Rotary International at the United Nations: November 6, 2009

Findings by Thomas V. McConnon A.G.
Rotary Club of New York

On November 6, 2009, more than 250 New York area Rotarians, and their guests from around the world, had just spent the night celebrating the 100th Birthday black-tie bash of the legendary Rotary Club of New York #6. The festivities continued way into the early- morning hours. Nevertheless, many of the celebrants including some of the panelists were still able to arrive at the United Nations bright-eyed to celebrate Rotary International’s sixty-five year collaboration with the United Nations.

By 8:00 am, the line of enthusiastic Rotarians, Ambassadorial Scholars, Rotary Peace Scholars, Rotaractors, and Interactors already stretched more than a city-block. There were more than 1,600 attendees in all, and many had traveled overnight, for this standing room only, sold out, annual symposium. In fact, participants came from more than thirty-six states, and forty-six countries. Two hundred and fifty attendees came from Canada, twenty-five from Nigeria, twenty-six from Taiwan, twenty-seven from Mexico, twenty-one from Germany, ten from France, and hundreds of others from more than forty other countries.

During the morning, in Rotary fashion, the comparatively newly established Metro-New York Rotary Club(established in 2002) was able to accumulate a truck-load of food items, and pockets-full of cash donations from the generous visiting Rotarians as they sauntered through the quick-moving security line. There are four new Rotary clubs that have been established in Manhattan since 2001, including the Inwood Rotary Club (2003), the Rotary Club of Wall Street (2009), and the soon to be established Rotary Club of Harlem. All these 21th century clubs have 90 percent of the membership under the age of 40, and already have earned an exemplary reputation of community service and contributions to The Rotary Foundation.

The president of Rotary International, John Kenny, along with R.I. President-elect Ray Klinginsmith, Glenn Estess, Chairman of The Rotary Foundation, and most of the RI directors also attend the conference. As is customary, PDG Brad Jenkins, the RI Representative to the United Nations, with support from the four Alternate RI Representatives to the UN that included Sylvan Barnet, Robert A. Coultas, William A. Miller and Helen B. Reisler were the panel moderators.


The main theme of the day that developed clearly encouraged and accentuated the significance of partnering with other like-minded organizations. The global problems that Rotarians endeavor to alleviate around the world cannot be solved by any one government, or any one foundation, or any one service organization. In fact, the track record of dozens, even hundreds of organizations working together at what they do best, was clearly evident during the conference.
Moderator Brad explained that this will be the last meeting in our usual large conference room for several years. The UN buildings are being thoroughly renovated, and the conference room that Rotary International has used for the last decade or so will be used as the temporary meeting-room for the UN’s Security Council. All the buildings at the UN are being restored with modern infrastructure, yet will maintain their original architectural design which is considered by many as an iconic example of the 1950’s architecture. The renovations are estimated to cost $1.9 billion and will be completed by 2013.


At the start of the conference, Rotary International Treasurer, Michael Colasurdo, introduced the directors and officers of Rotary International and also the past-President of Kiwanis International, Tony Kaiser.

“The Welcome to the United Nations Panel”
Moderated by H. Bradley Jenkins PDG
The Sergeants at Arms from the Smithtown N.Y. ClubThe first panelist was Maria-Luisa Chavez who is the Chief ,NGO Relations Officer at the UN Department of Public Information and a national of Mexico. Having worked for the United Nations since 1981, she welcomed the Rotarians to the United Nations headquarters, and pointed out that Rotary was one of first non-government organizations of the UN. Ms. Chavez reminded all that in 1942, Rotarians from 21 nations help to create what was to become UNESCO, and that 49 Rotarians were at the conference to sign the UN Charter in San Francisco. Ms. Chavez also thanked Rotarians for the two billion children vaccinated against polio. She highlighted that Rotary’s greatness is the partnerships it has developed with other organizations, and that Rotary is a very valuable partner to the United Nations, and to the world.

“The Future of Rotary is in Your Hands.”


As many already know, President John Kenny is from the Grangemouth, Scotland Rotary Club and is a past-dean of his local law faculty, a judge, and a notary. During his keynote address, President John outlined that for more than one hundred years, Rotarians have been working for peace, understanding, and good-will around the world. He emphasized that Rotary and the UN share a similar vision to bring about peace. He warned that poverty is the worst form of violence, because those that have nothing, have nothing to lose. While Rotarians conduct thousands of projects to promote literacy which breaks the cycle of poverty, bring health care where it is most lacking, provide fresh water and sanitation facilities to villages that lack basic sanitation, “the one thing we cannot do is nothing”.
President John also went on to say that International partnerships, with government and non-government organizations can give the tools for people to help themselves. For example, twenty years ago, Rotary made a promise to eradicate polio from the planet, and shortly afterwards the World Health Organization (WHO) joined our efforts. While we have come very close, with only a few small pockets in four countries still with polio, coming close is not enough. So we still need to finish the job. “And we will.” President John emphatically stated.
President John also reiterated that no single organization can achieve the Millennium Development Goals alone. But together we could bring about a greater and safer world. Rotarians cannot stand ideally by, and “a better future is in our reached, and the future of Rotary is in your hands”. He also invited Rotarians to support the upcoming “Concert to End Polio” at New York’s Lincoln Center on December 2, 2009.


“Climate Change Is the Most Formidable Challenge Of Our Time”

Mr. Jonos Pasztor, who is the director of the Secretary General’s Climate Change Support Team, made clear that climate change is a huge global threat. In fact, he stated that it is the most formidable challenge of our time, and it is at the top of the international agenda. Furthermore, he stated that climate change is not just an environmental issue. It is also the key economic issue of our time, and as such, the world must be determined to develop clean-energy alternatives for the world. In the upcoming The United Nations Climate Change Conference will take place in Copenhagen, Denmark between December 7 and December 18, 2009. The member states need to reach agreement on:
· Reduced emissions.
· Financial support for the vulnerable communities.
· Provide market incentives to develop clean-energy alternatives.

The Water Panel
Moderated by Sylvan M. Barnet, Jr.
Dr. Nicholas Alipui, Director of Programs UNICEF, a physician and a native of Ghana, received his medical training in Obstetrics and Gynecology from the University of Clug-Napoca, Romania. The doctor started his presentation stating that that conditions are getting better for the world’s poor, but warned that national averages do not tell the whole story. Many times there are pockets where progress in not being met.
According to the UNICEF website: “Almost fifty per cent of the developing world’s population – 2.5 billion people – lack improved sanitation facilities, and over 884 million people still use unsafe drinking water sources. Inadequate access to safe water and sanitation services, coupled with poor hygiene practices, kills and sickens thousands of children every day, and leads to impoverishment and diminished opportunities for thousands more.
Poor sanitation, water and hygiene have many other serious repercussions. Children – and particularly girls – are denied their right to education because their schools lack private and decent sanitation facilities. Women are forced to spend large parts of their day fetching water. Poor farmers and wage earners are less productive due to illness, health systems are overwhelmed and national economies suffer. Without W.A.S.H. (water, sanitation and hygiene), sustainable development is impossible.”

Some of the diseases caused by lack of sanitation are:
· Pneumonia,
· Diarrhea , 80% caused by unsafe drinking water
· Malaria,
· Measles
· HIV/AIDs

Bringing Clean Water to Honduras
New York Rotarian Takako Johnson hosts a visiting Rotarian from Japan
One Rotary partnership that is helping to bring clean and safe water to local communities is the collaboration of the Rotaract of the United Nations, Engineers Without Borders, and the Peace Corps. Joanna Bonfiglio and Svetiana Fisher of the Rotaract Club at the United Nations, who are also mechanical engineering students at the City College of New York explained their Rotaract financed water project.
The project was constructed in the Omoa region of Honduras and consisted of the Engineers Without Borders reinforcing a water tank in the center of the village. Locals were able to draw water from several spigots, and a half-mile pipeline connecting the stream’s water to the tank.
Sylvan Barnet, the moderator of the Water Panel, reiterated that water is about “War and Peace”. One billion people have no safe water, and two billion people have no sanitation facilities.


