Register online by 1 May for the 2012 RI Convention in Bangkok
Rotary International News -- 26 April 2012
Gillian Sorensen, (top) senior adviser at the United Nations Foundation, and microfinance pioneer Muhammad Yunus, will be among the speakers at the convention in Bangkok.
More than 35,000 Rotarians have registered for the 2012 RI Convention in Bangkok, Thailand, 6-9 May. And you can still join them by registering online through 1 May.
For the first time ever, a convention plenary session will be available live online. The third plenary session, celebrating milestones in Rotary’s efforts to eradicate polio, will be available through a live webcast at 09:15 on 8 May (in Thailand; find the time for your location ). A recording of the webcast will be available later that day.
The convention will feature several keynote speakers: microfinance pioneer Muhammad Yunus (read the interview in The Rotarian); Hugh Evans, cofounder and CEO of the Global Poverty Project; Gillian Sorensen, senior adviser at the United Nations Foundation; Angelique Kidjo, a Grammy award-winning entertainer and humanitarian; and Amanda Martin, curriculum coordinator and teacher at the Global Health Access Program.
Jose Ramos Horta, president of the Republic of Timor-Leste and a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, will also give a presentation during the fourth plenary session. See more information about speakers.
Follow the convention on Twitter
Use the hashtag #ricon12 to follow the convention on Twitter.
On the ground in Bangkok, local Rotarians have arranged cultural excursions and events to enhance convention goers’ experience. These Host Organization Committee events include “a boy and a TIGER,” a presentation celebrating the youth of Thailand with music, dance, gymnastics, and multimedia effects. The performers, who come from schools and charitable institutions throughout the country, include underprivileged and HIV-infected young people. The internationally acclaimed program was inspired by the novel The Life of Pi .
Local Rotarians are also working on gathering attendees to form the biggest smiley face. The event is scheduled for 14:00 on 7 May at the Impact Arena. For more information, email biggestsmile2012@gmail.com.
Just before the convention, 3-5 May, the Rotary World Peace Symposium and the Rotary Alumni Celebration will offer current and former Rotary Peace Fellows, other Rotary Foundation alumni, and Rotarians an opportunity to hear about the latest developments in peace and conflict resolution and to learn practical skills from experts in the field.
For more information: