This is something that I feel awkward talking about, because I wasn’t exactly modelling this behaviour myself a few weeks ago. Nevertheless, here goes:
being polite, respectful, and willing to listen to someone you disagree with.

In some circles, that now qualifies as a radical act. 😨

We live in a world that seems permanently outraged.

Everyone is certain, everyone is loud, and nobody is changing their mind—except maybe about what they’re angry about this week.

And yet, every Friday at 7am, something extraordinary happens.
People with different backgrounds, beliefs, professions, and opinions walk into the same room…
sit at the same tables…
and manage to disagree without becoming disagreeable.
No shouting.
No cancelling.
No dramatic exits (except when the coffee runs out).
That, friends, is not normal anymore.
It is a luxury.
At Rotary, civility is not weakness.
It is discipline.
It is the ability to say, “I see it differently,” without saying, “You are the problem.”
 
In a world that is increasingly divided, what we offer is not just service projects.
We offer a way of being together.
A way of speaking without attacking.
Listening without preparing a counter-argument.
And choosing curiosity over certainty.

So this week, I invite you to notice a moment—here at Waterfront Rotary, or out in the world—where calm, respect, and simple decency changed the tone of a conversation.

Because if we can model that here, in this small corner of Cape Town, then perhaps we are doing something even more powerful than we realise. We are reminding the world that it is still possible to disagree… and remain human.
 
Thank you for being part of that.

⚓ Yours in Service and Unity, Derek Pead | President
Rotary Club of Waterfront ⚓
www.waterfrontrotary.org