The Literacy Panel
Moderated by Robert A. Coultas, PRID
Ms. Caryl M. Stern, the President and CEO of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF affirmed that many lives have been saved over the last twenty years because of partnerships with UNICEF. In 1985, over thirty million children were dying before age five from preventable diseases, and today it is now below nine million. But nine million are still dying from preventable diseases, and therefore too many, she illuminated.
Ms. Stern also confirmed that tetanus, a disease we rarely think about in the developed world, is a very serious one in poorer countries, primarily because of illiteracy. Mothers have to learn to read and learn how to prevent diseases that could harm their children. When a child cannot read, they only know the village, and there is less hope and less opportunity.
“Progress in global literacy has been made. “
In 2002 more than 115 million did not attend primary school, yet by 2007 this number has been reduced to 101 million. Consequently, global adult illiteracy has decline from twenty-five percent to twenty percent. Ms. Stern concluded her address with a quotation from Thomas Jefferson: “If we solve all the problems of the world, but fail to solve the problem of education, our children will destroy what we bequeathed them. But if we solve only the problem of education, our children will solve their own problems.”

Mr. Roger J. Hayward, PDG of District 7070 in Canada, who earned advanced degrees from both Canada and the U.K. affirmed that ninety-seven percent of adults in developed world are literate, but in Africa it is less than fifty-percent. There are 9oo million adults in Africa who cannot read or write. He counseled that there are two key instructional technologies that can increase literacy. The first is Computer Assisted Learning Solutions (CALS) which is a computer based reading system that has benefited more than 1,800 students in California. The other program that he recommends is the Concentrated Language Encounter (CLE). This program does not require any equipment, and it is being successfully used in the northern part of Egypt.
He also recommend that “Reach Out to Rotary Membership in Africa” is an important project because there are only 23,000 Rotarians on the continent of Africa. The African clubs are primarily located in only four countries: South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt, and Uganda with only sixteen clubs in Tanzania. More Rotarians in Africa could help to promote more literacy programs.


The A.M. Closing Panel
Moderated by H. Bradley Jenkins

RI President-elect Ray KlinginsmithRay Klinginsmith, President–elect of Rotary International is from the Kirksville, Missouri Rotary Club and is an attorney who works primarily in commercial and corporate law. He comes from “cattle country” in Missouri, and made it known that the core Rotary-values of Service Above Self, and to make Rotary membership more attractive for younger members will be important issues for his upcoming year. In fact, he specified that if we could put the same effort that we did for the Polio-Plus Program to attract younger Rotarians, “our greatest days are still ahead.”
The second panelist was the Vice President of the National Basketball Association, Mr. Todd Jacobson. Mr. Jacobson is responsible for community relations for the NBA, and launched “The NBA Cares” program in 2000. He is a native Long Islander and a retired professional soccer player. He asked Rotarians to support sports as a way to achieve development, peace, education, family development, and health. Also, he mentioned that sports can help break down political borders and barriers.
The four main components of the “NBA Cares” program are:
· Philanthropy: $115 million donated.
· Service: Players and former players are promoting community service.
· Legacy: How we give back to the community such as computer center and libraries.
· Buildings: NBA Cares built eighty-one centers with partners where kids could work and play in nineteen countries.
· Basketball Without Borders: There are four camps around the world, and over 150 current and past NBA players who participate to break down political barriers, in partnerships with the United Methodist Church.
Mr. Jacobson also stressed the importance to measure a program’s success by implementing a five year plan, and then conduct an honest evaluation of the program’s effectiveness.
“Rotary brings hope with every local and district project”.
Glenn Estess,, Chairman of The Rotary Foundation The Chairman of The Rotary Foundation (TRF), Glenn Estess is originally from Pike County, Mississippi and earned a degree in chemistry and physics from Tulane University. Glenn conveyed to the conference that Rotarians know that war will never be alleviated by military action. Poverty, inequality, deprivation, and lack of hope, are the causes of war. Furthermore, since we have eliminated polio by 99.9 percent through steady progress, we have earned the trust of many.

The last panelist was Gavin Powers, Deputy Executive of the UN Global Compact. Mr. Powers has the responsibility to recruit private companies to embrace a set of core values in the areas of human rights, labor standards, the environment, and anti-corruption practices.
The ten principles are:
· Principle 1: Businesses should support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights.
· Principle 2: make sure that they are not complicit in human rights abuses.
· Principle 3: Businesses should uphold the freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining.
· Principle 4: the elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labor;
· Principle 5: the effective abolition of child labor.
· Principle 6: the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation.
· Principle 7: Businesses should support a precautionary approach to environmental challenges.
· Principle 8: undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility.
·
Twenty-five participants were from NigeriaPrinciple 9: encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies.
· Principle 10: Businesses should work against corruption in all its forms, including extortion and bribery.

Top of Form
Bottom of Form


The Health Panel
Moderated by William A. Miller, PDG
Mr. Tom Grant, a graduate of the NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, and the producer of the “The Final Inch” was the first Health panelist. A 2008 Academy Award nominee, The Final Inch is a 38 minute snapshot of the grassroots mobilization for polio eradication in India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan and was aired on HBO last year. It can also be viewed on YOU-TUBE.
Mr. Grant made clear that there are two essential items to make a documentary: access and funding. Google.com provided the funding of the documentary, but it was difficult to get access to many parts of Afghanistan due to the war.
“Banishing the horrific iron-lung in to the proverbial trash bin of history is ninety-nine percent completed.”
The panelist often accepted questions from the audience

The Health Panel also summarized the 2001 Measles Initiative. This is a partnership led by the American Red Cross, the United Nations Foundation, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, UNICEF and the World Health Organization. It has helped reduce measles deaths by 74% globally and 89% in Africa (compared to 2000). Working closely with national governments and local communities, the partnership has supported the vaccination of more than 600 million children in more than 60 countries.

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The third panelist was Dr. Robert Ziner PDG, is the only European recipient of Nigeria’s Shahon of Zarrau award, in recognition of his fifteen years of humanitarian service to the poor of northern of the country. The doctor outlined the “Save the Mothers and the Children Program”, a joint Nigerian-Austrian-German Rotary project to treat and prevent obstetric fistula, a painful birth injury that often results in a stillborn child and leaves the woman with chronic incontinence.
Dr. Ziner emphasized that the treatment of fistula patients is a humanitarian commitment to help the weakest in Nigeria’s society. But this can only be the first step. “What we actually pursue is a comprehensive approach to raise awareness for medical care for women and THUS prevent obstetric fistula in the first place. “

The Youth Panel
Moderated by Helen B. Reisler
Sohia Hameed was a student at Miami High School Interact Club and is currently studying at New York University. She spoke about her former high school’s Interact program. Sohia was born in India, but raise in the United States. When she returned to India as a high-school student she observed with how little supplies the school children had. Her club decided to raise funds to send backpacks filled with school supplies. Her Interact Club sold 1,000 paper heart necklaces and a Walk- A- Thon for the Project “B4US” and raised $3,000. The Rotary Club of Miami matched the funds up to $2,500. The Interact club was them able to sent 400 backpacks to the students of an Indian School. Sohia’s most significant lesson was the critical importance of youth involvement, and she states that the “Future of the world is in our hand” Sohia received an extended standing ovation.
The Youth PanelThe other impressive panelist was Anne-Charlotte Perrin, a member of the Rotaract of Paris and a former Rotary exchange-student in the United States. Her Rotaract club started a “Microcredit Project” in Madagascar, the fourth largest island in the world and one of the poorest countries. .Anne-Charlotte’s Rotaract club raised funds to purchase zebus, sometimes known as humped cattle, to the poorer families in Madagascar. An investor purchases the zebu and rents it to Madagascar farmer, and the farmer sends a small repayment.

The conference ended at 4:00 pm sharp and many Rotarians attended either the cocktail reception hosted by the Rotaract Club of the United Nations or The Rotary Foundation Alumni reception on Madison Ave. ( End.)

