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INTERCHANGE PUSHES THROUGH GLOBAL ADVISORY BOARD WITH ROTARY INTERNATIONAL
The last few weeks have been a particularly special time for Initiative Interchange. Founded three years ago with the mission to connect all Interact members in the world, we finally reached our final milestone. Two weeks ago, the President-elect of Rotary International, India’s Shekhar Mehta, announced that our proposal to establish a global Interact Advisory Board has been accepted and...
Interchange speaking at the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates
Driving on the worn-out streets of Yucatan, Mexico, my colleague Marlene and I pensively looked at the back of the receipt we had been scribbling on. We needed to get a message across – one which we want to be rooted in everyone’s mind and which is rooted in the core mission of Initiative Interchange, and which we want to...
Catching up with supporters at the 2019 UN General Assembly
Right after our trip to Mexico for the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates, we had another exciting opportunity to spread the word about our global read-a-thon “Read to Change the World”: the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Uniting heads of states, business leaders, thought leaders and (luckily) many young people from around the world, the UN General...
Looking back at the Rotary Convention 2019
This year, Interchange attended its first Rotary Convention in Hamburg. This annual event brings together thousands of passionate Rotarians, Rotaractors and Interactors to share their progress, exchange ideas and discuss future projects. The environment and general atmosphere were truly inspiring! No matter where you went in the beautiful city of Hamburg, you would always be amongst other Rotarians; helpful and...
How an Austrian Rotary Club’s donation will improve the lives of 1.400 children
Vienna. The Rotarians of “Rotary Club Wien Hofburg” in Vienna, Austria recently became one of the first Clubs to fund an entire school in Syria. The generous donation of 7.000 EUR will be used to rebuild schools in Syria, making it possible for 1.400 children to receive an education. This will provide them with the necessary tools to help them...
End of the Islamic State
The territorial rule of the “Islamic State” has ended - the news of a military victory spreading accross the globe like wildfire. However, experts are saying that the organization is weakened but not yet defeated. The President of the United States, Donald Trump, announced on Friday afternoon via Twitter that “they are now being beaten badly at every level….”, which...
PETS/SETS in Styria
Seggauberg. Founding members Anna Careen Schmid and Maximilian Mayrhofer-Schmid took the opportunity to present Initiative Interchange to the president elects and secretary elects of all Rotary clubs of District 1910 at the PETS/SETS (president/secretary elect training sessions) in early March 2019. The training event took place in Styria, also called the “green heart of Austria”, and provided the incoming presidents...
Holiday on Ice with Interchange
Vienna. In January, Holiday on Ice was performing their show „Atlantis“ at the Wiener Stadthalle. The legend of the sunken island was staged as a spectacular show with breathtaking acrobatics both on the ice and in the air, with fantastic costumes and surprising effects. From each ticket of the two Saturday-Family-Shows (on the 19th and 26th of January 2019) sold,...
Outstanding People of 2018
Energetic, challenging, inspiring: Over the course of the last year, we met a number of people who did incredible things, gave us the means to evolve, and contributed so much time and effort that we want to thank them. UNICEF, our strong international cooperation partner, made possible that we have a strong foundation to work towards our goal of an...
Interchange Board at the UN General Assembly
New York. Changing the world of education is an ambitious endeavor with which even the United Nations are struggling. We need to acknowledge that inspiring speeches and spreading awareness is not everything we need to do to solve one of humanity’s most urgent problems. Changing the world of education is a balancing act between academic and statistical research, political collaboration,...
Wake up – school!
What sounds familiar to us and our friends is foreign to at least 57 Million children around the globe: primary education. According to UNICEF Education database (2018) a global average of 8.9% does not receive primary education. In emergency countries, countries where UNICEF has a humanitarian appeal, this figure even increases to dramatic 20.0%. The United Nations recognized these challenges,...
Interchange The World | 2018 Convention
Vienna. On the campus of the renowned Vienna International School, top-class guest speakers and international attendees came together for the Interchange the World | 2018 Convention from September 14–16, 2018. Initiative Interchange started with three friends and one common objective: Every child has a right to education. As members of the worldwide youth organization Interact which is a part of...
La Soirée | Charity Artist´s Ball 2018
Vienna. The goal was to organize an evening which no one has ever experienced before: La Soirée, the Charity Artists’ Ball on September 15, 2018, certainly mesmerized guests with circus artistry, internationally renowned musicians, color, fire and a lot of passion. Until the wee hours, dancers floated over the dance floor of the Kursalon Vienna, violinists and a cellist electrified...