3rd Africa ICC Peace Forum Report

Introduction

The 3rd Africa ICC Peace Forum held in Casablanca, Morocco on 3rd July 2026 explored one central question:

How can Rotary’s international friendships become practical instruments for building peace?

Hosted by DG Younes, Dr Dina Saih and Rotary District 9010 in partnership with the ICC Executive Council, the Forum marked the first major international event of the new 2026–2028 ICC leadership. It therefore served not only as a conference on peacebuilding, but also as the launch of a renewed vision for the International ICC movement. Throughout the day, participants returned repeatedly to a common message: peace is not created by declarations alone. It is built through relationships that produce tangible improvements in people’s lives. Every successful partnership between clubs, districts, countries and organisations strengthens understanding, creates opportunity and reduces the conditions that lead to conflict. The Forum demonstrated that Rotary’s greatest contribution to peace is not traditional diplomacy, but citizen diplomacy —people from different cultures working together to solve common problems.

Forum Leadership

Host: Rotary District 9010, Kingdom of Morocco
Convenor: ICC Executive Council
Chair: PDG Annemarie Mostert, President, ICC Executive Council 2026–2028
Host Governor:DG Younes Saih, District 9010 Organising Committee Chair: Dr Dina Saih

Forum at a Glance

Date: 3 July 2026

Venue: Hyatt Regency Casablanca, Morocco Theme: Building Positive Peace Through Partnership

Programme

Opening and Flag Ceremony Four Plenary Sessions Strategic Partnership Signings Panel Discussions
Question and Answer Sessions Networking, Tour
135 Attendees, ICC Chairs, Section chairs or participations from 19 Nations, representing 41 countries

Participants

The office of His Majesty, King Mohammed VI, Government representatives, DGs, DGEs, PDGs, members of the ICC Executive Council and ICC Chairs and ICC Section Chairs Rotarians, Rotaractors, Interactors, NGOs, educational institutions, Professional organisations, international development partners

Opening Session

The Forum opened against a backdrop of significant change. Both District 9010 and the ICC Executive Council had on the 1 July entered with new leadership, creating an atmosphere of optimism and renewal.

After a very special flag ceremony, messages from Rotary International Director Emmanuel Katongole, RI Director for Programmes and Services, Ellina Kushnir, as well as ICC President Elect Alessandro Pastorini congratulated DG Younes as well as President Annemarie Mostert with their new term and stressed the importance of the work done thought the ICC. Africa is rising and increasingly becoming a source of innovation, leadership and partnership rather than simply a recipient of international assistance.

The opening speakers challenged participants to judge ICC success not by the number of relationships that exist but by the quality of these relationships they create and the impact they deliver.

Casablanca, long recognised as a meeting point between Africa, Europe and the wider world, provided an appropriate setting for a conference centredon international friendship.

Plenary Session 1

Actionable Peace, Strategic Partnerships and Crisis Resilience

The first plenary explored how peace is strengthened through practical cooperation. Presentations demonstrated how sustainable development, humanitarian action and strategic partnerships all contribute to positive peace by reducing inequality, increasing opportunity and strengthening resilient communities.

The Moroccan National Initiative for Human Development illustrated how long-term investment in education, health, employment and local development creates conditions that discourage instability.

The response to the Al Haouz earthquake provided an equally powerful example of Rotary’s ability to mobilise international friendship networks rapidly into humanitarian action.

Rather than acting as implementing organisations themselves, ICCs were shown to provide an essential connecting role — bringing together districts, clubs, international partners and local communities able to deliver assistance effectively.

Plenary Session 2

Youth at the Helm

One of the strongest themes throughout the Forum was intergenerational leadership.

Rather than presenting young people as “future Rotarians”, the Forum demonstrated that Rotaractors and Interactors are already making substantial contributions to Rotary’s humanitarian work.

Projects presented included:

• rural school development
• medical caravans
• mental health initiatives
• educational support
• orphan assistance
• community health programmes

Speakers emphasised that successful leadership combines youthful innovation with experienced Rotarian mentorship.

The relationship is complementary rather than competitive. This approach reflects the ICC commitment to integrating Rotaract into every aspect of its future work.

Plenary Session 3

Breaking Barriers –Digital Innovation and Universal Access

Digital inclusion should be recognised as a peace rather than simply a technology issue. Communities excluded from trusted digital services risk increasing inequality, misinformation and social instability.

Conversely, safe access to digital education, healthcare, communications and economic opportunity strengthens resilience and reduces conflict.

There are three essential conditions:

• meaningful digital access
• trust and cyber resilience
• locally delivered solutions.

Subsequent presentations explored artificial intelligence, smart villages and digital inclusion across Africa.

The discussion concluded that Rotary’s trusted local networks position it uniquely to help communities benefit from digital innovation while avoiding new forms of exclusion.

Plenary Session 4

The Power of Two

The final plenary demonstrated how successful ICC partnerships move beyond friendship into measurable humanitarian impact.

The Rise Up Girls initiative illustrated how long-standing ICC relationships can be revitalised through projects addressing education, leadership, health and empowerment for girls.

Additional presentations highlighted emergency medical preparedness, community health initiatives and previous international medical partnerships involving Moroccan Rotary clubs.

Throughout the discussion one important principle emerged repeatedly:

ICCs do not replace clubs.

Instead, they act as facilitators, connectors and trusted international partners that enable clubs to undertake larger and more effective projects together.

