KI-E Administrative Year 2025-2026

The 2025-2026 Kiwanis European and District Convention, hosted the last weekend in May in the splendid setting of Catania, concluded with a success that exceeded all expectations. An extraordinary event that saw the participation of over 300 Kiwanis members from numerous countries around the world, accompanied by the organization’s top international leaders, confirming Kiwanis’ central role as a major global network dedicated to serving the common good.

For three days, Catania became the beating heart of European and international Kiwanis, offering participants an intense, engaging, and content-rich experience that successfully combined reflection on the major issues of our time with a celebration of Sicily’s cultural and human heritage.

Above all, the Convention represented a special opportunity to share Kiwanis’s founding values: service to children and communities, friendship, solidarity, collaboration among peoples, and the desire to build a better future together. A contagious atmosphere of enthusiasm accompanied all the convention proceedings, fueling new ideas, new projects, and renewed energy to further grow the organization.

Particular attention was given to Kiwanis’ development strategies for the coming years, with the aim of engaging more and more young professionals, encouraging new members to join, and promoting the establishment of new youth and junior clubs, in the recognition that the younger generations represent the most valuable resource for ensuring continuity and innovation in the association’s mission.

A particularly significant moment was the presentation of the project’s Three-Year Strategic Plan, designed to strengthen Kiwanis’ role as a driving force for social and cultural change in Europe.

Alongside the institutional proceedings, the Convention offered moments of great emotion and engagement through the discovery of the traditions, folklore, food and wine, and the extraordinary artistic and scenic beauty of the Etna region. Catania welcomed its guests with generosity, professionalism, and warmth, once again demonstrating its international spirit and its ability to serve as an ambassador for the finest Sicilian traditions.

The cultural visits, social events, and numerous opportunities for interaction fostered the formation of new friendships and the strengthening of existing relationships, reinforcing that sense of belonging which represents one of Kiwanis’ greatest assets.

The enthusiasm, participation, and numerous expressions of appreciation received from the international delegates confirm that the European and District Convention in Catania will remain in everyone’s memory as a unique, intense, and extraordinary experience. An event that successfully united values, service, friendship, and a vision for the future, leaving behind a legacy of new energy and motivation to continue serving the children of the world and local communities with even greater determination.

Sicily and Catania provided Kiwanis with an unforgettable setting; Syracuse also stood out for an unforgettable guided tour led by Laura Cassataro of the Archaeological Park and Ortigia, which left our guests enchanted and amazed by the beauty, history, and timeless charm of our city.

Kiwanis, for its part, emerges from this Convention with a renewed awareness of its role and the certainty that, through service and collaboration, it is possible to build a more sustainable, inclusive, and compassionate future for all.

Congratulations to European President Elio Garozzo, to the Governor of the Italy-San Marino District Basilio Valente, and to the entire Host Committee staff for this memorable event and for its extraordinary success, which was unanimously recognized by all participants.

Scroll down to view photos taken during the various sessions and get a feel for the atmosphere!