Beyond Our Own Rotary: How ICC Netherlands Is Turning International Friendship into Visible Action

by Jan de Mooij – National Chair, ICC Netherlands

From an apple tree planted for Ukraine to culinary fundraisers for Indonesia, from a new partnership with Poland to discussions on digital healthcare with Italy: the Dutch Intercountry Committees are becoming an increasingly lively network of friendship, knowledge and service.Dear ICC members and readers.

The Rotary year 2025–2026 has been a turning point for ICC Netherlands. Together with our board and the enthusiastic teams behind the different country committees, we have achieved a great deal. Connection, peace and the promotion of friendship have been at the heart of everything we do.

I continue to be struck by the strong need for contact between Rotarians in different countries. Alongside the many valuable initiatives within individual clubs, there is a world beyond our own Rotary club. That is precisely what makes the Intercountry Committees unique: they bring people together across borders, create lasting relationships and turn international friendship into meaningful action.

The official establishment of two new ICCs this year —Netherlands–Italy, Malta and San Marino on 8 April, and Netherlands–Poland on 16 May — showed once again what Rotary can achieve when we look beyond national borders. It is wonderful to see Rotarians and other interested people finding one another, forming new teams and developing concrete initiatives together. We are also working towards the establishment of an ICC with Great Britain and Ireland.

We are also strengthening our visibility. The ICC Netherlands website will become a welcoming central hub where people can discover our committees, projects, events and stories. In September, the Rotary European

Action Summit in Rotterdam will offer another exceptional opportunity to experience Rotary beyond one’s own club. by Jan de Mooij–NationalChair, ICC Netherlands Beyond Our Own Rotary: How ICC Netherlands Is Turning International Friendship into Visible Action.

The Rotary European Action Summit, taking place in Rotterdam from 11 to 13 September 2026, will provide a natural meeting point for this expanding network. Under the theme “To Belong”, Rotarians and Rotaractorswill explore low literacy, mental health and sustainability, while meeting international friends and discovering opportunities beyond their own clubs. An international ICC gathering may also take place on 12 September. Registration can be done via: www.rotary-european-action-summit.com

Together with Ebed Litaay, our secretary, and Gianvittorio Zandonà, our treasurer, I look back with pride — but, above all, I look forward. With your support, commitment and enthusiasm, we can make the coming Rotary year even more meaningful. Together, we continue to shape our mission in the spirit of Paul Harris.

A network en motion

When the first issue of Connected appeared in December 2025, ICC Netherlands was still at the beginning of a new chapter. Germany, Indonesia, Russia and Ukraine were named as the existing Dutch ICC relationships. At the same time, teams were being formed around Italy, Poland, Austria, Great Britain and Ireland, and peace-related cooperation.

There was also an ambition to revive the relationship with Suriname. Less than a year later, two of those initiatives have received their charters, another is approaching establishment, and projects are increasingly moving from conversations to action.

Ukraine: friendship that does not turn away Perhaps nowhere is the purpose of an ICC more tangible than in the relationship between the Netherlands and Ukraine. Its story can be told through one small apple tree. The tree was donated when ICC Netherlands–Ukraine was established on 24 February 2024 and later became the first tree planted in the new Rotary Food Forest in Sluiskil. In peaceful surroundings, it now represents a friendship shaped by the harsh reality of war —but also by hope, growth and the conviction that something new can emerge from devastated ground.

That friendship became deeply personal during the Netherlands–Ukraine meeting in Warsaw in November 2025. Ukrainian Rotarians travelled from heavily affected regions such as Kharkiv, Dnipro and Kyiv. They spoke about nights filled with bombardments, damaged schools and hospitals, interrupted education and the daily strain of living under constant threat. The weekend brought new friendships, cultural encounters and concrete requests for cooperation. It also revealed how important twinning can be: Ukrainian clubs were not only looking for material assistance, but also for lasting contact and moral support from Dutch sister clubs.

By April, more than twenty service projects from that encounter were already being connected to Dutch Rotary clubs and districts. These included practical assistance, support for children and vulnerable families, and opportunities for longer-term club partnerships. Another moving initiative raised more than €6,000 for Rotarian Dirk Lustig, who has visited children near the front as Saint Nicholas for many years, giving them a brief moment in which the war can fade into the background.