Arab Human Development Report 2009

The guest speaker at the October 14, 2009 meeting was Theodore Murphy, the Program Research Specialist for the Regional Bureau for Arab States of the UNDP. Mr. Murphy received his Masters Degree from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies in 2003, and a BA from the University of the Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1999. He is an International development professional with extensive experience in communications, policy analysis, and research, especially in human development issuses.

As stated on RBAs website: Regional Bureau for Arab States (RBAS) launched the Programme on Governance in the Arab Region (POGAR) in early 2000. Recognizing the strong link between good governance and sustainable human development, POGAR aims to assist government actors, civil society, and the private sector to improve governance processes in the Arab states, always with a view to achieving sustainability. POGAR assists in a governance-augmentation process that is owned and managed by the countries themselves by offering an array of options, rather than blanket prescriptions, and working in partnership with actors in the region to identify needs and solutions.
POGAR's program activities relate to Rule of Law, Participation, and Transparency and Accountability. These activities include providing policy advice, engaging in institutional capacity building, and testing policy options through pilot projects. Since its inception, POGAR has launched projects to promote dialog about judicial reform; build the capacities of parliaments, and educate governance actors about methods for combating corruption.

Incoming President of the Rotary Club of New York, David Del Monte, welcomed visiting Rotarians from the Rotary Club of Moscow, Elena Grigoreva, an attorney with the Legal Business Consulting Company of Moscow (left), and the newest member of the Rotary Club of Wall Street, Joanne Lam, a financial planning executive with Smith Barney (right) at the October 14, 2009 breakfast meeting.

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Welcome!

(Photo: This photo, which is taken from our meeting venue on 23rd floor of the German Mission, clearly shows the progress of UN 's major construction project.)









All Rotarians are invited to attend the NY Rotary International Breakfast Meetings which are normally scheduled on the third Wednesday of every month and held at the German House located at 871 United Nations Plaza (49th St. and First Ave). These meeting provide an opportunity for Rotarians to stay informed regarding United Nation programs and to exchange views on related topics with UN officials and representatives of its member states. There are usually no meetings in July and August. Reservations for attending the meetings can be made at: ny.rotary@verizon.net and copy to GBRotary@aol.com . The monthly meetings are coordinated and moderated by N.Y. Rotarian Josef Klee, Deputy-Director of the United Nations (Retired) and Sylvan Barnet, Alternate Rotary International Liaison to the UN. Our newsletter editor is Assistant District Governor Thomas V. McConnon.

A history of Rotary and the Formation of the United Nations, click : http://nyrotaryunitednations.blogspot.com/2008/05/test.html
A summary of "Rotary Day at the United Nations 2008", click:
http://nyrotaryunitednations.blogspot.com/2008/05/rotary-international-day-at-united.html
. . A summary of "Rotary Day at the United Nations 2007" click:
http://nyrotaryunitednations.blogspot.com/2007/12/type-company-name-welcome-to-united.html
A Summary of the "Rotary Day at The United Nations 2006" click.
http://nyrotaryunitednations.blogspot.com/2006/11/rotary-international-day-at-united.html
..A summary of A summary of "Rotary Day at the United Nations 2005" click nations 2005" .http://nyrotaryunitednations.blogspot.com/2006/01/rotary-international-day-at-united.html

Turkish Armenian Protocol Agreement.

Photo: NY Rotarian, Kaan Soyak, second from the right , at our breakfast meeting held earlier this year where he kept members informed of the progress being make in Turkish- Armenian relations.

New York Rotarian, Kaan Soyak, co-chairman of the Turkish-Armenian Business Development Council, emailed New York Rotarian's on a minute-by-minute update of the historic accords signed between neighboring Turkey and Armenia on Saturday, October 9th. Kaan who has worked for nearly a decade in promoting more commercial activity as a bridge toward peace between the two countries noted that the accord opened a brand-new chapter in the two countries’ relations, which have been troubled by genocide allegations for more than one hundred years ago. The signing ceremony took place at the University of Zurich.

“There has been a lack of confidence between the two countries and nations and the protocols will draw the two peoples closer to each other. The region does not have the luxury of waiting another 15 or 16 years for the normalization of the ties is crucial for stability in the Caucasus,” said Soyak.

As reported by The New York Times, The United States, along with France and Russia, played a key role in prodding the two sides to come to terms. President Obama placed an encouraging call last week to the president of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan, while Mrs. Clinton was in regular touch with leaders of both countries.

The first protocol, which will establish diplomatic ties, and the second, on the further development of relations, are accompanied by an appendix that sets a clear timetable for the implementation of both. The agreements envision the opening of the border within two months after the second protocol goes into force, although this step requires approval from the parliaments of both countries and their presidents.

Peace and Development Conference in Mexico

Photo by UN photographer Ivan Stephens. One of the youth events held as part of the annual UN DPI/NGO conference that focused on Disarmament: for Peace & Development that was held in Mexico City on September 9-11. Kelly Roberts (third from left) was the New York Youth Co-Chair for the Conference Planning Committee is also the presdient of the Rotaract of the United Nations here in New York. Kelly welcomed the Secretary General of the UN, Mr. Ban Ki Moon (right) on behalf of the NY and Mexico Youth Committees.

The Secretary General attend two special youth events in Mexico City during the conference. To see more photos from these youth events in Mexico go to: http://www.unmultimedia.org/photo/

"Caritas In Veritate"

The guest speaker at the September 16, 2009, breakfast meeting was Rev. Philip Bene J.C.D. of the Holy See Mission to the United Nations. Father Philip follows human rights matters and international law at the United Nations. He earned a license and doctorate in Canon Law from the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas in Rome and is an active member of the Canon Law Society. Originally from Saint Louis he was ordained to the priesthood for the S. L. Archdiocese in 1994.
He clarified the Pope's Encyclical Letter CARITAS IN VERITATE (Truth in Charity). This letter is the third encyclical of Pope Benedict XVI and was published on July 7, 2009. The letter addresses the global economic and social issues of our time and has received great acclaim in the international community. It clarifies the role of charity and truth in life and gives insight on the current economic conditions of the world today.




The United States Conference of Catholic bishops stated, "The encyclical offers sound reflections on the vocation of human development as well as on the moral principles on which a global economy must be based. It challenges business enterprises, governments, unions and individuals to re-examine their economic responsibilities in the light of charity, governed by truth. The Pope points out the responsibilities and limitations of government and the private market, challenges traditional ideologies of right and left, and calls all men and women to think and act anew."



The charity aspect of the document calls upon individuals to include charity in their everyday life and calls upon people to answer the challenge proposed to them by the document. Pope Benedict XVI reminds us that charity, along with truth, is at the heart of Catholic social teaching. However. Pope Benedict cautions readers not to perform charity for selfish reasons but to think of others.

The encyclical also deals with the role of the human family in society.

"UNited to End Violence Against Women", UN Secreatry-General's campaign

In the photo are from right to left is our guest speaker, Enzo di Taranto, moderator and host Rotarian Josef Klee, and Incoming District governor of 7230 Karl Milde.

Our guest speaker for the June 2009 breakfast meeting was Mr. Enzo di Taranto who was appointed as manager of the Secretary-General's UNite Campaign to End Violence against Women program in May of this year. With vast international experience in a wide range of management and leadership roles with the United Nations, European Union, and NGO's, Mr. Di Taranto also holds a Master degree in international relations from the Oriental University Institute in Italy. He has also received training at Harvard University and Ecole Nationale d'Administration in Paris. He is the author of several videos, websites, essays, and books on international affairs.

From the UN Website In February 2008, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon launched his campaign, “UNite to End Violence against Women,” a multi-year effort aimed at preventing and eliminating violence against women and girls in all parts of the world.


In November 2008, Academy Award-winning actress Charlize Theron was designated a UN Messenger of Peace with a focus on ending violence against women.

