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Dear Fellow Rotarians,
Seventy-two years ago, the United Nations was founded
"to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war ...
[and] to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one
another as good neighbors." Despite those worthy aspirations,
and generations of investment in achieving them, the "scourge
of war" is still with us: Last year, more than 102,000 people
died in 49 armed conflicts around the world. Some of those conflicts
were in their fifth decade or beyond. Terrorism, intolerance, and
extremism; the refugee crisis; and environmental degradation are
now global challenges.
Collectively, we seem further than ever from achieving
the goals that were set with such ambition and optimism in 1945.
Yet hope endures, as long as there are people willing to work for
a more peaceful future – not only through their governments,
but also beside them and beside each other. Today, Rotary is better
placed than ever to have a real and lasting impact for peace: through
our peace-focused programs, such as Rotary Peace Fellows, and through
every area of our service. Water, sanitation, health, education,
and economic development are all interrelated and part of the complex
interactions that can lead to conflict – or avert it. To best
leverage our service in all these areas, and to maximize their impact
for peace, it is essential to understand these interactions and
plan our service accordingly.
For these reasons, we have scheduled a series of six
presidential peacebuilding conferences between February and June
in Canada, Lebanon, the UK, Australia, Italy, and the United States.
These conferences will focus not on peace but on peacebuilding:
We will share ways that we can work to build peace through the service
of our Rotary clubs and districts. Five of the one-day conferences
will illuminate the connections between peace and another area of
focus. The first conference, in Vancouver, B.C., will explore the
link between peace and another sphere of great concern to us in
Rotary: environmental sustainability. You can view the full schedule
and register at www.rotary.org/presidential- conferences.
The goals are simple: to help Rotarians find new ways
to advance peace through their service, to learn from experts, and
to strengthen our abilities to build peace. It is my hope and belief
that these conferences will help us move closer to a more peaceful
world, through Rotary: Making a Difference.
Ian H.S. Riseley
President 2017 - 18
Trustee Chair's Message - December
2017
This month my focus is on the purpose
and power of partnerships.
We have a history of partnerships at all levels
of Rotary. We partner member to member, club to club, district
to district, all finding support from the wide variety of
The Rotary Foundation's programs, projects, and grants.
How powerful this continues to be!
But only in the last several decades have
we paid much attention to the idea of partnering with organizations
outside of Rotary. Most would agree this change led to the
Global Polio Eradication Initiative, which has accomplished
so much through each partner sharing its expertise and working
together with a common purpose. This public-private partnership
for global health is on the verge of eradicating an infectious
disease affecting humans for only the second time in history.
Simply put, partners agree to cooperate in advancing mutual
goals. In so doing, they accomplish much more than one entity
can alone. We now understand that to maximize our impact,
Rotary must establish innovative partnerships, not just
at all levels within our organization, but outside of Rotary
as well.
Our second major partnership initiative has
been the Rotary Peace Centers program. In little over a
decade, our peace centers have trained more than 1,100 individuals.
Through this program, Rotary Peace Fellows develop the skills
they need to serve as leaders and catalysts for peace and
conflict resolution both in their communities and around
the globe.
Thanks to the ongoing work of the Joint Committee on Partnerships,
which includes RI directors and Foundation trustees, the
number of Rotary partnerships continues to grow. The Partnerships
page at Rotary.org (go to About Rotary, then choose Partners)
has a tremendous amount of information. Please take a few
minutes and explore the page. Make sure to scroll all the
way down to learn more about the partners and – most
important – how your club or district can get involved.
As we head toward 2018 and consider which
New Year's resolutions we will make, dream big about the
service opportunities waiting for us with our dedicated
partners.
Make 2018 the year to take advantage of all
that Rotary offers and see how much more productive and
effective we can be using the power of partnerships.
Best wishes to you for a very happy new year.
Paul A. Netzel
Trustee Chair 2017-18
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