Riga International Rotary Club

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Riga International Rotary Club

Part of Rotary International’s global network. Guests are always welcome. Today RIRC has over 30 members covering 12 different nationalities.

Riga International Rotary Club brings together internationally minded professionals and leaders in Riga who believe in service, leadership, and community impact. Rotary Club of Riga International was chartered August 22nd 1998 by initiative of a group of expatriates, Embassy Officials and other international interested fellows. Our first President, Bengt Lagerstedt, is today an Official at the Sto

ckholm - Bromma Rotary Club. Riga, with almost a million inhabitants, is the largest city in the Baltic region, a truly international city with a large community of foreigners from all over the world. Quite naturally there was a serious interest in this community to establish an International Rotary Club with English as Club language. Since the Club has been chartered, the number of nationalities among our members has grown significantly. We are pleased, that many Rotarian visitors to Latvia choose Riga International to attend our meetings, since these are in English; furthermore, meeting on Fridays fits for the travellers nicely to a weekend trip. Our meetings take place as lunch meetings on Fridays at 12:30 Hs. in Radisson Daugava Hotel, nicely located on the bank of Daugava with a beautiful view of the Old Town. Following Rotary’s Precept, our Club is active in different social projects, starting from small local activities to Rotary’s Matching Grants with international partner clubs. Since accession of Latvia to the European Union progress in different fields has been made over all these years. Nevertheless social contrasts continue to exist. A modern communication society, impressing huge shopping malls, people driving expensive cars, are in a strong contrast to still many poor older people, as well as children. The fast change of society created not only winners but also left many citizens behind. Due to this reason, there is still a lot to do for Rotarians in our small world. Our aim is therefore to provide our best contribution to the development of this Country into a socially more balanced, open and democratic society.

31/05/2026

May has been a strong month for Riga International Rotary Club.

Five new members have joined the club so far this year. In May alone we inducted two of them. Peter van Strijthem, a transferred Rotarian from Belgium, joined us at the Grand Palace Hotel surrounded by good conversation and Rotary spirit. A few weeks later, Major Steve Smith of the Salvation Army was welcomed by Valters Kronbergs in a ceremony that covered Rotary's principles, the Five Avenues of Service, and the Four-Way Test. Steve's words after the induction stayed with us. He referenced the Salvation Army's historic one-word telegram from founder William Booth: "Others." A single word that says it all.

Beyond the inductions, May delivered the kind of meetings Rotary does best. Club governance, international cooperation, soup kitchen planning with Rotaract, preparations for Santa Fun Run 2026, the upcoming presidential handover, and visits from Rotary members from Germany. One week we welcomed international guests whose perspectives on business, Latvia's development, technology, and AI made for one of those lunches that goes well past the agenda.

Growth in numbers is encouraging. Growth in engagement is what makes it count.

If you have been thinking about visiting a Rotary meeting, the door is open every Thursday.

21/05/2026

Today’s meeting at Riga International Rotary Club was less about presentations and more about what Rotary does best: bringing people together.

We had the pleasure of welcoming international guests and friends around the table, creating interesting discussions that moved from business and global trends to Latvia’s development, technology, and the future of AI.

What makes Rotary special is often not just the agenda itself, but the perspectives people bring into the room. Different backgrounds, different experiences, and conversations that become richer because of it.

Thank you to everyone who joined us today and contributed to another enjoyable lunch meeting filled with fellowship and good discussions.

Interested in joining us for a meeting sometime? Feel free to reach out.

15/05/2026

A special Thursday at Riga International Rotary Club.

This week we welcomed Major Steve Smith of the Salvation Army as our newest member, making him the fifth new member to join the club this year. The induction ceremony was led by Valters Kronbergs, covering Rotary’s principles, the Five Avenues of Service, and the Four-Way Test.

Steve’s words after the induction said it all. He referenced the Salvation Army’s historic one-word telegram from founder William Booth: “Others.” A single word that captures the spirit of both organisations perfectly.

We also welcomed a young professional guest who is exploring how Rotary’s global programs might support his studies in energy transition and environmental policy. Exactly the kind of connection Rotary exists to make.

A good Thursday. Every week, Riga.

08/05/2026

This week, Riga International Rotary Club gathered at the Grand Palace Hotel for another warm and engaging meeting.

We were happy to officially welcome Peter van Strijthem as a member of the club following his recent induction. Membership growth continues to be an important focus for RIRC, not only growing in numbers, but welcoming active and engaged people who want to contribute and make a difference together.

