Rotary Voices

Growing up in Lucknow, India, Rashmi Rustagi was a member of Rotaract and acted in radio plays. After moving to the Bay Area in the United States, she joined a local Indian theater and then began a demanding transition into Hollywood. In California, Rustagi was invited to join the Rotary Club of Redwood City, where she’s a member today. Chicago journalist Linda Yu sat down with Rustagi to discuss her life, career in movies and her efforts to empower women and girls in a new feature film: Designed by Preeti.

In 2026, many Western governments have pulled back funding and reduced their commitments to the United Nations. And later this month, the United States will officially withdraw from the World Health Organization. Today, civic organizations like Rotary represent a powerful “third force” in global affairs. For example, in 1988, alongside UNICEF and others, Rotary and the WHO became founding partners of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, or GPEI. The campaign now stands as one of the largest, most successful public health efforts to date. Leadership from the GPEI visited Rotary International Headquarters to discuss the status of the campaign today.

The Rotary Youth Exchange program has been promoting international understanding for 50 years. The program, which enables young people to live and study abroad for up to a year, serves as a bridge for cultural competence and builds the foundation for peace. In this episode, longtime exchange host Sabrina Barreto and one of the students her family hosted, Simon Foote, share their perspectives on the program. Holger Knaack, chair of The Rotary Foundation Trustees and a past Rotary president, discusses his experience hosting over 40 students with his wife, Susanne.

In response to a “friendship recession,” Rotary members are finding ways to make connections they cherish, starting in their own clubs. This story by Chicago journalist Kate Silver appeared in the August 2024 issue of Rotary magazine. This audio version of her story is narrated by Linda Yu.

In 1952, Copenhagen’s Blegdam Hospital was overwhelmed by polio patients. Under immense pressure and surrounded by loss, two doctors were faced with a seemingly unanswerable question: What can we do if patients become too paralyzed to breathe? A saga of innovation followed leading to the modern intensive care unit, or ICU. In this episode, Rotary magazine senior editor Geoff Johnson sits down with Dr. Hannah Wunsch. Dr. Wunsch documented the epidemic for her book: The Autumn Ghost.