The Rotary Fellowship for Francophonie
The Rotary Association for the Francophonie (ARF) brings together members of the Rotary family who share the French language to foster friendship, service, and cultural outreach around the world.
Origins and mission
Founded in 2023 by six board members, the ARF held its first General Assembly on April 3, 2023.
Its goal is to foster and strengthen relationships among all French-speaking Rotarians by facilitating interactions among clubs, districts, and Intercountry Committees to carry out joint Rotary initiatives.
A worldwide community
The fellowship now has nearly 100 members from 13 countries across 4 continents, representing 14 Rotary districts.
Like all Rotary Fellowships, it is affiliated with Rotary International while maintaining its own administrative structure and organizing its own activities, which are open to anyone interested: we have a number of non-Rotarian members.
Our values
Francophone solidarity
We are united not only by a common language, but also by a shared worldview, humanist values, and a rich cultural heritage. This Francophone solidarity is our foundation, our collective strength.
Whether a member is in Quebec, Côte d’Ivoire, Belgium, or Lebanon, they know they are part of a family that understands and supports them.
International Rotarian friendship
Beyond service, Rotary is first and foremost about friendship. The Fellowship fosters these bonds of friendship across borders, creating lasting human connections that go beyond individual projects.
We believe that the best collaborations stem from true friendships.
Intercultural dialogue
Francophonie is multicultural by nature: Europe, Africa, the Americas, the Middle East, the Pacific… This diversity is our strength.
We value intercultural dialogue, the exchange of perspectives, and mutual understanding among French-speaking cultures around the world.
Commitment to Humanitarian Causes
Peace, education, and health: Rotary International’s top priorities are also ours. We harness the strength of the Francophone network to carry out concrete humanitarian action.
Every project we facilitate and every partnership we foster contributes to a better world.
Action and partnerships
ARF is active on several fronts: promoting culture, fostering international solidarity through grassroots projects, and facilitating Rotary networking among French-speaking clubs.
The fellowship works closely with major institutions such as the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF) and UNESCO, and notably supported the organization of the Rotary Day at UNESCO in May 2024.
A flagship event: the Peace Symposium
Every year on September 21—International Day of Peace—the ARF contributes to the Symposium for Peace in Paris, in partnership with District 1660 and several Parisian Rotary clubs. Following the inaugural event in 2022 and a second symposium that brought together 450 participants in 2025, the third edition will be held on September 21, 2026, at the Salle Cortot, with the theme “La Francophonie: A Vehicle for Peace.”
This event will alternate between diplomatic roundtable discussions and musical interludes, bringing together international delegations to discuss language, culture, youth, and education.
