London Press Club members and supporters are invited to a Q&A briefing with Rotary International President Shekhar Mehta on Tuesday 15 March, 11am, at the Royal Over-seas League in St James’s.
He will be talking about his undertaking to launch mangroves replanting projects – the forests of the ocean – working with 10 Commonwealth countries. The first project will be in India.
Shekhar Mehta will also be speaking about the Rotary International campaign which is eradicating polio from the world.
Journalist, author and London Press Club supporter Mihir Bose will interview Shekhar Mehta and this will be followed by open questioning from journalists. The Foreign Press Association members are also invited to the briefing.
Shekhar Mehta will next week also be meeting the Lord Mayor at the Mansion House, and attending receptions for him at the House of Commons (focussing on Rotary International’s campaign to eradicate polio) and a reception for him at the Pakistan High Commission.
He is only the 4th Indian in 115 years to be the President of Rotary International.
Shekhar Mehta and Commonwealth Secretary General Baroness Scotland brought together Commonwealth representatives at Cop26 and agreed to launch mangroves replanting projects in eight countries. He said at the time that he had seen first-hand in the 2004 tsunami the devastation to land and lives that would have been lessoned if mangroves had been protected.
“The sea is washing away the coastline because mangroves have gone,” said Mr Mehta. “We are losing our eco-system. Once mangroves die, our marine system and coastal communities will be lost.”
He will announce on Tuesday that the first scheme will begin with the support of the Rotary Club of Kolkata and the number of countries taking part has grown to 10.
To register to attend, please email: info@londonpressclub.co.uk
