THE REVIVAL OF THE COLOSSUS OF RHODES
A Global Symbol of Peace, Culture, and Cooperation
Unite for Good – United for World Peace
Honorable Rotary leaders, distinguished colleagues, dear Rotary friends,
It is a great honor to address you here in Athens, the Metropolis of Democracy, representing the Rotary Club of Rhodes and the Committee for Peace and Culture.
Every year, millions of people visit Rhodes, the crossroads of three continents, and ask the same question: Where did the Colossus stand?
Yet today, perhaps the question should be: Where can it stand again and to what purpose?
Rhodes. A Neutral Island of Peace
Our world is once more at risk. Borders rise, conflicts intensify, and societies grow divided. Humanity needs symbols that remind us of what unites us. From Rhodes, a new vision is emerging.
The Revival of the Colossus of Rhodes.
Not as a copy – replica of the ancient wonder, but as a global landmark of peace, dialogue, and cooperation. A monument not of bronze and stone, but of partnerships, values, and people.
Rhodes has always embraced diversity. In antiquity it was a center of learning, navigation, and international law. The Rhodians even created the first maritime code that protected trade and human relations across nations.
Today, that same island can once again become a neutral island of peace, where Europe, Asia, and Africa meet not in conflict, but in dialogue.
We envision an International Center for Peace & Intercultural Dialogue, a Museum of Ancient Technology & Global Culture, and an Annual Rotary International Youth Peace Forum, where young people from around the world will learn to lead with empathy and understanding. Together with the United Nations, UNESCO, and Rotary International, this vision can become a living example of peaceful cooperation.
The Ancient and the New Inspiration
The ancient Colossus symbolized freedom after the lifting of a siege. It fell in an earthquake, yet its idea never collapsed. The new Colossus we propose is not a monument of the past but a message for the future, not a symbol of victory through war, but of unity through peace.
The Role of Rotary
Rotary has always excelled when daring to dream big. It nearly eradicated polio, reduced by 99%, and every day brings water, education, and health to millions.
Today, the world needs a symbol of peace that speaks to all nations, beyond ideologies and borders. Rotary can be the force that makes it happen. A project seen from every corner
of the Earth declaring: civilization unites, and humanity can choose peace.
An Action Plan Ready to Launch
We invite Rotary International to become a founding partner of this vision. Our next steps are clear: the creation of an international steering committee, a global resolution of support, and the activation of institutional partners such as the UN, UNESCO, universities, and foundations.
The full roadmap will be presented at the National Rotary Convention 2026, in Rhodes, the birthplace of this initiative.
Our Message to the World
Dear Rotary Friends,
Our world is in need of light. It needs landmarks that remind us that peace is not a utopia, but a human choice. A noble one!
The ancient Colossus was a symbol of victory. The new one will be a symbol of peace.
Let us imagine a new Rotary Peace Landmark that will rise to teach that cooperation is stronger than conflict, and it will belong to all who believe in the friendship of peoples. It will be born from the spirit of Rotary, the spirit of “Service Above Self”.
Let us be the generation that revived not only a wonder of the world but the wonder of the human spirit.
From Rhodes, with light for the entire world.
Thank you.
George Barboutis
President, Peace & Culture Committee
Rotary Club of Rhodes
See the presentation here: https://colossusproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/ROTARY-ICC-PUBLIC-IMAGE-SUMMIT-Presentation.pdf
