It is a great honor for me to be nominated for the
position of Board Member.
I have been a member at Inner Wheel for more than
thirty years and have had many great experiences
and memories. During my time I got the chance to
fulfill different functions and offices which brought
me closer to Inner Wheel.
Each office has its own quality and is accompanied
with different responsibilities and understandings.
I have grown with each office and have learnt
a lot throughout it and I got to meet wonderful
and outstanding women within these years.
The experiences I have had at each level have
motivated me and given me the courage to run
for the office of Board Member.
I am very proud to serve Inner Wheel. Carrying the
message of this great organization across borders
brings me joy. I like to service and this to me it the
heart of Inner Wheel.
From a Rotarian father and an Inner Wheel
member mother, I only had one path:
International Inner Wheel.
It has now been more than 20 years since I made
that choice, since I was brought to actively
participate in acts of service. From the very
beginning, I never confined myself within the
borders of the Club, rather I have immediately
expanded to District activities, to then move
onto the National level, and to the International
by participating in the Conventions as a proxy
vote-holder.
Although I have always been part of associations
where helping others was the main priority,
Inner Wheel has contributed to my development
into a much more globally conscientious woman
always ready to welcome new points for confrontation.
The vision that I have for IIW is one of
interconnectedness. We have to stimulate each and
every single Club to engage and to be present, not
only within their own District, but also on a more
global scale.
I would like for IIW to be a forum of exchange
of thought and a safe space for women all over the
world. What I believe is needed in an Association
like ours is more of a managerial culture: even
though we work on a volunteer basis, there
should be a systematic plan in place for services
and projects to happen. It should not just be about
getting things done, rather there should be a more
conscious component to it. As a potential Board
Director, I am thrilled to “do what matters, now”.
Since joining Inner Wheel in 2006, I have always
taken on roles at Club, District and National
Level. It is only after taking on these positions
that one can fully understand the objectives of
International Inner Wheel.
Having run my own business I feel that my
leadership skills have benefitted the members
of Inner Wheel in New Zealand and during my
year as National President I have run a successful
membership campaign, had a new website
designed and introduced to members, ran a
successful Conference for 200 members with
much positive feedback, and advanced our
National Strategy by introducing a Strategy
Facilitator to our ranks.
By focusing on our National Strategy, we can
be the Women’s organization that current and
new members are proud to be a part of, increase
awareness of Inner Wheel in our communities,
and set up our organization for future growth.
It is imperative for organizations to have a strong
succession plan and we have that here in New
Zealand so I am excited for the future of Inner Wheel.
A successful nomination to the International Inner
Wheel Board would allow me to share our plans
and ideas with members throughout the world.
I am looking forward to completing 100 years of
Inner Wheel in 2024, and envisaging a bright future
for Inner Wheel worldwide for the next 100 years.
International Inner Wheel is an enabling and
empowering organisation which encourages
women to reach beyond themselves into their
communities to build friendships that strengthen
the role of women across the globe.
As a member in my home club I have been
supported through connections of love and
compassion to serve others in my town with
enthusiasm and grace. I have been encouraged
to step beyond my comfort zone by women I have
respected and admired for many years. Their belief
in me has given me the strength to reach further
into myself in order to give more to others.
As this involvement grew into service in my District,
this network of like minded women extended to
many others, and then beyond into the National
Governing body of Inner Wheel Australia through
leadership opportunities that it has provided.
I have been exposed to different points of view
and shared in both joyous as well as sad occasions
as we have built relationships of trust and mutual
understanding to ensure we serve others with
integrity and fairness.
I want to ensure that our guiding principles live on
for future generations so that other women can have
the same opportunities that have been afforded to
me to promote friendships through service locally,
as well as internationally. In doing this we will all be
creating equity of opportunity for women and girls
in the future to become enriched in their lives and
reach their full potential.
I joined Inner Wheel Club of San Francisco del
Monte, District 378 – Quezon City, Philippines
in 1982, when my husband joined the Rotary
Club of San Francisco del Monte, RI District
3780. “Selflessness in Friendship and Service
to Humanity”, our Inner Wheel motto in the
Philippines, was my guiding principle in my
35 years of service in Inner Wheel, having
held various positions in the Club, District and
National Level.
I envision IIW to have strong learning and
development programs for its members, for them
to be more active and invite more members to join
the organization. Learning not only the basics of
Inner Wheel but also other topics or courses which
will enable members to be great leaders in their
own respective fields.
I also believe that education is the most important
tool to empower women and I envision IIW to be the
lead in promoting this not only to young teenagers,
but also to adults and senior citizens. This will enable
them to value themselves and therefore help and
support other women in their society. As wives,
mothers, daughters and sisters, we play a major
role in building our families and eventually the
community we belong.
