On the occasion of the historic visit of Rotary International President Gordon R. McInally to District 1913 Croatia and the fifth anniversary of Rotary in Croatia, a special forum was held on April 29, 2024, in Zagreb. The theme of the Rotary year 2023/24 is working on actively promoting peace and mental health in various ways, including raising awareness and dialogue. Therefore, the topics of the forum were focused on the mental health of groups that are at the center of Rotary’s activities, primarily empowering children, women, or groups of citizens who need our help the most in the context of the community. A special lecture was dedicated to strengthening personal resilience through helping others, which has recently been recognized in the ‘mission’ of Rotary International: making a lasting difference in our communities, but also in ourselves. Through plenary lectures by McInally and Dr. Dean Ajdkuković, as well as a panel featuring Tomislav Ramljak, Miren Špek, Olja Družić Ljubotina, and Miranda Novak with Marina Ajduković as moderator, participants were able to familiarize themselves with a cross-section of topics ranging from child poverty, ensuring meals in schools, protecting children online, supporting victims and witnesses of crimes, as well as abused children, and prevention and protection of youth.
Forum Held ‘Mental Health: Prejudice vs Inclusion’
Rotary and Rotaract clubs around the world, including in Croatia, carry out numerous projects every year to help the local community. During the forum, we heard about several of them that this year are focused on promoting mental health.
– We witnessed a spectrum of good and helping initiatives that include online workshops for students and youth, raising awareness in the community, and renovating child and adolescent psychiatry departments from Slavonia through Zagreb to Dalmatia, whether through renewing equipment or spaces and educating teams involved in caring for those who sometimes suffer in silence – stated Sunčica Bulat Würsching, Governor of District 1913, Croatia, on this occasion.
Rotary District 1913 gathers more than 1,900 members in 99 Rotary and Rotaract clubs throughout Croatia, representing people united around the ideas of friendship and understanding who want to make a lasting difference in the community through numerous humanitarian activities and projects.
