Episodes

Ivo Daalder, president of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, and John Hewko, CEO of Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation spoke at a live event recently about the current situation in Ukraine, the war's long-term impact on global security and prosperity, strategies for peace, and the role of nongovernmental organizations in humanitarian relief and postwar reconstruction.

Last fall, Chris Kolenda set out on his Fallen Hero Honor Ride, covering 1,700 miles on his bicycle to visit the gravesites of the six paratroopers who died under his command in combat in Afghanistan: Jacob Lowell, Chris Pfeifer, Ryan Fritsche, Adrian Hike, David Boris, and Tom Bostick. At the gravesites, Kolenda, a member of the Rotary Club of Milwaukee, met with the men's family and friends to salute them and celebrate everything their lives embodied. This audio version of a story by Bryan Smi...

Food does more than fuel our bodies; it can nourish our souls and give us a glimpse into other cultures. In this episode of ⁠Rotary magazine⁠'s podcast, veteran food reporter Monica Eng and Rotary senior writer Diana Schoberg speak with renowned chef Rick Bayless about his community projects and the ways food can create connections.

The 2016 film The Secret Marathon tells the story of the perseverance of female runners in Afghanistan, a country where women regularly face discrimination and violence. In this episode of ⁠Rotary magazine⁠'s podcast, veteran journalist Linda Yu speaks with one of the filmmakers, Martin Parnell. Parnell is a member of the Rotary Club of Cochrane, Canada; a world-class endurance athlete; and an author.

March is Women's History Month, a time to celebrate and reflect on the contributions women have made to society. In this episode of Rotary magazine's podcast, we speak with two influential women: U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, an Iraq war veteran, the first woman with a disability elected to Congress, and a former manager at Rotary; and Rotary International President Jennifer Jones, the first woman to hold that office and the founder and president of an award-winning media production company.

Last fall, as the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine approached, Rotary magazine’s Wen Huang traveled to Europe to see this humanitarian crisis firsthand. In Lviv, he witnesses the resilience of the Ukrainian people and the wide reach of Rotary’s global network. This story, which appeared in the March 2023 issue, is narrated by Andy Choi.

As the war in Ukraine reaches the one-year mark, Russia’s continued attacks have caused death and devastation, and created millions of refugees. In this special episode of Rotary magazine's podcast, we speak with Rotary International General Secretary John Hewko, a Ukrainian American who has lived in Ukraine and Russia; award-winning Ukrainian writer Andrey Kurkov, who spent most of the past year in Ukraine, documenting the resilience of ordinary Ukrainians; and Borys Bodnar, a Rotary member in ...

Well before the COVID-19 pandemic, a University of Chicago professor already was studying loneliness, which he considered a hidden epidemic. His lifework can teach us about overcoming isolation. This audio version of an essay by Wen Huang in the January 2023 issue of Rotary magazine is narrated by award-winning broadcast journalist Linda Yu.

Exacerbated by COVID-19 pandemic seclusion, loneliness has become a global public health crisis, but Rotary clubs, experts, and governments are tackling it with meaningful interactions. This audio version of a story by Dave King in the January 2023 issue of Rotary magazine is narrated by award-winning broadcast journalist Linda Yu.

The recipient of Rotary's first $2 million Programs of Scale grant, Partners for a Malaria-Free Zambia, is working to eliminate the disease, including training 2,500 community health workers. In Rotary magazine's latest podcast, we check in with Rotarians Martha Lungu and Eric Liswaniso, who are working in their communities to combat malaria. We also explore the science behind malaria with Abigail Pratt, a senior program officer at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and speak with Diana Schobe...

Partners for a Malaria-Free Zambia, the recipient of Rotary’s first Programs of Scale award, is confronting a worldwide malady at the local level by working to train and equip 2,500 community health workers in Zambia’s Central and Muchinga provinces. This audio version of a story by Diana Schoberg in the December 2022 issue of Rotary magazine is narrated by award-winning broadcast journalist Linda Yu.

Trauma, whether from the horrors of war or the loss of a loved one, can feel insurmountable to those experiencing it. In this episode, our podcast team explores stories of hard-won recovery — and even growth. We talk with Zach Skiles, a veteran of the Iraq war who became homeless, began to heal at a veteran’s facility with support from Rotary members, and is now a clinical psychologist at the Portland, Oregon VA Medical Center; and Michaela Haas, a journalist and author who has researched post-t...

An Iraq veteran works through his trauma — and adopts a mission to help others, in this audio version of a story in the November 2022 issue of Rotary magazine. Story by Kate Silver. Narrated by award-winning broadcast journalist Linda Yu.

The poliovirus is detected in New York and London. A new polio vaccine offers hope to prevent variant polio outbreaks. In advance of World Polio Day, 24 October, our podcast team sits down for a chat with Carol Pandak, director of PolioPlus for Rotary International, Dr. Ananda Bandyopadhyay, deputy director of the polio team at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Jason Keyser, managing editor of Rotary magazine, to discuss the latest on Rotary's efforts to eradicate this disease.

Rotary Magazine Presents: A modified polio vaccine, nOPV2, is offering new hope in the fight to eradicate polio. Broadcast Journalist Linda Yu narrates this story from the Rotary magazine, written by Managing Editor Jason Keyser.

With his play, Visions, Rotary member Lo Bue has turned his addiction into art and provided new roles for former addicts. Story by Steve Almond. Narrated by award-winning broadcast journalist Linda Yu.

Alongside Rotary and the nonprofit DigDeep, the Navajo are bringing a vital commodity to their ancestral homeland. Story by Geoffrey Johnson. Narrated by award-winning broadcast journalist Linda Yu.

Genshitsu Sen is former grand master of the Urasenke tea tradition and a member of the Rotary Club of Kyoto, Japan. Sen's father introduced him to Rotary in 1954. "Rotary's values fit perfectly with the tenets of our Urasenke chadō tradition, such as Wa (harmony), Kei (respect), Sei (purity), and Jaku (tranquility)." Upon the death of his father in 1964, Sen acceded to the position of Urasenke grand master, representing the 15th generation in the Urasenke line. Despite his new responsibilities, ...

Jennifer Jones, Rotary International’s 2022-23 president and the first female president, is the perfect leader to spread the word about the good Rotary does in the world, and inspire its members to keep going. This profile by Diana Schoberg appears in the July issue of Rotary magazine, and is narrated for Rotary by former broadcast journalist Linda Yu.

Music, it turns out, is medicine for the mind. In this story for the May 2022 issue of Rotary magazine, Kate Silver explores the good things music does for the aging brain and some Rotarians who have been using it to help others. Narrated by award-winning broadcast journalist Linda Yu.

Can an all-female anti-poaching unit stop wildlife crime in an African game preserve — without guns? The following story, narrated by award-winning broadcast journalist Linda Yu, appeared in the April 2022 issue of Rotary magazine.

Past and current conflicts have had a significant impact on Rotary in Ukraine — which has only made members there more resolute. The following story, narrated by award-winning broadcast journalist Linda Yu, appeared in the April 2022 issue of Rotary magazine.