In this world of volatility, uncertainty, complexity
and ambiguity, we need strong women to build
a stronger world.
Greetings! The past 20 years have been a
beautiful journey of living by the Objectives
of Inner Wheel. While serving as National
Representative and IWUSA President I had the
opportunity to visit clubs and districts in the USA,
which gave me a glimpse into the wonderful
work members are doing. Our Objectives bind all
of us together throughout our world!
COVID presented challenges, but I witnessed
strength in IW members continuing to grow
membership, work on meaningful projects,
communicating with clubs via email, social media,
and virtual platforms. Communication is KEY to the
growth of Inner Wheel.
I had an opportunity to live with my family in the
middle east for 8 years. There I taught mathematics
at an international school with 26 different
nationalities. For those families, education meant
a better and brighter future in their home country,
especially for girls. Our UN Representatives do a
phenomenal job keeping us informed on the plight
of women and children in impoverished countries.
Many of you are making a difference in those very
countries.
It has been my privilege to be a voting delegate to
4 international conventions. I was honored to serve
as a Trustee of the IWUSA Foundation for 9 years, two
of those years as Chairman.
As we move towards our 100th anniversary –
I ask you to:
Invite friends to a meeting.
Meet with a Purpose.
Collaborate and Nurture to keep clubs engaged.
Treat others as you wish to be treated.
“Lead the change” represents an invigorating
challenge for our organisation. It encourages to
look forward, make changes when necessary,
modernise, take steps into unknown territories
and open up for new initiatives and ideas. I am
honoured to be nominated for the position
of Board Director. It would mean a fantastic
opportunity to work with members worldwide
and to get the possibility to strengthen/change
Inner Wheel.
My passion for Inner Wheel rests on friendship,
personal service and international understanding.
Having attended three Conventions in person
and one in digital form I realise how strong
our organisation is. Friendships and networks
transcending borders, politics, religions and cultures
are embraced and developed.
As a language teacher and assistant principal at
upper secondary level adult education with students
from all over the world my interest in international
questions was aroused. Four EU-projects together
with Spain, Portugal, Italy and Poland gave me
knowledge and insight.
If elected my passion to recruit and retain members
and to make our organisation known will get a wider
platform to do so. To promote locally, nationally
and internationally, to make our members aware we
belong to an international organisation and as such
have a fantastic opportunity to influence and make a
difference is of utmost importance.
I will do my best to realise this vision and to share
and spread the strength, the heart and compassion
that Inner Wheel stands for.
The world situation is increasingly unstable.
The challenges are climate change and infectious
diseases. Climate change causes extreme
environmental catastrophes which are followed
by refugees moving to another countries.
Infectious diseases are spreading rapidly from
country to country through travelling and this forces
to close the borders.
IIW organization will give support especially to
secure children’s and families’ future and wellbeing
in those countries where help is needed. Purpose of
services is preventative and focused. Quick service
delivery needs a good communication tool. New
technology, ICT environment, where I have been
working during my career years, will be practical to
use also in IW Club level in countries.
IIW organization is a service organization, where
every position is the privilege.
Having served in IW Finland in various positions
“Club, District and National level” since 1987 focusing
on important topics e.g., projects “Sniffer dogs”,
“Life Education” and Ideals of Personal Service and
Foster International Understanding. International
understanding is very important to me, and it is
present in IW Finland’s operations.
I appreciated, when I was elected as IIW Board
Director for 2021-2022 in international organization
to guide and help Non-District Clubs to develop
their activities in their countries.
It would be an honor to be elected as IIW Board
Director for the next period. I will do my best further
support and foster IIW organization’s mission and
goals. IIW in future will continue to concentrate
and strengthen its organization and operations
in countries with the most important topics it has
chosen every year.
One hundred years ago Inner Wheel was formed
out of the needs Rotarian wives had. Today our
task is to inspire, attract, develop and adapt to
our own time. I want to continue to be on this
inspiration team as we need more engaged
members on all levels.
Our rotation principle all through the organization
from clubs to international level makes it difficult to
have an ongoing development. Because of that it is
important to work with the idea that Inner Wheel is
not a personal achievement only for the President,
but a common task for the boards at all levels. If we
on the different committee levels set goals for the
coming 3 years, it would be possible both to develop
and have changes implemented.
We are claiming that we are an international
organization. Let us show this in reality by accepting
nominations for international offices from all that
have the qualifications. Let us live by our objectives
of friendship and international understanding.
I worked with Rotary’s Youth Exchange Program for
many years in my husband’s Rotary Club before I
became an Inner Wheel member in 2005 and have
since then worked at all levels. As the Chairman
of the Danish Constitution Committee, I prepared
proposals both for the IIW Constitution and National
By-Laws. Being a National Representative really
made me feel inspired by our third objective,
International Understanding. It was especially
fantastic to be part of the work with the first virtual
Convention 2021.