The evening included discussions around:
• next week’s soup kitchen together with Rotaract
• planning for the upcoming Rotary year
• committee work and future projects
• Santa Fun Run 2026 preparations
• the presidential handover event on 18 July
• cooperation with visiting Rotary members from Germany

A big thank you to all members for another evening filled with good discussions, fellowship and Rotary spirit.

Interested in joining a meeting as a guest? Reach out to us.

04/05/2026

Good conversations, new perspectives, and continued growth.

At this week’s Riga International Rotary Club meeting, we had a wide-ranging discussion covering everything from club governance and financial processes to international cooperation and upcoming projects.

We were also very happy to welcome Peter as a new member, joining us as a transferred Rotarian from Belgium. Great to have you with us.

With four new members joining the club this year, it is encouraging to see the continued interest in Rotary and the value of being part of a community that combines professional experience with meaningful projects.

If you have been thinking about visiting a Rotary meeting, this is a good time to do it.

30/04/2026

April was a full month for our club.

Planning for the Santa Fun Run is already underway, with the first Santa suits on order, and conversations going with other Rotary clubs in the region about bringing local runs to their own cities.

A few of us travelled to Kaunas for a weekend with our friends at Kaunas Rotary Club, building on their visit to Riga last autumn. Lunch, conversation, and the start of new ideas.

Closer to home, we joined the Rotary district conference here in Riga, a useful reminder of how much sits behind the scenes across the wider Rotary network in Latvia.

Our weekly Thursday lunches kept their place at the centre. The highlight this month was a visit from Līga Meņģelsone, President of Latvijas Sarkanais Krusts (Latvian Red Cross), who presented the organisation's work and opened the door to collaboration.

Plenty to take with us into May.

28/04/2026

A few of us spent the weekend in Kaunas, visiting our friends at Kaunas Rotary Club after their visit to Riga last autumn.

Lunch was at Višta Puode, "chicken in a pot", owned by a fellow Rotarian and full of warmth and good food. The talks were wide-ranging, including how to keep deepening our collaboration, and one idea we were all curious about, bringing the Santa Fun Run to Kaunas alongside Šiauliai.

In the evening, the city was alive with Kaunas Jazz Festival. The next morning we walked through the old town and up to Christ's Resurrection Church, a landmark you really have to see in person.

Big thank you to Jelena Riegere for putting it all together, and to our Kaunas friends for the welcome.

This is what international Rotary feels like in practice. A short trip, a shared table, and friendships that keep building.

23/04/2026

Another good Thursday at Riga International Rotary Club.

A smaller gathering this week, but that often makes for the best conversations. Members and a guest around the table at the Grand Palace Hotel, good food, and the kind of informal exchange that is hard to replicate anywhere else.

On the agenda this week, updates on our upcoming Kaunas trip, planning for the joint soup kitchen with Rotaract in May, and continued work on this December’s Santa Fun Run. Plenty happening behind the scenes.
The meeting closed as always with the Rotary toast.

Every Thursday, Riga. Guests always welcome.

18/04/2026

Rotary District 2405 Conference is underway at the National Library of Latvia in Riga.

135 participants from 13 countries gathered to discuss civic engagement and global change, with greetings from H.E. Baiba Braže, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, and H.E. Daniel Olsson, Swedish Ambassador to Latvia.

Young musicians, powerful speakers, and a room full of Rotarians who believe that service and international collaboration still matter.

Proud to be part of District 2405 and to have Riga as the host city this year.

09/04/2026

“We are like the sugar in the tea, you don’t always see us, but we make it better.”

That was how Līga Meņģelsone, President of the Latvian Red Cross, described the role of the organisation in society during this week’s Rotary lunch at the Grand Palace Hotel.

From elderly care and crisis support to emergency preparedness and support for Ukraine, the scale and impact of the Red Cross work in Latvia is significant, with around 2,500 employees and 1,000 volunteers contributing every day.

The discussion covered cooperation between NGOs and municipalities, humanitarian work in practice, and the importance of dignity and quality in social care.

A big thank you to Līga for a very informative and inspiring session, and to all members and guests for a great discussion around the table.

Latvijas Sarkanais Krusts/ Latvian Red Cross

Address

Riga

Telephone

+37129227306

Website

http://www.rotaryinternational.lv/

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