No border divides us

Rotarians from India and Sri Lanka exchange club banners during a Friendship Exchange.

By S.K. Saxena, a member of the Rotary Club of Guna (Madhya Pradesh) India, a runner-up in the 2012-13 Rotary Friendship Exchange video contest.

I had the privilege as part of a team of four Rotarians and three spouses to visit our neighbor Rotarians in Sri Lanka, Rotary District 3220. Our main goal through the Rotary Friendship Exchange was to build friendship and goodwill, and bridge the gap between the two countries.

We were greeted with love and affection in Colombo. Though we came from different backgrounds, we had a common bond in Rotary. The Sri Lanka Rotarians held a fiesta in our honor, and we danced and sang Indian tunes for our guests. As they sang along with us, even though they didn’t understand the language, we forgot we were in another country. The atmosphere was as if we had known each other for years.

We attended their district conference and meet many of their Rotary leaders, including the district governor, past district governors, and an RI director. We exchanged ideas and ate together. As a symbol of our friendship, we exchanged club banners.

No border divides us. In the words of a great poet:

Birds, rivers, gust of wind;
No border can stop them.
Borders are for human beings;
Think, what did you and I gain by being human?