The latest chapter unfolded during the regional conference “Peace for Ukraine”, held in Lublin from 15 to 17 May 2026. Rotarians from twelve countries exchanged experiences and discussed ambulances, humanitarian transports and longer-term assistance. Letters of intent and cooperation agreements were signed between clubs and districts. The atmosphere was serious but hopeful — proof that friendship can remain warm even when the subjects discussed are painfully urgent.Indonesia: connection served at the table ICC Netherlands–Indonesia demonstrates that service can begin with an invitation to sit down, share food and listen to one another.

Three culinary events with Malaysian chef Norman Musa brought together cuisine, culture, music and fundraising. A seven-course gala dinner supported the Muliamanise Foundation in Bali, enabling children to continue online after-school lessons in English and computer programming. A second event in Rotterdam combined a six-course menu and book presentation with support for Stichting Avrasya, which works for the emancipation and integration of migrant women in the Netherlands. During a later visit to Rotary Club Gouda-Bloemendaal, fundraising supported Collective Minds, an organisation using sports coaching to give disadvantaged children better opportunities.

The partnership is also developing at an institutional level. Jan de Mooijand Ebed Litaaymet Indonesian Ambassador Laurentius AmrihJinangkungand introduced him to Rotary, Theagreements were signed between clubs and districts. The atmosphere was serious but hopeful — proof that friendship can remain warm even when the subjects discussed are painfully urgent.

Indonesia: connection served at the table ICC Netherlands–Indonesia demonstrates that service can begin with an invitation to sit down, share food and listen to one another.

Three culinary events with Malaysian chef Norman Musa brought together cuisine, culture, music and fundraising. A seven-course gala dinner supported the Muliamanise Foundation in Bali, enabling children to continue online after-school lessons in English and computer programming. A second event in Rotterdam combined a six-course menu and book presentation with support for StichtingAvrasya, which works for the emancipation and integration of migrant women in the Netherlands. During a later visit to Rotary Club Gouda-Bloemendaal, fundraising supported Collective Minds, an organisation using sports coaching to give disadvantaged children better opportunities.

The partnership is also developing at an institutional level. Jan de Mooijand Ebed Litaaymet Indonesian Ambassador Laurentius Amrih Jinangkung and introduced him to Rotary, The Rotary Foundation and the potential of the ICC. The meeting created a promising basis for closer cooperation with the embassy and for new activities connecting the Netherlands and Indonesia.

Italy, Malta and San Marino: people first in a digital age. On 8 April 2026, the new ICC between the Netherlands and Italy, Malta and San Marino was officially chartered. The online ceremony marked the conclusion of months of preparation by Dutch and Italian Rotarians and gave the partnership a formal foundation from which to grow.

Its direction is already distinctive. Instead of concentrating primarily on traditional infrastructure projects, the committee is developing professional and people-centred cooperation. Healthcare, artificial intelligence, digital medicine and the ethical use of innovation are central themes. A possible online dialogue would bring together experts and Rotarians to discuss healthcare models, vulnerable groups, sustainability and “digital humanism”: technology that continues to place people, rather than systems, at the centre.

The committee is also mapping professional expertise and areas of excellence in both countries. Through hosting, study visits, mentoring and network introductions, it hopes to connect professionals and identify suitable twin clubs. This is international vocational service in a very practical form: not simply exchanging business cards, but sharing knowledge that can improve lives.

Poland: a new bridge officially opened ICC Netherlands–Poland began with a clear ambition: to deepen understanding between two countries that already have many connections, yet do not always know each other well.

Large Polish communities live in the Netherlands, municipalities maintain twinning relationships, cultural exchanges take place, and Dutch and Polish organisations cooperate closely in supporting Ukraine. The ICC aims to build on these foundations by acting as a kind of “virtual embassy”: a forum for dialogue, cultural exchange, community projects and direct contacts between Rotary clubs.