Violence against women not only constitutes a gross violation of human rights but also has enormous social and economic costs, and undercuts the contribution of women to development, peace and security. It poses a serious threat to the achievement of internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals.
Stretching from 2008 to 2015, the campaign calls on governments, civil society, women’s organizations, young people, the private sector, the media and the entire UN system to join forces in addressing the global pandemic of violence against women and girls. It builds on existing Women and Men United to End Violence against Women and Girls international legal and policy frameworks and harnesses the strong momentum around the issue, reflected in a growing number of initiatives by UN system partners, Governments and NGOs.“There is no blanket approach to fighting violence against women. What works in one country may not lead to desired results in another. Each nation must devise its own strategy,” said the Secretary-General at the launch of the campaign. “But there is one universal truth, applicable to all countries, cultures and communities: violence against women is never acceptable, never excusable, never tolerable.”

Rotary Publications Translated into Arabic, RI Representative to the United Nations to Western Asia - ESCWA

Arabic Rotary Publications

Dr. Michel P. Jazzar (left) is the RI Representative to The United Nations Economic and Social Commision to Western Asia and is a dental surgeon from the Kesrouan Rotary Club - Lebanon).

The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UN-ESCWA), headquartered in Beirut, Lebanon, is one of the five regional commissions under the administrative direction of the United Nations Economic and Social Council. UN-ESCWA promotes economic and social development of Western Asia through regional and subregional cooperation and integration. ESCWA has 13 member States,and reports to the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).


Rotary International took a wise and historical decision to support the printing and distribution of 12 essential Rotary publications into Arabic language. Past President, Michel P. Jazzar, a Lebanese Rotarian, was appointed to perform this challenge.

By Michel P. Jazzar

Introduction:
On November 1999, the RI Board of Directors recognized the importance of providing Rotary Clubs with the information they need in readable and understandable languages. Meanwhile, a list of essential publications was established.
On February 2000, the Board agreed that a district or group of districts (who speak other than English, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, French, German, Korean, Italian and Swedish) may, on a voluntary basis, translate, print and distribute essential club information to the clubs in their district(s).
They further approved a volunteer’s publications translation plan. First, districts in Finland, The Netherlands, Taiwan and Thailand were selected to participate in this project. Other interested districts were considered to participate. As for District 2450, they were invited to assign a committee or a group and to participate in this project on behalf of the RI Board of Directors. As for the costs of printing and distributing these publications, RI will reimburse district governors the fees.
On November 2007, the RI Board of Directors took the decision to have Rotary International produce in-house a very limited of publications into Arabic. The RI Board included Arabic as one of ten additional languages into which RI will translate and produce documents deemed necessary to the introduction of Rotary into new countries or to support membership development and growth.

What are the RI policies regarding the official languages and translation of publications?

RI Official Language
English is the only official language of RI and all official documents, including club charters, shall be issued in English. A non-English charter issued in a non-English-speaking country was acceptable if accompanied by its translation. Such translation shall not bear the seal of RI or the signature of its Officials.
Study of Languages
Rotary endorses efforts to enhancing the global community and enriching the world’s culture. All Rotarians are encouraged to study languages other than their own for further international understanding, goodwill and peace and to assist in fulfilling the Object of Rotary.
Translation of Rotary Literature
RI policies:
1. RI will provide translated versions of essential club and district information in Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, French, German, Korean, Italian and Swedish.
2. All RI publications shall be revised in English and other languages on a staggered, triennial basis, with those publications affected most by the Council on Legislation. The General Secretary will be authorized to make exceptions to this policy, as necessary.
3. A district or group of districts in which the Rotarians speak a language(s) other than those listed above, may on a voluntary basis, translate, print and distribute essential club information to the clubs in their district(s). Publications translated by volunteers shall not be considered as official.

Role of General Secretary in Translations of Rotary Literature
The translation and printing of Rotary literature shall be under the direct supervision of the General Secretary, who is authorized to approve translations on behalf of the Board and, to modify the text of translations where it appears necessary or advisable in order to make publications more useful to the clubs. The distribution of Rotary literature to clubs shall be made by the Secretariat Office.
Use of Rotarian Volunteers in Translating
The General Secretary shall prepare a database of Rotarians who are able to interpret and translate documents into many languages. By selecting Rotarians to interpret /translate, the General Secretary shall ensure that they will provide a sample of their work.
Translation of Constitutional Documents of Rotary International
A note shall be included in all editions of the Manual of Procedure in languages other than English preceding the section that includes the constitutional documents, to indicate that:
if any question arises regarding the meaning or interpretation of any submitted constitutional documents, the English-language text of these documents remains the official text;
each Governor has a copy of the English-language edition of the Manual of Procedure, including the constitutional documents;
a copy of the constitutional documents in English may be ordered.
Publications Priority List
The General Secretary shall remove and/or add publications to the priority list in order to keep the list updated and in harmony with RI programs.


Translation Early years:

Individual efforts were done in Egypt, in Lebanon and in other Rotary Arab countries to translate Rotary publications into Arabic language, to print and to distribute them on hard copies and on CD as well.
We recognize all these volunteer efforts which have lightened the road. We thank every Rotarian who showed us the way which will be followed by others.
These publications were translated, printed and distributed without RI support. Only the District 2450 has covered the expenses. In the past, Eugene Barakat [Lebanese] a member of RI staff in Zurich office has translated some documents with the support of RI. But all publications were “officially “stopped when Eugene has left the office.



The Story:

It started during the Rotary International Representatives meeting at Evanston on October 2006. At the opening session and after the RI President 2006-07 Bill Boyd welcome’s address a dialogue was opened between the RIP Boyd and the 17 participants. The Rotary extension and image was discussed frankly. RI Representative to UN-ESCWA Michel P. Jazzar, coming from Lebanon [RI D.2450], has asked a question on Rotary development in the Arab and Islamic countries. He captured the attention of all attendees on the following: “How RI could plan for extension and communicate with a foreign language while more then 300 millions of persons spoke Arabic and almost one billion of Muslims consider the Arabic as a holy language!?”
This debate was reported by Doris Margolis, RI Representative to United Nations and member of RC Washington DC, to her fellow Rotarian Theodore [Ted] Hamady who sends his wishes to RI Staff to support within Rotary clubs, Districts, Rotarians and other organizations the project of translation of essential Rotary publications to Arabic language.
This commitment pushed the RI Staff to get in contact with RIR to UN-ESCWA Michel P. Jazzar who accepted the charge to be the RI Contact for Arabic Rotary Publications – ARP - project.
Enthusiastic to this project, District Governor 2007-2008 Farid Gebran appointed then a District 2450 Committee to fulfill the project, this committee was re-appointed into its mission for 2008-09 and 2009-10.

Rotary International support:

Coincidentally, additional support in this area recently came from the RI Board of Directors who took the decision in November 2007 to have Rotary International produce in-house a very limited of publications into Arabic.
The RI Board included Arabic as one of ten additional languages into which RI will translate and produce documents deemed necessary to the introduction of Rotary into new countries or to support membership development and growth.
The Arabic language is now one of the languages which have the support of RI but It is not yet an official language of the Rotary International.
Since 2007, RI has appointed Michel P. Jazzar as contact for the project of 12 essential Rotary publications to be translated, printed and distributed. These publications will be updated regularly according to the English language.

The project:
The facts:Some of the communities in the Arab world are against Rotary for misunderstanding and lack of communication. Our philosophy:The Rotary respects the human cultures. Our vision:Is to promote Rotary with a great tool: The Arab publications. [We leave to Clubs and District to promote their projects within RI and TRF Programs by direct support and/or by International co-sponsors support.] Our Strategy:Is to develop a big range of yearly publications with the support of RI, Districts, Arab speaking Rotarians and Clubs, International Districts, and Clubs and Rotarians as well. The direct link with the RI Staff is the key of success. A District committee will supervise the project under the leadership of the District Governor. The RI will appoint once a year an RI member who will be responsible of the expenses sheet’s signature which will be covered by RI and to follow the RI policies regarding similar projects. Our Goals:Translation, publication and distribution of the Essential Rotary Publications in full commitment and respect of the RI Policies.
We have divided the publications into two parts:1-Publications for Rotary Administration:
It will be all internal publications needed as material for clubs' administration. The number of copies will be limited for Rotary Officers elected for two consecutive years. The PEs for the coming year and the year after should be very well prepared. So the number will multiply by 3 times the number for Rotary Clubs Presidents [e.g. President Kit].2-Publications for Rotarians and the large public of Non-Rotarians:All publications with general information on RI and TRF Programs that would be interesting to be known by all Rotarians and Non-Rotarians. The number of copies will be 5000 or 10000 to help in promoting Rotary in the Arab Region. We are very interested to let current and new members, as well as Club's guests and weekly speakers be informed on our International Organization.

