The theme of our District Conference in March 2014 was sustainable communities
The following is a précis of the talk I gave, as District
Governor, during the Conference in which I noted a number of key issues
facing our communities and what we as Rotarians are, or could, or should be doing
about them.
One of the nations to join Rotary in recent years is
Kiribati with a Club on Kiritimati or “Christmas Island” as many of you may
remember it. I remember it well as my
father was out there in the mid 50’s building airfields. This country is no longer worrying about the
effects of bomb testing but, along with many other low lying countries this
series of Atolls is concerned about the sustainability of life on the island as
sea levels rise.
Political Sustainability is challenging many of the
countries which Clubs in our District have been supporting in recent
years. In recent months I have been
particularly thinking of the Ukraine and Mali.
Closer to home we are
being challenged on issues of unemployment, particularly amongst young people,
health issues, particularly in some of our more deprived areas and this year I
suspect that the issue of Climate Change and the impact on our communities will
really start to hit home across the whole country.
Sustainable Communities - this concept will take on many
different meanings for each of us and I want to take a little of your time to
explore what this concept might mean for Rotarians like ourselves
We pride ourselves in being for our Communities and we
provide that Community Service on a Global scale. But do we really know what our communities
expect or need from us?
When was the last time you asked your local Parish, Town or
County Councillors what support they might like from you?
I was at a meeting with the Rt Hon Francis Maude recently as
he met staff and students at Heathlands, a centre for those with disabilities,
where we are considering developing Rotaract Club. It is clear from the national Agenda that the
government continues to pursue that, whilst the Big Society may have been
re-badged, the concept of self help is still very much in the forefront of
their thinking. Whether you agree or
not with the reasons behind the move to this more localised agenda, it is
likely to be with us for a long time to come.
Matthew Fox a Catholic Priest noted in his book Creativity
that
“We are not consumers. For most of humanity’s existence, we were
makers, not consumers: we made our clothes, shelter, and education, we hunted
and gathered our food.
We are not addicts. “I propose that most
addictions come from our surrendering our real powers, that is, our powers of
creativity.”
We are not passive couch potatoes either. “It
is not the essence of humans to be passive.
We are players.
We are actors on many stages….
We are curious, we are yearning to wonder, we
are longing to be amazed… to be excited, to be enthusiastic, to be expressive. In short to be alive.”
We are also not cogs in a machine. To be so
would be to give up our personal freedoms so as to not upset The Machine,
whatever that machine is.
Creativity keeps us creating the life we wish
to live and advancing humanity’s purpose as well.”
This definition of who we are has much to offer active
Rotarians as we both individually and as an organisation can
·
Act as catalysts for change
·
Explore innovative ways of engaging with our
communities
·
Support those communities who are in need
practically and financially
·
Use our vocational and life skills to inform and
advise
So what are we doing ?
There are a number of initiatives being considered at the
moment at a national level. One you
might have hard of is the Prince of Wales’s “Step up to Serve” Programme, I’m
pleased to be able to report that …..
“Rotary International
in Great Britain & Ireland (RIBI) pledges to support Step Up To Serve by
generating hundreds of opportunities for young people to transform communities
and their lives with the creation of 125 new Interact clubs and 300 new
Rotakids clubs by 2020. This will be achieved by working with schools and
community groups. RIBI will celebrate the inspirational successes of young
people with the annual RIBI Young Citizen Awards, in association with the BBC
News Channel. The five awards showcase and celebrate the positive citizenship
and important responsibilities assumed by many young people under the age of 25
in these islands. “
This one of RIBI’s recently best kept secrets, - and we in
District 1190 have already contributed well to this target with our wonderful
Rotakids Clubs
Our Foundation Global Grant Bid to support First Responders
with Defibrillators and training equipment also encourages the development of
Health Melas or Fairs. Encouraging
people in our most disadvantaged areas to take more direct interest in their
own Health & Well Being.
During and in the aftermath of the 2005 and 2009 floods we
saw a great need, as our colleagues in the South of England have done this
year, to support our communities through direct Community Emergency
Support. But whilst we will always lend
a hand, it is best to be prepared in advance of any need occurring.
As a result of taking active roles in these areas of
activity & situations we prove that we really are For Communities. In addition we continue to support our young
people, promote community development and arrange fundraising activities
I know from travelling around the District in the last 8
months that Rotarians in District 1190 really are at the heart of our
communities. We are helping make them
sustainable as ……
·
We see differently: Our multidisciplinary perspective helps us
see challenges in unique ways.
·
We think differently: We apply leadership and expertise to
social issues—and find unique solutions.
·
We act responsibly: Our passion and perseverance create
lasting change.
·
We make a difference at home and around the
world: Our members can be
found in your community and across the globe.
There is still much we can do to develop even more positive
relationships within our communities and I will continue to help you do just
that in the months and years to come.
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