclub een standpunt in te nemen.

De Manual of Procedures zegt hierover:

Rotary International and its member clubs must refrain from issuing political statements. Rotarians are prohibited from adopting statements with a view to exerting any corporate pressure on governments or political authorities.

However it is the duty of Rotarians:

1.	In their clubs, to keep under review political developments in their own communities and troughout the world insofar as they affect service to their vocations and communities as well as the pursuit of the Rotary objective of world understanding and peace.

They are expected  to seek reliable information through balanced programs and discussions so that the members can reach their own conclusions after the fair examination of the issues.

2.	Outside their clubs, to be active as individuals in as many legally constituted groups and organizations as possible to promote, not only in words but trough exemplary dedication, the awareness of dignity of all people and the respect of the consequent human rights of the individual.