What are the Essential Rotary Publications?

Rotary Year 2007-2008 publications
001 This is Rotary
035 Manual of Procedure 2007
159 Foundation Fact Card
219 TRF Quick Reference Guide
225 Club Officers Kit
242 District Membership Seminar Leaders' Guide
243 PETS Leaders Guide
244 Assistant Governors Training Manual
254 How to Propose a New Member
414 New Member Orientation
595 Rotary Basics
828 District Assembly Leaders' Guide
900 President's Theme Message
900A President's Citation Program
900B Application form for the President's Citation Program




Other Rotary publications will be translated, printed and distributed by the District 2450 Committee:
Glossary [English-Arabic]
770_RCC Handbook [The Rotary Community Corps – RCC - is a Rotary Club’s project for non-Rotarians]
769_Organization form RCC
788_Brochure RCC
RCC_Guide
RCC_Photo_form
RCC_Update_form
RCC_Presentation
RCC_Presentation _ppt
808- Organizing New Clubs
Organizing a new Clubs: Instructions and Forms

New Publications authorized 2008-2009:
084 (1007) - Rotary Centers brochure
611 Peace Fellowship poster.

Media project for Arabic and Islamic countries:
Project which is now under design , will be explained on time.

The District 2450 Committee 2007-2008:
The District 2450 Governor 2007-2008 Farid Gebran has appointed for this purpose the 1st District Committee. DGE 2008-09 and DGN 2009-2010 are also members of this committee as to secure the work for the two years to come. Also two Rotarians are appointed as "International support" because we are aware that this project will cost money and we should cover all expenses. Here are the names:1. DG 2008-2009 Zakaria el Shafei.
2. PDG 2007-08 Farid Gebran3. DG 2009- 2010 Nijad Al Atassi
4. Michel Jazzar - RI contact for translation and publications
5. International Support: Rotarian Theodore [Ted] Hamady – USA.6. International Support: PDG Najib Zakka – France [Europe].Budget:

The budget will cover: Translation, printing, distribution, miscellaneous expenses. This is Rotary [10000 copies] Rotary 2007-2008 Theme [5000 copies] Rotary 2007-2008 Presidential Citation [5000 copies] Rotary Citation form [5000 copies] Rotary Basics [10000 copies]. Other publications’ copies will depend on the Rotary Officers number.



Bank account:
Favor: Bank Of Beirut S.A.L
Dora Branch, Beirut-Lebanon
Beneficiary: Rotary Association-Lebanon, District 2450
Account Number: (11.401.676118.00)
Swift Code: BABELBBE
Correspondent Bank: Bank Of New York-NY

Rotary Association-Lebanon
GEDCO Center
7th Floor
Sin El-Fil
LEBANON
PO Box 5531 Beirut Lebanon

Communication:

-DG Farid Gebran has introduced this project in the Governor's Monthly Letter. -A blog was launched to introduce the ARP project. http://arpub.hautetfort.com/
You may download the 12 essential publications: Club’s Kit, Assistant Governor manual, logos, RIP Theme and Citation and more on both pages:
http://arpub.wikispaces.com/Rotary+Essential+Publications
http://arpub.wikispaces.com/Other+Arabic+Rotary+Publications

What are the feedbacks?

When we debate on the image of Rotary and Membership Development, we have to be practical. Once a project is launched and got such a support, local, district support and International support, that means we have reached our objectives and fulfill our vision.
We have the support of RI – part for the budget
We got the approval of the DG – part of the budget.
We got the support of the International sponsors:
USA: RC Washington DC and Basra, Iraq Prosthetics Project, RI District #7620 International project.

Conclusion:

More then 300 millions of Arabs and almost one billion of Muslims have in common this language, Arabic is a holy language for almost one billion of human beings!
Rotary International who respects the human diverse cultures took this wise decision [late but better then never!] to give its support [with some restrictions] and to promote the publications in Arabic language.
This project needs now all Rotarians’ continuous support in District 2450 and District 9010 as well because when RI supports our language it means that we are now on the right direction to increase the Membership Development and enhance Rotary image in the Arab countries.
How many of us are happy when a foreign approach is "Salam Aleykoum". These two words are the best ice-breaker. Also it is the same to others when we approach them with their language!
Communication within the Arabic language is still the best way to promote Rotary in the Arab world communities.
This project is expected to cover all clubs of District 2450 and District 9010 [North Africa].
Twelve essential publications and more on RCC are under translation and will be printed and distributed between December 2007 and May 2008. Some will be sent to clubs later on according to the updated publications received from RI.
We have already a financial support confirmation from RI, District 2450, Clubs from District 2450, International sponsors from USA and from individual Rotarians.
We have reached our expectations.
Now we can say: It is done..! Congratulations…


I would like to thank hearty:

-RI Representative to UN Doris Margolis, Rotarians Ted Hamady and Linda Smythe as well who pushed together this project forward to be implemented during year 2007-2008.
-The RI Staff: Hollie Horn [Manager], Cherise Thurman [Coordinator], Jane DeMoss, Jackie Granat and Michele Moiron and unknown RI staff.
-PDG 07-08 Farid Gebran, DG 08-09 Zakaria El Shafei, DG 09-10 Nijad Al Atassi whom gave their full support.
-Members of the Arabic Publications Committee.
-Translators.
-All Clubs and All Rotarians from District 2450, District 9010 and other RI Districts who support this millennium challenging, visionary and ambitious project.

Thanks to All of You, Rotarians and friends of Rotary!
You have made me proud of my Rotary pin and of each of you.

For further information on financial support or project’s inquiries:

Michel P. JAZZAR
RI Contact – ARP - Arabic Rotary Publications
PO Box 1951 – Jounieh – Lebanon.
jazzar@dm.net.lb

President Obama's Election and the United States Mission At the United Nations

The guest speaker at the May 2009 breakfast meeting was Mr. Thomas Kirk McBride, the Deputy Political Counsellor of the United States Mission to the United Nations (right). He has spent twenty years at the US Mission to the United Nations and his main responsibility is to represent the interests of the United States with the issues connected with the Security Council. The meeting was moderated by Sheila Washington (left) a management consultant, and a member of the the Rotary Club of New York.

Mr. McBride noted that the foreign policy that United States does not change very much with different Presidential administrations. Perhaps, the only minor difference may include some additional funding for birth control methods, for example. However, he said, it should be noted that the world has celebrated President Obama's election, particularly in African countries where the citizenry was so elected that one would think that President Obama was elected as President of the African Union.

Similarly, President Obama's administration elevated the new US Ambassador to the United Nations, Susan Rice, to a Cabinet-level position. While this has been the case in some other administrations, it is indicative of the level of importance that the new administration places on diplomacy, and the complexed issues facing the United Nations.

The New York Times biography of the new ambassador stated that Ms. Rice was born in 1964, and is the daughter of a former governor on the Federal Reserve Board. She grew up in Washington, where she was a star basketball player, and valedictorian at the National Cathedral School. In college, she earned an undergraduate degree from Stanford University, and both a master’s degree and a doctorate in International Relations from New College at Oxford University, where she was a Rhodes Scholar. After graduation, she worked as a management consultant for McKinsey & Company before joining the Clinton administration. ambassador rice later became a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and is married to Ian Cameron, the Canadian-born, executive producer, of ABC News’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” They have two children.

