‘Rotary SAFE Families’was established in 2018 to help prevent all forms of family violence by addressing its underlying causes. It has evolved into an international peace program with valuable resources and tools including short films, Guide for Prevention of Family Abuse available in 9 languages, to inform and assist Rotarians and global citizens to be aware of how to prevent family violence and play their part in Stopping Abuse in Families Everywhere.
We promote that family abuse NOT be a "taboo" topic and that we all have a moral responsibility to call out and report abuse and support a victim applying our "3R's".
These simple "3R's" can be a significant step in the primary prevention of any form of abuse and violence to women, men, children and elderly of any global community:
Recognising the signs
Raising our concerns with a victim; never the perpetrator
Referring to the appropriate agency for support OR Make the call yourself!
Here is one of our promotional videos:
Rotary SAFE Families was acknowledged as a Rotary 100 Year Centenary project in 2021 in Zone 8 and supported by Rotary Foundation Australia.
RotarySAFEFamilies - Global Peace Initiative
Now in 2025, our mission is to promote global peace by reducing family violence and fostering harmony within homes around the world and Rotary SAFE Families to become a recognised global peace initiative. Rotary SAFE Families is reaching out internationally to inform and educate global citizens in the reduction and prevention of family violence whilst building a culture of peace.
Creator and Co-ChairDorothy Gilmour
Dorothy is President of Rotary Hawthorn (2024-25). She has vast experience and professional, academic history in Social Sciences including human behaviours and challenges of specialised groups.
Her main practice was in the area of trauma, loss, grief, mediation and suicide prevention for individuals, parents and families and included debriefing after a critical incident in workplaces and post community disasters. Her services included years of University lecturing in Masters programmes of Psychology, Social Science and Family Therapy.
Dorothy remains an advocate for social justice and fairness for those less fortunate in our world. She is determined for everyday people to be part of the solution in the prevention of family violence and elder abuse across the world.
Dorothy believes that we must take some responsibility and assist our Police and social services to manage this epidemic of violence: 'We must assist a victim or possible victim of abuse, by being able to identify and report any form of abuse, not sit on our hands. Let us help to ensure our children and grandchildren do not perpetrate this lack of respect for humanity.”
Remember: ABUSE PREVENTION, BEGINS WITH YOU AND ME!
Peter Berg, Co-Chair
A little under two years ago I became the Ambassador for SAFE Families at Rotary Melbourne and am a member of the SAFE Families leadership team which has given me an opportunity to work with Dorothy Gilmour and a wonderful group of people who are committed to spreading the important messages on how to make the home a safer living environment for all family members.
Domestic abuse sadly exists in all communities across Australia and apart from having serious damaging ramifications on mental health and well-being it can also cause the break-up of a family and contribute to homelessness.
Family abuse can start in the simplest of ways and escalate over time to be a very serious situation impacting the lives of the most vulnerable family members. The psychological harm to children can be profound.
If we can highlight ways in which a potentially dangerous situation in a home can be prevented, then our Rotary SAFE Families will have had a positive impact.
I had a long career in the financial services industry both in Australia and overseas and one of the best things in my life was to join Rotary a little under 10 years ago when I became a member of Rotary Melbourne. For 6 years I was a Board member at Expression Australia and am now very pleased to be able to actively pursue voluntary work within Rotary.
My interests are in the Arts especially literature and music, the Environment, world affairs, sport and unsurprisingly still take a keen interest in global financial markets. Rotary has been a perfect fit for me in that I have been able to pursue most of these interests within Rotary.
PATRONS
We welcome and feel privileged in 2025 to have the support and patronage of Pat Merryweather-Arges, Grace Van Zyl and Gordon McInally as we commit to Building a Culture of Peace through Rotary SAFE Families.
PAT MERRYWEATHER-ARGES
Rotary International Board Vice President - 2023-24
Rotary District International Services Chair 2016-2023
District Representative to Council on Legislation & Resolution 2020- 2023
Rotary Foundation COVID Task Force
Rotary Club of Naperville, Illinois USA
Pat Merryweather-Arges is a Rotarian from the Rotary Club of Naperville, USA. She has a long list of service in her club, district, zone, and RI globally. She served as the Club President and received her Club’s Rotarian of the Year and Four Avenues of Service Awards. She has served the District as District Grants Chair and Diversity Chair and as District Governor of District 6450 (Northern Illinois) in 2012-2013. She has served as the Regional Rotary Foundation Coordinator, Zone 28-29 2016 Chair and Chair of the Presidents International Peace Conference held in Chicago. The list goes on and on...