Inner Wheel has always been my organization.
The core values of Inner Wheel are also my
values, true friendship, helping others (personal
service) and international understanding.
That’s why I would like to share the organization
with other women around the world.
How to do that? Meeting other women through
internet, learning about their countries and their
lives. Develop lasting friendship and international
understanding by sharing projects and club life
details, and even participate in club meetings.
Since I’ve lived in China and USA, I’ve experienced
how important it is to understand and be able to
communicate with others, because it is cultural
differences between countries. The more you know
about other countries and their culture, the easier
it is to understand each other.
Sharing is caring, we say, and that’s true. If you don’t
know anything, you can do nothing, so let us share
and show that we really care.
Norway had a project in Ethiopia called “The Fistula
project”. For more than ten years we have supported
young women suffering from fistulas after giving
birth. We paid for the transport to the closest
hospital, where doctors did the surgery and the
young women’s new life began.
I would like to work for Inner Wheel to be the
preferred organization for women of all ages all over
the world, because I have Inner Wheel in my heart.
I am 63 years old and I am married with André
since 1978. We have 2 children, a son and a
daughter, and 2 grandchildren.
I joined IW as Charter president of my club in 2004.
For 17 years I have held various positions at Club,
District and National levels. My involvement has
always been complete and I think I have acquired a
good knowledge of our association.
The first time I heard about IIW I was very impressed
by its international dimension. I attended Istanbul,
Copenhagen, Melbourne and Jaipur Conventions.
I love to meet members from all countries because
I love to discover and understand the diversity of
cultures.
If I have the honor of being elected as Board
Director 2022/2023, I will be a link between IIW
Headquarter and non districted Clubs. I will help
these Clubs in their administrative tasks, a better
knowledge of our statutes, to promote their social
projects and all they will need for their functioning
sharing my IW experience with them. My mother
tongue is French but I also speak Spanish so I will
be able to help French and Spanish speaking non
districted Clubs. I also want to work in harmony and
friendship with IIW Executive Committee and the
others Board Directors to promote the expansion
of our organization worldwide and our 2021-2024
international service project “STRONG WOMAN-
STRONGER WORLD” because as said the French
poet Louis Aragon “woman is man’s future” .
All our members spread over the world
in different clubs make Inner Wheel. This
international character is a strength which
allows us to make a difference anywhere in
the world. The choices we make are influenced
by our knowledge and cultural background.
Having lived in different countries, I learned
that we all look at things differently. That makes
it interesting to be part of an international
organization.
It is important to connect with each other and to
share our projects and initiatives. This ‘IW-work’ all
over the world inspires members to create new ideas
and initiatives. Each member can contribute in their
own way to our organization. Together we create the
impact and image of our Inner Wheel.
Interlocking wheels can create movement.
Collaboration of different parts, even if they differ in
size and speed, can have a huge impact. Even the
smallest initiative can have a big effect. Therefore
we need to work together across barriers. Hopefully
I will get the opportunity to contribute as a board
Director across borders to a dynamic Inner Wheel.
If we all keep our Wheels turning and set gears into
motion, we will have an impact.
Together we can create an active Inner Wheel with
a focus on women’s interests that can respond to
changing circumstances.
Since joining Inner Wheel in 2007, I have served
as President of two Inner Wheel Clubs, District
Chairman and National Representative.
Together with fellow members, I have been involved
in several projects to help the less fortunate,
including provision of
• essential needs for children preparing for cleft
palette surgery;
• purified water to four villages severely affected
by Chronic Kidney Disease;
• education programmes for 10,300 school children
and 2,476 women on child abuse;
• funds to Nepal to rebuild two villages affected
by the earthquake; and
• Covid-19 related medical equipment to
National Hospitals.
These opportunities have allowed me to serve my
community at grass-root level and given me an
appreciation of the scope of Inner Wheel’s unlimited
avenues of service.
The Covid-19 pandemic has brought with it new
challenges. Given the opportunity to serve on the
Board of Inner Wheel, it would be my mission to
ensure that Inner Wheel continues to grow as a
vibrant global network of members committed to
building bridges of friendship, and to advocating for a
more just and humanitarian society where all women
are treated with respect and have equal rights.
My experience as an Accountant, CEO of multiple
corporates, and Chief Commissioner of the Sri Lanka
Girl Guides Association would also help me to assist
the International Inner Wheel Board in the areas of
finance, fund development, and governance.
It is with this hope of serving humanity through
Inner Wheel that I humbly put forward my
nomination for Board Director.