Our guest speaker stated that his position is dealing with the issues of the Security Council where some of the the major concerns are Peacekeeping operations, Non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, and Accelerating global climate change.

Regarding United Nations Peacekeeping missions there are eighteen ad-hoc missions now being supported with over 92,000 troops serving around the world. He explained that before the Bosnia peace keeping missions of the 1990's, the troops maintained an "established peace". However, since Bosnia, many of the peacekeeping forces have been involved in situations with significantly more combat.

The United States funds about twenty-six percent of all the peacekeeping missions and there is a $7 billion in the budget. However, the United States and the European Union supply less than five percent of the solders, with the largest percentage of solders coming from Pakistan and India. The United Nations reimburses the local governments that supply the troops at $1,040 per month, per soldier. In addition, the troops also receive significant training and additional funding for uniforms and equipment. Many developing countries find that they benefit financially from providing the troops.

The most difficult areas for the United Nations were the United Nations Operation in Somalia, (UNOSIM) Congo, and the Sudan. As such, the United Nations African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) had recently been established.

It is important to recall that Chapter 8 of the UN Charter states that regional organizations should handle regional problems, but the African Union has not been successful.
As such, the AU and UN has formed an umbrella relationship to establish peace in these troubled regions.

Regarding the Sudan all outside parties are on the same side but the technical operation is hard to get right, our guest speaker noted. However, without doubt, the United States has been very supportive in assisting in the financing of $60 million toward the support of the efforts. However the US government has criticized the AU because it has not been able to provide transparent and documented accounting of the the funding. The EU is not as strict in requiring accurate accounting of the funds they have provided to the region.

The United States funds about 26 percent of all the Peace Keeping missions and there is about $7 billion in the budget.

Rotary's Man at the United Nations: Sylvan Barnet

"Sylvan Barnet: Rotary's Man at the UN" from the July 2009 Rotarian Magazine.

For more than 20 years, Sylvan M. Barnet Jr. has been one of RI's representatives to the United Nations. After serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II, he worked in Paris at the International Herald Tribune, becoming its publisher in 1954. In 1959, he cofounded Barnet & Reef Associates, a pioneer in international public relations, and he later worked for the U.S. Department of Commerce. Barnet, known to his friends as "Barney," is a member of the Rotary Club of New York.

The Rotarian: Rotary was one of the nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that contributed to the UN charter in 1945. What's Rotary's role at the UN today?

Sylvan Barnet: We're a consultative NGO, so we've got a lot more clout than the information-only NGOs. There are some 3,000 NGOs at the UN, but only about 150 of us in the UN's General category -- for that, you have to be worldwide and work on a number of issues, not just one.

TR: How important is Rotary's role?

Barnet: Think of Rotary as being representative of 1.7 million people, if you include Rotaractors and Interactors. The rep from Grenada, he represents 90,000 people. So why shouldn't they listen to us? Take polio eradication. Rotary's real legacy there is social mobilization. That takes planning, manpower, networking, monitoring, and surveillance. That's experience we've had at the global level, in 121 countries where we've eradicated polio. Governments don't have that kind of manpower.

TR: What changes have you seen in your years at the UN?

Barnet: For starters, there are 89 new democracies in the world and not as many mad dictators. In that sense, the world has gotten better.

TR: Is there a sense in which it's not better?

Barnet: They all have one vote. Tiny countries have the same vote as big ones. So you've got a nondemocratic Security Council and a much-too-democratic General Assembly. But there are also new parts to the UN system, like the office for the least developed countries and small island developing states, which helps them greatly.

TR: How has financing for development evolved?

Barnet: The private sector is now welcome, with foreign direct investment. There's an old saying, goes back to the Depression years, that you can't do business in a poor house. Private investment and capital flows are now much bigger than government flows of aid.

TR: Why do we need the UN?

Barnet: With all its faults, the UN is the only place in the world where it all comes together. Newspapers mainly report on the Security Council, so people don't realize that 80 percent of the UN's work is humanitarian. No other place has [so much] information and resources, and all these people coming together, including civil society (NGOs). That's got to be worth something.

World Health Organization

Our guest speaker at the March 2009 meeting was the Senior External Relations officer of the World Health Organization at the UN Headquarters in New York. In this position, Mr. Obermeyer (right) is responsible for UN reform, inter-governmental processes and UN system entities based in New York, and non-governmental organizations that focus on public health issues. Prior to joining WHO, he served as Deputy Director in the UN Environment Program, and served in the South African Foreign Ministry on various assignments in Africa and South America. Most recently, he served as Deputy Permanent Representative in Kenya. Mr. Obermeyer was trained as a political scientist and has extensive multilateral experience in negations relating to environmental sustainability and governance.

Also at the meeting and in the photo is Dr. Giorgio Giovannoni (middle) and the Benin Minister Counselor to the United Nation (second from the right) to announce the establishment of the new hospital in Benin that Dr. Giovannoni was instrumental in building and financing.


The World Health Organization has partnered with several of Rotary International's world-wide action groups including diabetes, malaria reduction, and treated bed nets distribution. In addition to the recent grant of $255 million from the Bill Gates Foundation, Rotarians have already raised $700 million and is expected to have spent about $1 billion in the Polio-plus campaign within the next future.

Our guest speaker pointed out that The World Health Organization was established on April 7 1948 and was a continuation of the Health Organization of the League of Nations. As a result, it has retained its headquarters at the former League of Nations compound in Geneva, Switzerland. It is funded by the 193 member states with offices in 147 countries within six regional centers.

Unlike most other UN agencies, WHO still uses the regions based system based on the League of Nation delineation rather than that of most of the post-1948 organizations of the United Nations.
Labeling medicine and establishing a world wide standards The New York Office is to work with UN headquarters and works closes with the UN economic and Security council. The Secretary General has made health one of his three top priorities for his first term. Global health and foreign policy-Secretary general to adapt resolution global and heath security


Label medicines and establishing a world-wide standard on medicines and doses is one of the long established responsibilities of WHO. It is essential that health practitioners can be assured that drugs and drug names are consistent throughout the world. A second responsibility is that with more than two billion air travel passenger a year, WHO has established health containment standards for governments to inform other governments health containment of acute transmittable diseases on a cross-boarder level

Future challenges of WHO include:

• Complete eradication of polio with the support of Rotary. While there are less than two thousand cases of Polio worldwide some educational and organization work still needs to be continued



• Curtail Diabetes increase due to increased economic development and improved life style changes an unintended consequence is such less exercise and changing diets and diabetes is on an upward curve in many countries.


• Climate-change has already had a negative impact on disease and food production. For example malaria is on the increase in South America when it was primarily an African and Asian disease. Agricultural production may be affected.


• Malnutrition causes one-quarter of the worlds children' death, and 240 million are undernourished at any given time. Climate patterns change China Gobi desert is encroaching on agricultural lands in southern China need to feed more than 1 billion people Global warming is affecting weather patterns creating dryer conditions. If the warming continues, deserts which make up 25 per cent of China’s land will expand to 40 per cent.


• Finical crisis - governments are retooling their $2.3 billion budget and WHO sees no increase in their budget. WHO will have to do more with much less during the current fiscal crisis. Historically, education and health budgets are the first to be reduced when governments are under pressure


• Partnerships with private sector Ambivalent relation with pharmaceutical. WHO is partnering with Pfizer and help distribute drugs and also on research.Pfizer announced collaboration that gives access to its library of medicinal compounds – the world’s largest – and also brings scientists from developing countries into Pfizer’s laboratories for training in drug discovery techniques.

Moderator Joseff Klee (left) invited two law students from St. Thomas University in Florida to participate in the discussion.

Enhancing The Pharmaceutical Infrastucture in Africa

Our guest speaker for the February 2009 Breakfast meeting was Dr. Rolande R. Hodel, the founder and president of AIDSfreeAFRICA.