Key Strategic Messages

Several themes consistently emerged across every session.

-Peace is built through relationships

Peace is not merely the absence of conflict. It grows through trust, cooperation, education, opportunity and shared humanitarian service.

-Africa is leading innovation

Africa was presented not simply as a beneficiary of international cooperation but increasingly as a source of innovative solutions and leadership.

-Youth must lead alongside experience

Rotaract is no longer viewed as a future resource but as an essential partner in designing and delivering Rotary service.

-Digital inclusion is peacebuilding

Technology should be viewed as infrastructure for peace when delivered safely, ethically and inclusively.

-ICC must become more operational

The Forum reinforced the new ICC vision of becoming:

• more accountable
• more transparent
• more measurable
• more responsive to District Governors and clubs

Practical Lessons for ICCs

The discussions produced several practical conclusions applicable throughout the ICC network.

• Build relationships before projects
• Support clubs rather than duplicate their work
• Integrate Rotaractors into leadership teams
• Develop partnerships across sectors, including NGOs, universities and public authorities
• Treat digital inclusion as an emerging Area of Focus for peacebuilding
• Measure success by outcomes rather than activities
• Convert friendship into sustainable humanitarian action.

Strategic Partnerships

The Forum concluded with the signing of several partnership agreements involving organisations working in humanitarian assistance, health, agriculture, tourism, women’s empowerment and environmental sustainability. These agreements demonstrated the ICC strategy of expanding collaboration beyond Rotary while maintaining Rotary’s role as a trusted international convenor.

The ICC Executive Council now has formal agreements with:

-Gift of Life Adventure Foundation (GOLA), which accelerates awareness, advocacy and philanthropy for organ donation in India and globally deeply engage Rotary International to unite for Organ Donation

-ASF Aviation sans Frontières, Avion-Hôpital –“Access to healthcare by air transport”

-Agronomeset Vétérinaires Sans Frontières (AVSF), a professional and advocacy-based international solidarity association with 48 years of experience.

-The Rotary Action Group for Girls’ Empowerment (RAG4GE), which is committed to fostering international leadership, friendship, and service. It is action-oriented where its membership is composed

of any community member who has expertise and/or a passion for being active in designing solutions, creating awareness, and executing local and international programs and projects focused on Girls’ Empowerment.

-ZEBUNET, an association that helps development in poor countries through Microcredit, A Small Loan for a Great leap Forward

–End Plastic Soup (agreement signed in London in 2023 with renewed actions at the ICC Peace Forum in Bergamo in June 2026)

-The African Tourism Board (ATB), which is dedicated to promoting Africa as One Destination through tourism development, destination marketing, strategic partnerships, investment promotion, sustainability, cultural exchange, and economic growth.

Previously signed MOUs

-Rotary Action Group for Peace (RAGFP)

-My Body Is My Body (MBIMB), a free child safety programmeusing music and songs

-Institute For Economics and Peace (IEP) New ICC relationships were also formalised, further extending opportunities for future international cooperation.

The Casablanca Declaration of Intent The Forum published a Declaration of Intent to establish joint Peace-building, cultural exchange and humanitarian service across countries.

Additional activities showcasing included, a taste of traditional music, food, tourist

activities, various fellowship and home hosting dinners, together with a Gala event hosted by the district for the hand over the Governors’ Chain.

Key Outcomes

• Confirmation of the ICC Executive Council’s renewed strategic vision for 2026–2028
• Strong integration of Rotaract into ICC leadership and programme delivery
• Recognition of digital inclusion as a significant contributor to peacebuilding
• Expansion of strategic partnerships with humanitarian and development organisations
• Reinforcement of citizen diplomacy as Rotary’s distinctive contribution to international peace
• Greater emphasis on measurable outcomes, accountability and practical collaboration.

Next Steps

Participants committed themselves to translating the Forum’s discussions into practical action.

Priority actions include:

• strengthening ICC activity within districts
• developing new international club partnerships
• encouraging youth co-leadership
• expanding collaboration with external partners
• supporting practical peacebuilding initiatives
• promoting measurable impact across all ICC activities

Closing

The 3rd Africa ICC Peace Forum demonstrated that peace is built not only through international institutions but also through ordinary people choosing to work together across cultures, languages and borders. Throughout the Forum, Rotary’s Intercountry Committees were consistently presented not as administrative structures but as networks of trust capable of transforming friendship into humanitarian action. Whether responding to natural disasters, supporting education, promoting women’s empowerment, improving digital inclusion or strengthening community resilience, the common thread was collaboration. The Casablanca Forum therefore represented more than a successful peace forum. It marked an important step in the continuing evolution of the ICC movement towards a model that is more practical, more inclusive, more accountable and more focused on delivering measurable benefits for communities around the world.

FINAL COMMENT

An important element of the Peace Forum was the hosts’ emphasis on the social and fellowship part of the gathering, together with the opportunities they organized for participants to get to know Morocco outside of Casablanca. All of these are key ingredients in the Intercountry Committees contribution to the Rotary experience and service. This event was world class. New and existing friendships were celebrated and best practices shared. The third ICC African Peace Forum in Casablanca was peacebuilding in action.

MOUs

MOUs were signed with, Portugal and South Africa, and Switzerland/ Lichtenstein and D9400 (Northern South Africa, Eswatini, Botswana and Southern Mozambique).

We were honoured as DG Grace van Zyl, D9400 participated on-line.