Top 10 of 2026: number 1

The Panama Project

Bocas del Toro, Panama

Rotary Club of Newport Beach project and flagship of the 7 Seas Initiative, working at Isla Solarte, Dolphin Bay and Isla Popa in Bocas del Toro.

The need

The islands of Bocas del Toro hold some of the Caribbean's richest coral reefs and rainforest, and some of Panama's most underserved communities. Many island families live off the grid, without reliable power, clean water or regular health care. The reefs face the same warming and pollution pressures as reefs worldwide. The project rests on one idea: community driven conservation can restore ecosystems, lift up communities and inspire the world.

The project

The Panama Project began as a Rotary Club of Newport Beach effort to rebuild a reef and has grown into seven connected initiatives.

Rotary Reefs: community managed coral nurseries and protected marine zones at Isla Solarte. Local members learn to care for the reef and teach it to students, and Rotary Reefs 2.0 adds new reef tops, nursery trees and staghorn coral outplants.
Solar power and clean water for off grid island communities.
The Great Green Macaw: more than 15,000 mountain almond trees planted at Dolphin Bay from 2020 to 2024 to restore habitat for a critically endangered bird, with an aviary planned for 2027 and a first reintroduction planned for 2030.
Ocean health: debris recovery and ocean lessons for local students with One Earth One Ocean.
Health and dental care for island children with Floating Doctors, Ayuda International and Rotarian volunteers.
Youth and volunteer travel: university students and volunteers serving alongside local Rotarians.
Culture: honoring the Ngäbe, Afro Caribbean, Hispanic and expat communities that share the islands.

Results

The reef now hosts a full time resident nurse shark, a sign the structure is working as habitat.
More than 15,000 trees are in the ground for the Great Green Macaw.
The first project to score a perfect 4/4, 7/7, 8/8 and 17/17 on the 4-7-8-17 framework, in 2025.
Members of the Rotary Clubs of Ojai West and San Luis Obispo de Tolosa have joined the work.

4/4 · 7/7 · 8/8 · 17/17

How it earned a perfect 4-7-8-17 score

The Panama Project was the first project to score a perfect 4/4, 7/7, 8/8 and 17/17 on the 4-7-8-17 framework. That is why it is number one.

In the interest of full disclosure: the Panama Project and 47817.org are both run by the Rotary Club of Newport Beach, and the score did not come easily. We used the 47817.org platform as a coaching tool. Each time the project fell short on a test, an area, a pillar or a goal, we changed the project itself, not the paperwork. That is exactly how we hope every club will use the platform.

It began as a coral reef rescue. In 2022 the Institute for Economics and Peace wrote that Rotary Reefs touched 7 of the 8 Pillars of Positive Peace. Over the next three years the club added clean water, solar power, health and dental care, youth education, local jobs, habitat for the Great Green Macaw and cultural programs, until every part of the framework was covered. Here is the evidence, item by item.

Read the full story on 47817.org: How The Panama Project earned the first perfect 4-7-8-17 score.

4/4 The Four-Way Test

Is it the truth?: Results are measured and reported: more than 15,000 trees planted, coral nurseries tracked, and a resident nurse shark now living on the restored reef.
Is it fair to all concerned?: Marine zones are community managed, and island families share in the jobs, the clean water and the health care.
Will it build goodwill and better friendships?: Rotarians from Newport Beach, Ojai West and San Luis Obispo de Tolosa work side by side with island families, Panamanian partners and Ara Manzanillo in Costa Rica.
Will it be beneficial to all concerned?: Reefs, rainforest, wildlife and people all gain: healthier fisheries, cleaner water, better health and new skills.

7/7 Rotary's 7 Areas of Focus

Peacebuilding and conflict prevention: Built on the 8 Pillars of Positive Peace, with programs that honor the Ngäbe, Afro Caribbean, Hispanic and expat communities.
Disease prevention and treatment: Medical care for island families with Floating Doctors and Rotarian volunteers.
Water, sanitation and hygiene: Clean water systems for off grid island communities.
Maternal and child health: Health and dental care for island children with Floating Doctors and Ayuda International.
Basic education and literacy: Ocean lessons for local students with One Earth One Ocean, and local members who teach reef care to students.
Community economic development: Local jobs in reef restoration, tree planting and ecotourism.
Supporting the environment: Coral nurseries, protected marine zones, debris recovery and more than 15,000 trees for the Great Green Macaw.

8/8 The 8 Pillars of Positive Peace

Well functioning government: Community managed marine zones give residents a formal role in caring for their reef.
Sound business environment: Restoration and ecotourism create steady local work with partners such as Dolphin Bay Hideaway.
Equitable distribution of resources: Solar power, clean water and health care reach off grid families who were left out.
Acceptance of the rights of others: The project honors and includes the Ngäbe, Afro Caribbean, Hispanic and expat communities.
Good relations with neighbors: Partners across borders, from Costa Rica to California, share skills and coral.
Free flow of information: Lessons, results and methods are shared openly with students, partners and the public on 47817.org.
High levels of human capital: Students, local members and volunteers gain training in reef care, science and health.
Low levels of corruption: Rotary project rules and a public 4-7-8-17 Report Card keep the work and its results open to everyone.

17/17 The 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals

1 No poverty: Paid local work in restoration and ecotourism.
2 Zero hunger: Healthier reefs rebuild the fish stocks island families depend on.
3 Good health and well-being: Medical and dental care with Floating Doctors and Ayuda International.
4 Quality education: Ocean lessons for local students and field learning for university volunteers.
5 Gender equality: Women from local communities are employed in reef restoration.
6 Clean water and sanitation: Clean water for off grid island homes.
7 Affordable and clean energy: Solar power for communities without a grid.
8 Decent work and economic growth: Local jobs in restoration, tree planting and ecotourism.
9 Industry, innovation and infrastructure: Coral nursery trees, new reef tops and solar and water systems.
10 Reduced inequalities: Services reach Indigenous and off grid families first.
11 Sustainable cities and communities: Cultural programs that protect the heritage of island communities.
12 Responsible consumption and production: Debris recovery, and work with the Lionfish Project on an invasive species.
13 Climate action: Reefs and forests that store carbon and shield the coast.
14 Life below water: Coral nurseries, outplanting and protected marine zones.
15 Life on land: More than 15,000 mountain almond trees for the Great Green Macaw.
16 Peace, justice and strong institutions: Community managed zones and the Positive Peace framework.
17 Partnerships for the goals: One Earth One Ocean, Floating Doctors, Ayuda International, Tropical Arts, the Lionfish Project, Ara Manzanillo and several Rotary clubs.

Source: Institute for Economics and Peace, Vision of Humanity, July 2022