Dr. Rolande received the 2009 Astellas USA Foundation humanitarian award for her work as founder and president of AIDSfreeAFRICA, a non-profit organization based in New York. http://www.aidsfreeafrica.org/ Born in German, Rolande is a US citizen and a legal resident of Cameroon. She has worked for companies such as BASF/Germany, Nanocrystals Technolopgy/NY, Pharmaceutical Discovery Corporation/NY (today Mannkind/CT) and Emisphere Technologies/NY. Education: She received her Masters of Science in Inorganic Chemistry from the University of Kansas in 1995 and her Ph D in Organic Chemistry from the City University of New York, Queens College in 2005. American Chemical Society (ACS). Activities: Member since 1991; Director at large NY Section 2010 asked to run and 2004 served; Westchester Chemical Society, Director 1995-1997 and treasurer since 1998 to present. ACS Committee on International Activities, appointed Associate 2009. National Tour Speaker for ACS speaker’s bureau speaking on “Drug Production in Africa”. Other activities: Serves on the board of directors of Chemists Without Borders. Represents Servas, an international peace organization at the United Nations. She is active in Rotary.


It was very appropriate that since our breakfast meeting is held at the German Mission Dr. Rhonde sent the quote "The humanity of our world will be measured against the fate of Africa," from Horst Koehler, German President and former managing director of the Washington, DC-based International Monetary Fund, in his inauguration address in 2004.

AIDSfreeAFRICA, a 501-c-3 non-profit organization, recently advanced into the semifinals of the Buckminster Fuller Design Challenge: An annual distinguished award of $100,000 prize to support the development and implementation of a strategy that has significant potential to solve humanity’s most pressing problems. The goal is the emergence of a pharmaceutical infrastructure that provides Africans with access to affordable drugs, diagnostics and tests. AIDSfreeAFRICA gives technical advice and management expertise, arranges for training, provides donated equipment and makes capital available. AIDSfreeAFRICA facilitates the utilization of donor money in projects that have an immediate and profound impact on the lives of the recipients, their families and communities on a local level through microfinance programs.

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Also at the breakfast meeting was Melissa Kushner of the Goods for Good organization. As stated on their web site: Through partnerships with companies in the United States and local organizations in Africa, they are able to provide much needed school supplies, clothing and health and hygiene products to orphans and vulnerable children, while at the same time reducing waste at home.
Goods for Good rely on donations of surplus goods from a wide range of companies. Their volunteers help to sort the items and donors fund the shipment. In Africa, they build on the success of local schools and community centers by supplying them with the tools they need to care for and educate children.
Many of the items we ship to children were gathering dust in warehouses or were slated to be destroyed. On the other side of the world, these same products have an immeasurable worth to disadvantaged children.

Public-Private Alliance Foundation to Reduce Global Poverty

(Photo: Ambassador Zina Andrianarivelo-Razafy (left) and David Stillman.)

The guest speaker at the January 2009 Breakfast meeting was David Stillman, a founder and the first Executive Director of the Public-Private Alliance Foundation. David also consults on human security issues, peace-building, human rights, gender and United Nations system development cooperation. Working with the United Nations Secretariat from 1974 to 2004, as a Senior Officer in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, David also was an Advisor in the Office of the Under-Secretary-General for Development Support and Management Services. In the mid-1980s he served as Assistant Resident Representative in Islamabad, Pakistan, with the UN Development Programme, responsible chiefly for agricultural programs. Before joining the UN David worked in Togo, Ghana and Kenya. Mr.Stillman holds a BA from the School of International Service of the American University and an MA and PhD in political science from Duke University.

Also participating in the the discussion was Ambassador Zina Andrianarivelo-Razafy, the Permanent Representative of Madagascar to the United Nations. Previously he was also Ambassador to the United States, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund.

As stated on the PPAF website: The Public Private Alliance Foundation (PPAF) is a non-profit organization dedicated to reducing poverty in the world by bringing together business, governmental, community, academic, United Nations and other interests. Through collaboration, we help stimulate entrepreneurship and commerce-related activities and encourage investment for sustainable development. Focusing initially on the Dominican Republic and Madagascar, our vision is to make a difference for human betterment.PPAF works in program areas including agribusiness, education, microfinance, health, information technology, remittances, renewable energy, and water and sanitation. It works closely with the United Nations for policies that advance public-private alliances.

Italian Rotary Delegation Welcomed at United Nations

A delegation of more than forty Rotarians from Italy's Viterbo and Rome Clubs visited the United Nations during the first week of December, 2008. Included in the delegation from the Viterbo Club was President Stefano Marini and from the Roma Appia Antica club was President Enrico Bruschini and from Bolsena, Ducato Di Castro. In addition, the former INNERWHEEL Governor, Mrs. Maria Teresa Battistelli Lecchini also attended. New York Rotarian, Giovanni Cicero, was their host, who is a frequent friend and visitor to their clubs, when he is in Italy.

They visited the United Nations on Dec. 5, 2008 and attended a conference mainly on the governance and the legal side of the United Nations. After the conference, they enjoyed a fellowship lunch at the German Mission to the United Nations. On Dec. 6 an Inter-club Gala Dinner was attended, and on Dec. 8 they attended the weekly lunch of the Rotary Cub of New York at the Harvard Club on West. 44th Street in Midtown New York.

At the conference, it was pointed out that Rotary has RI presidential-appointed representatives to every part of the United Nations system: There are five Rotarians assigned to New York, two in each Rome, Geneva, Paris, Vienna, and Nairobi, respectively. There are also Rotary representatives to the World Bank, the African Union, and the Organization for American States (OAS), and to the regional commissions of the Economic & Social Council.

Sylvan Barnet, the Alternate Representative to the United Nations, noted that in Rome, Rotary representatives work with the Food & Agricultural Organization (FAO) and the World Food Program. He also explained that Rotarians also helped to write the UN Charter in San Francisco in 1945, with 49 Rotarians in 29 delegations active in the process. With this long and productive partnership, Rotary shares the highest status among NGOs at the UN with about one hundred and fifty other NGO's. Rotary contributes to over twenty social/humanitarian issues
particularly those dealing with the UN Millennium Development goals to:

• Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger.


• Achieve universal primary education.


• Promote gender equality and empower women.


• Reduce child mortality.


• Improve maternal health.


• Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases,



• Ensure environmental sustainability



• Develop global partnerships for development
  
  

The visiting Rotarians included:

ROTARY CLUB: VITERBO
MARINI BALESTRA
ANDREA STEFANO, President
BETTINI ROBERTO
LECCHINI PAOLO
GUSMAN ADOLFO
PAGANO GIUSEPPE
DE SPIRITO Stefano
PROFILI ALDO
BERDINI LUIGI
MOLTALBOLDI PAOLO
CIULA ROBERTO
LUDOVISI FABIO
NARDUZZI LUIGI
MALE` ALDO
ZUCCHI SANDRO
RINALDUCCI AMEDEO

ROTARY CLUB: ROMA Appia Antica

BRUSCHINI ENRICO, President

MARCONI ANNALISA

VAGNONI LUCIANA

BORRA CARLA

SCALA ANDREA

TRAMONTANO CARLO

MAGRONE GIANDOMENICO

MARTELLA PAOLO

ROTARY CLUB: BOLSENA

DUCATO CASTRO

ZAPPATORE UGO, President

Past GOVERNOR INNERWHEEL Center ITALY:

BATISTELLI MARIA TERESA

Inter-Religious Cooperation at the United Nations

(Photo: Elias D. Mallon is fourth from right and Jacob Bender is fourth from left.)
At the December 2008 Breakfast Meeting the Rotary Club of New York had two guest speakers to discuss Christan, Jewish and Muslim interaction and understanding. Jacob Bender is a documentary filmmaker and interfaith consultant is currently directing the documentary "Out of Cordoba" a portrait of the historical and contemporary importance of the Spanish philosophers Averroes the Muslim, and Moses Maimonides the Jew. Mr Binder graduated from the University of California with a degree in History of Religions, and has taught Jewish history at many synagogues around the United States. He was also the Director of the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem.