That ambition became official on 16 May 2026, when the charter was signed during the international conference in Lublin. Dutch symbols — including a windmill, a flag and, to the delight of those present, cubes of Dutch cheese — added a light-hearted touch to an important occasion. Behind the ceremony stood a serious commitment: to create new friendships, open doors for joint projects and strengthen the relationship between Dutch and Polish clubs.

Peace: from fellowships to a worldwide youth network

Peace is not a separate, abstract subject within ICC Netherlands. It runs through almost every committee and project.

The peace programmehas promoted Rotary Peace Fellowships and the Positive Peace Academy, which helps participants understand the conditions needed for peaceful and resilient societies. It has also encouraged Dutch Rotary districts to support Peace Fellows before, during and after their studies, helping them turn academic knowledge into practical work in their own countries.

During the ICC Peace & Earth Conference in Kraków from 8 to 10 May, peace was connected to environmental responsibility, inclusion, language, artificial intelligence and ethical leadership. The unveiling of a Peace Pole bearing the message “May Peace Prevail on Earth” offered a visible symbol of that commitment. Participants were also challenged not to remain silent, but to speak openly and consistently in favour of peace.

Another Peace Pole was unveiled during the Unite for Peace weekend at the Rotary Peace Center at Uppsala University. Dutch participants met Peace Fellows and donors from around the world and joined a peace walk exploring the legacies of Nobel Peace Prize winners. The lasting impression was not merely the formal programme, but the relationships formed across countries, cultures and languages.

The second Youth Peace Summit in The Hague brought this work to a new generation. From 17 to 19 June, 140 young peacebuilders from 61 countries gathered for workshops, dialogue and collaborative sessions based on the United Nations Youth, Peace and Security Agenda.

Their Youth Peace Charter is now moving into its next phase, and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs has expressed interest in using it to strengthen youth participation in peacebuilding. Preparations for the 2027 summit have already begun. Great Britain and Ireland: a team taking shape The next new ICC may connect the Netherlands with Great Britain and Ireland. Regular contact has been maintained since the beginning of 2026, and around eight Rotarians on the British and Irish side have already committed themselves.

A Dutch team is now being assembled. Possible areas of cooperation include End Plastic Soup, sanitation projects in Africa and work aimed at ending female genital mutilation. The subjects are varied, but the principle is the same: bring together people with complementary experience, agree on a practical goal and build a partnership capable of sustaining it. A charter may be possible in connection with the Rotary European Action Summit in Rotterdam.

Russia, Germany, Suriname and Austria: different stages of connection

Not every ICC relationship is developing under the same circumstances. The Netherlands–Russia committee, established in 2013, organized alternating activities, visits and projects in both countries until the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Its activities have since been formally suspended at the initiative of the Dutch section. The committee itself has not been dissolved, but any future reactivation will depend on developments surrounding the war and on a careful consideration of what responsible cooperation would mean.

Germany is identified as one of the existing Dutch ICC relationships, although the three newsletters reviewed do not include a separate update on German activities during this period. Austria remains an initiative under development. For Suriname, ICC Netherlands is seeking Rotarians and Rotaractors with relevant ties and experience to help re-charter the bilateral committee.

These different situations are part of an honest overview of the Dutch ICC landscape. Some committees are thriving, some have only just begun, some are looking for new members, and one is suspended because international friendship cannot be separated from international responsibility.

The next chapter: visible, accessible and national

The growth of ICC Netherlands also requires stronger foundations at home. The organisation has again been recognised by the Dutch governors as a national committee and aims to have active representation from all seven Rotary districts. A dedicated ICC section has been launched on the national Rotary website, and further improvements are planned: a clearer overview of the country committees, an accessible contact point, a central archive for newsletters and documents, and a simple reporting format through which volunteers can share the atmosphere and impact of events without creating unnecessary administrative work.

That, in the end, is the common thread running through every ICC: people meet, stories are exchanged and trust begins to grow. Sometimes the result is a charter. Sometimes it is a humanitarian transport, a new professional network, a Youth Peace Charter or a tree planted in Dutch soil.

Connection is the beginning. Friendship gives it strength. Action gives it meaning.