I joined Inner Wheel Club Ekulu in 1983 as
a charter member. Inner Wheel invigorates,
challenges and educates me. It gives me joy and
propels me to get involved in activities that uplift
the less privileged.
I feel very much at home helping women, youths
and children improve their lives through Inner Wheel
charitable works.
I would like to encourage more interaction among
clubs of different countries and cultures to share
experiences that will positively improve our
branding of the charitable works members carry
out worldwide – Women encouraging women to
make the world a better place.
Presently, my club is sponsoring an indigent
widow’s daughter at the university. As district
chairman I initiated a micro finance interest free
revolving loan scheme in a rural community.
Today the capital base of that scheme has increased
substantially and empowered more women to
be self-sufficient.
Inner Wheel services are needed all over, in
developing countries and troubled communities.
My vision is to see Inner Wheel become a household
name worldwide. This can be achieved when we
educate women to brace up to the challenges of
eradicating poverty around them. Inner wheel
will encourage, empower and evolve projects and
activities that enable women and youths take
responsibility for their lives through positive actions
that will make them strong and by extension create
a stronger world.
I am a good team player. For together we are
stronger.
I am a keen gardener and one of the most
enjoyable aspects of gardening is watching
plants bloom and grow. I would like to think
we can accomplish this in Inner Wheel with
an abundance of friendship, belief in what
we already have and plenty of nurturing and
support to produce members and clubs.
I spent three productive years as Chairman of the
Association Constitution Committee and I can assure
you that Constitution is not boring – it is challenging!
In my six years working on the GB&I Association
Executive I was able to see first hand how much our
members achieve both at home and abroad and to
encourage and publicise their efforts.
I value the many friendships made over 35 years in
Inner Wheel and feel that this quality and support
for one another should be the centre of our
organisation. As Association President I gave Inner
Wheel roses as presents and was delighted to hear
that, after a bad hailstorm, in amongst the flattened
perennials, there was one plant that survived and
still looked beautiful – the Inner Wheel Rose- which
stands as a lasting tribute to our organisation!
Inner Wheel worldwide can make a difference to
people’s lives in many ways, and if elected, will
continue with my efforts to ensure that this work
thrives in the ever changing world – just like my
garden.
It is a great honor for me to have been nominated
in my country for election as Board Director for
one more year.
I have joined IW 21 years ago when my IWC Stara
Zagora was formed and since then my membership
in the largest women’s organization is privilege
for me.
To me, IW is responsibility and love, friendship,
goodness and inspiration.
IIW is an organization that is constantly and
successfully developing and vibrating in the rhythm
of modern society.
In all my membership I have had the opportunity to
experience IW during various events and in various
roles. I was a Voting Delegate during the 16th
Convention. As a NR 2015-2017 I attended the 9th
and 10th EM and took part in the Forum WfE6 and
WfE8. Everything I heard and saw I shared with my
friends from my District. I also followed this motto as
a Chairman of D248.
This IIW year 2021/2022, as a part of “PINK FIRST
“team as a BD, I am happy to share my experience
with allotted NDCs and to learn about them,
their activities and their countries. I would work
with pleasure to strengthen our International
organization trough expansion – with quality,
convinced and committed members; trough training
of all levels and promoting IIW by raising the public
awareness.
Let’s preserve the values of Inner Wheel – friendship,
tolerance, respect, passion, empathy, skill share,
appreciation while adapting International Inner
Wheel to today‘s world.


Prabha Raghunandan
Editor/media manager
Inner Wheel entered my life in 1989; and since then, it is my passion. IW has evolved and I have too. To move with the times, adapt for betterment of the organisation and society, a key development has been learning the use and impact of electronic media, upgrading my designing, editing and writing skills.Today the old adage ‘pen is mightier than the sword’ has a wider context. Communication of information has changed monumentally, to include E-publications, Websites, Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, Social media. By using these powerful, popular methods we can spread the Principles Purpose and Projects of IW globally. When Information is power, we cannot harness this power without distributing. ‘A picture is worth a thousand words’ ,believing in this, I have polished my video editing and graphic techniques. Images motivate others to replicate / participate in similar work worldwide. The outside world too gets the opportunity to gauge our capabilities, support our cause. Members are enthused, encouraged to extend their boundaries of assistance by effective motivation. As NR, I initiated a 6000kms Mission on Wheels, before International Women’s Day to promote IW. A Short Film IW in India was made for comprehensive imaging. Print and E Newsletters featured projects and events with data and pictures. Digital literacy and technology helped brand IW India nationally. Facebook was used extensively by clubs even as Newspapers and TV were effective locally.By using our intelligence and talents, each one of
us can be the best ambassador of Inner Wheel.