Rotary International Director Virpi Honkala, Rotary International Board of Directors, 2023-2025

Icons of Change™

A Special Message from Rotary International Director Virpi Honkala  Rotary International Board of Directors, 2023–2025  It is with deep honor and sincere gratitude that we present a special congratulatory message from Rotary International Director (RID) Virpi Honkala, in celebration of the Icons of Change Awards 2025. A distinguished medical professional, public health advocate, and dedicated Rotarian, Director Virpi embodies the essence of Service Above Self. She served for decades as Head of Surgery at Raahe Hospital in Finland, where she also held the role of Medical Director from 1989 to 2010. In 2015, her transformative work in public health earned her a national honorary title conferred by the President of Finland.  Her commitment to well-being extended far beyond the operating room. As a founding member of the Finnish arm of the World Health Organization’s International Network of Health Promoting Hospitals and Health Services, she championed the integration of healthcare and social development—a principle that continues to guide her leadership in Rotary.  Since joining Rotary in 2001, Director Virpi has taken on pivotal leadership roles, including District Governor, District Foundation Chair, RI Training Leader, Council on Legislation Representative, and Regional Rotary Foundation Coordinator. Now in her second term on the Rotary International Board, she also serves as RI Treasurer, helping steward the organization’s global financial direction. Together with her husband, PDG Matti Honkala—Finland’s National Polio Advocacy Adviser—they are Major Donors, Bequest Society members, and tireless champions of The Rotary Foundation.  Her message for this occasion affirms Rotary International’s shared mission: to uplift and empower changemakers whose work advances peace, health, and opportunity across borders. The Icons of Change Awards recognizes individuals and institutions whose impact aligns with Rotary’s Seven Areas of Focus and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—creating a synergy of purpose between grassroots action and global vision.  Director Virpi’s words remind us that service knows no boundaries, and that every act of compassion, leadership, and innovation—however quiet—contributes to a larger movement of progress.  To all our honorees and awardees: may you draw strength and inspiration from the voice of a global Rotarian whose leadership continues to uplift lives and communities around the world.  Let us now listen to her message of encouragement and unity.  #IconsOfChange #RotaryInternational #ServiceAboveSelf #PeopleOfAction #SDGChampions #RotaryPeace #GlobalImpact #WomenInLeadership #SustainableDevelopment #RotaryForGood #RecognizingVisionEmpoweringTransformation

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00:00I am Virpi Honkala, past Rotary International Director from Finland.

00:07United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, all 17 of them, were created about 10 years ago.

00:18And the aim was to bring peace and prosperity to people and planet.

00:26Those goals cover basically everything that we need so that we can have a happy life, a content life, whatever kind we wish to, in peaceful surroundings.

00:40Now, the Rotary Foundation has formed seven areas of focus already much earlier.

00:50And basically cover not all of those goals, but quite many of them.

00:58Maybe the most important, although they are not in any sequence of importance.

01:04But to me, I would see that water, sanitation and hygiene might be the most important because we cannot live.

01:12There is no life without those.

01:16Also, disease prevention and treatment.

01:21There are ways of vaccination to prevent diseases.

01:25There are ways of curing the diseases and taking care of them.

01:30And then mother and child health as another focus so that the children that are born will have a possibility to survive.

01:46So those are very personal and very important in that way.

01:51And whereas community development programs and then peace and conflict resolution or peace programs altogether are maybe much wider.

02:11And so is the environment.

02:14And then also another very personal is basic education and everything that comes after that.

02:27Because if one cannot read or write, one is not ever be sustainable, very well at least.

02:36And now that you are celebrating the icons of change award as recipients, I do congratulate you and I do wish you well.

02:48You are doing such an incredible job in so many respects and that is really needed.

02:55People who wish to do good, it's not only Rotarians, it's also everyone who wants to join us.

03:02And that's what you are doing as individuals, as organizations, maybe even as government, governmental officials.

03:09So I do thank you and I do congratulate you and I do wish you well.

03:14And I do thank for the opportunity to address you even through this video, although I would have loved to have been with you there in person.

03:23Thank you very much

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