As a Rotarian Pat has traveled to about a dozen countries working on Rotary projects and has attended Rotary Day at the United Nations and a Rotary Middle East Peace Conference in Turkey. Her projects include solar ovens, water wells, and medical equipment and missions. Pat has received the Rotary Foundation Meritorious Service Award and the Rotary International Service Above Self Award.
Professionally, Pat is Executive Director of Project Patient Care where she works with patients, families, and caregivers to have their voice heard in health and healthcare through advocacy, public health policy, and collaboration with providers. She is a strong business development professional skilled in Nonprofit Organizations and has lead quality health improvement initiatives with the federal government and served in executive leadership roles in a hospital membership association.
Pat is married to George, a Rotarian, and they have four sons, three daughters-in-law, and 8 grandchildren!
Pat and George are Major Donors, Paul Harris Society and Polio Plus Society members, and Benefactors to the Rotary Foundation.
GRACE VAN ZYL
Grace joined Rotary in 2010 as a member at Rotary Club Benoni Aurora and served as president in 2015/16. In February 2022, Grace was elected to the Rotary International’s Action Group for Peace (RAGFP) representing Africa. Grace has served as Polio Plus Chair and Fund raising chair for the past 4 years.
Grace by profession is a Financial Life strategist and currently a member of the Rotary Club of Johannesburg, South Africa. She serves as Community Service Chair and Peace Chair for her district and is also the CEO of The Foundation for Southern Africa Rotary Clubs (FSARC). She is passionate about building capacity to create positive sustainable peace and presents to Rotary Clubs all over the world on how they can incorporate peace building in their projects.
As an avid peace builder, she formed the first Peace Builder club in Southern Africa in 2020. In 2021 she was instrumental in forming the Africa Peace hour and is a regional leader representing Southern Africa.
Grace is also a peace ambassador for the Institute of Economics and Peace (IEP), a multiple Paul Harris Fellow, Benefactor, Bequest Society member, and a Paul Harris Society Member. Most recently Grace was given a Citation of Meritorious Service by the Trustees of the Rotary Foundation.
We are honoured that Grace accepted Rotary SAFE Families' invitation to become a Patron of this international initiative in primary prevention of family violence and building a culture of peace.
GORDON R. McINALLY
Gordon R. McInally, a member of the Rotary Club of South Queensferry, Lothian, Scotland, was the President of Rotary International for 2023-24.
"One of the highlights of my year as President of Rotary International was the way the entire Rotary world embraced Rotary’s focus on Mental Health – something that is continuing well after my term.
There is no doubt that many of our world’s ills can be traced back to mental health issues and, likewise, there is no doubt that many mental health issues can be traced back to family abuse.
As a dentist, I am a great believer in prevention being better than cure, and that is why I am so happy to endorse the work being done by Rotary SAFE Families as it seeks to prevent family abuse and build a culture of peace.
I commend Rotary SAFE Families to anyone who wants to help create hope in the world of mental health."
R. Gordon R. McInally Rotary International President 2023-24 Rotary Foundation Trustee 2024-28
Her main practice was in the area of trauma, loss, grief, mediation and suicide prevention for individuals, parents and families and included debriefing after a critical incident in workplaces and post community disasters. Her services included years of University lecturing in Masters programmes of Psychology, Social Science and Family Therapy.
A little under two years ago I became the Ambassador for SAFE Families at Rotary Melbourne and am a member of the SAFE Families leadership team which has given me an opportunity to work with Dorothy Gilmour and a wonderful group of people who are committed to spreading the important messages on how to make the home a safer living environment for all family members.
Grace joined Rotary in 2010 as a member at Rotary Club Benoni Aurora and served as president in 2015/16. In February 2022, Grace was elected to the Rotary International’s Action Group for Peace (RAGFP) representing Africa. Grace has served as Polio Plus Chair and Fund raising chair for the past 4 years.
