Rotary Seeks 4 People for Cultural Exchange in India

In an exchange program to promote cultural understanding, a Valley Rotary district is seeking four people to visit India in January.

The four participants can be from any professional background, including teaching, business management and law enforcement. For about a month they will live in Madurai, a large city near India’s southern tip, said John D. Alexander, chairman of the group study exchange of Rotary District 5260.

The travelers will stay in Rotarians’ homes, meet with Indians who work in the visitors’ fields and deliver presentations about their careers. They will also receive training about Madurai and its customs before departing.

The experience will allow participants to make contacts and lifelong friendships, Alexander said.

“They’ll benefit by being able to learn about people in another country--their customs, government,” he said. “They will visit industries and bring back some good pointers of how they do it there.”

A Rotary member will accompany the four visitors during the trip, Alexander said, and in April four Indians will visit the Valley. The Rotary Foundation will provide participants’ round-trip air tickets; Rotary members in India will pay for the visitors’ meals, lodging and group travel expenses. Participants will pay their personal expenses.

The travelers cannot be members of Rotary or be related to Rotary members and should have been employed in their professions or businesses at least two years. Applicants should be 25 to 40 years old and live or work in the district area, which includes the San Fernando, Santa Clarita, Antelope and Owens valleys.

Application deadline is Sept. 15. Interviews with a Rotary committee will be held in early October. For an application or more information, call Alexander at (818) 899-2045.