His other films include "The Voice Still Speaks: Jews and Revelation and So Goes a Nation:Lawyers and Communities"

The second speaker was Elias D. Mallon, a native New Yorker, and an ordained member of the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement (Graymoor). He obtained a degree in the Old Testament studies and a PhD in Middle Eastern Languages from Catholic University of America. He has been involved in the Roman Catholic/Christan-Muslim dialogue since 1985 and has published two books. The first was "Neighbors: Muslims in North America", and "Islam: What Catholics Need To Know". He is on the NGO Israel-Palestine Working Group and is involved in several new inter-religious peace initiatives which have recently come out of the United Nations.

Rotary is growing as fast in Islamic countries as in any other parts of the world with more than 1,000 clubs formed all across North and West Africa. In addition there are over 100 clubs in Bangladesh and Indonesia, respectively. Rotary's Polio-Plus Program has made much of this interest in Rotary possible. In addition, Rotary has formed an international committee on Muslim expansion. Rotarians believe that we are all one family.


Brother Mallon noted that there are two types of inter-religious interactions, with two different types of goals: "Inter-religious cooperation" is where various faiths are working together, but don't necessarily endeavor to understand each other. "Inter-religious dialog" which is becoming more fashionable, is where different faiths try to understand the faiths of one another, and strive to develop an appreciation for one another. Brother Mallon argued that Inter-religious cooperation is more goal oriented and each faith is encouraged to remain differentiated, and policy makers should be guided by "Better a small success that a spectacular failure".

The speakers emphasised that the world has indeed changed significantly since the 1967 Second Vatican Council. However, Inter-religious dialog did not begin then, but ther was a huge push to strengthen one's own faith and at the same time to understand the faiths of others. Vatican II sought to reconcile church teachings with modern principles, praising the advances of science and technology, democratic government, and religious toleration. Numerous non-Catholic sources praised Vatican II and it marked a major transformation in official Church teaching. The Council unambiguously stated that each individual possessed the right to choose his or her religion and practice it free from political persecution. As a result of Vatican II many non-Christian religions acknowledged that world religions (other than their own) also taught fundamental truths.

United Nation's Member States have expressed interest to engage in a new dimension and attitude toward religions as a major contributor to development and security. In 2005 the General Assembly passed a resolution calling for Interfaith Cooperation for the Peace. The Tri-Partite forum which included the Philippines, Pakistan, sixteen other States, and several UN Agencies introduced the resolution to reduce religious tensions.

In 2006 the Secretary General commissioned a high-level study group that resulted in the formation of the Alliance of Civilization aiming to reduce cross cultural polarization between Islam and the West.

The August 2008 Russian-Georgian War

The Guest speaker at the November Breakfast meeting was Irakli Alasania, the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Georgia to the United Nations. Prior to this assignment Ambassador Alasania had served as the Adviser to the President of Georgia on Conflict Resolution and is also the President's Special Representative to Georgian- Abkhaz talks. He received an International Law Degree from the Tbilisi State University in 1995.

The Georgian-Russian conflict was of particular importance since in 2005 the Rotary Club of New York went to Georgia to start the country's first Rotary club. Even then, it was a sensitive issue as to which Rotary district the club should belong. Should it belong to the Russian district or the Eastern-European District?
Our guest speaker returned from Georgia just two weeks ago, and it was his first trip back to his country since the August war with the Russian Federation. He pointed out since Georgian independence in 1993 there was always been conflict with South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Both regions have been under separatist control since that time, even though sixty-five percent of the population were Georgians and the minority was ruling the territory. The origins of this conflict date back to the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1987.
Since 2005, our guest speaker attempted to reach an agreement to end hostilities, but there was no political will to sign the agreement. In fact, it did seem that for the last year or so Russia was preparing for an invasion and established for full scale buildup on their shared border. Since last May there was escalation with a tit-for-tat shelling of villages in and more Russian troops brought troops were brought into the separatist areas.
While, the Georgian position is that the full-scale invasion is without question against the UN Charter, the Ambassador noted that lots of mistakes were made on Georgian side. For example, it has been reported that Georgia reportedly initiated a military offensive to regain control over its breakaway region of South Ossetia on Aug. 7. In response, Russia, sent in soldiers to defeat the Georgian troops. However, the government of Georgia never thought Russia would put “boots on the ground" of Georgian territory.
There is still speculation who “fired the first shot”. Therefore, to determine who started the aggression, both Russia and Georgia have agreed to provide information and cooperate for an international investigation. A diplomat team has been appointed to establish an inquiry. Swiss diplomat, Heidi Tagliavini, will lead an EU investigation into the origin and progression of the Georgia-Russia conflict. The 58-year-old career diplomat has extensive regional knowledge and experience. She was deputy head of the UN observer mission in Georgia (1998-1999), the Swiss ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina (2001-2002) and a member of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)'s first assistance group to Chechnya (1995). A preliminary cease-fire mediated by the European Union was signed on Aug. 12, although fighting did not stop immediately. Only Russia and Nicaragua recognize the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, another breakaway region of Georgia, whie most of the United Nations do not.

As a consequence of the war, there were several hundred ethnic based civilians killed by Russian soldiers. This year’s EU’s Rotating President Sorkazy established the Six Point Plan. The Sarkozy-Medvedev six-point plan stipulated renouncing the use of force, halting all military action, providing free access to humanitarian aid, the return of Georgian Armed Forces to their bases, the return of Russia's Armed Forces to their positions prior to combat, and the start of international discussions on the future status of South Ossetia and Abkhazia and on ways to ensure their security.
The Ambassador noted that the United Nations needs to monitor and investigate the incidents such as three police offers that were killed recently. Clearly, Georgia is a democratic state and we need to redefine our Turkey Armenians and ajibijan relationships. Also we need to Forge and institutional our relationship with the United States which has been very friendly since 1992 ,and has been very helpful in building our economy.

NATO membership of former Soviet satellites is one of the main irritants of Russia. However, Georgia believes that there are two principles that should be followed:
· Doors of NATO should be opened
· Every nation has a right on whom to align with. It is not up to Russian to block the integration of NATO.
The ambassador noted that it will take years to repair the Russian and Georgian relationship The Russians want naval bases. There are still 250,000 displaced persons for 15 years who want to go home to go back home.
The Ambassador pointed out that it will take years to repair the physical damage, and the Russian-Georgian relationship. In addition, investment confidence has been damaged which is essential to portray Georgia as a stable country in the eyes of the world's investors.

Rotary at the United Nations November 8, 2008

On the chilly and misty morning of November 8, 2008, the United Nations hosted more than 1,600 Rotarians and their guests at the Annual “Rotary International Day at the United Nations”. At this annual conference, Rotarians take the opportunity to examine the working partnership between Rotary and the United Nations in alleviating global poverty. The all- day conference was organized and moderated by Rotary International Representative of the United Nations, Brad Jenkins PDG, and the three Alternate RI representatives Sylvan Barnet, Bill Miller PDG and Helen Risler PDG.

The enthusiastic attendees were from forty-four countries and twenty-seven states. Included were two-hundred Rotaract (young members of Rotary International from college age to approximately thirty years old), and six-hundred Interact members, (high-school students sponsored by local Rotary clubs).

Starting in 1988 with only a hundred or so participants, this Rotary conference has became a salient event that is also attended by most Rotary’s International directors and officers, including the current President D.K. Lee and incoming President John Kenny.

“Rotary Is An Indispensable Partner of the UN”
The first speaker was Erik Falt of the United Nation’s Department of Public Information (UNDPI). Prior to joining the UN, Mr. Falt was the Press Attaché for the Permanent Mission of France to the United Nations. Eric has been a long time supporter of Rotary since the time he was stationed in Chicago and frequently visited clubs throughout the Mid-west and he has recognized that Rotary is an indispensible partner to the United Nations. He also pointed out the long history of Rotarians in the creation of the United Nations, with no less than forty-nine Rotarians contributing to the twenty-nine delegations at the San Francisco Conference in 1945.

Mr. Falt strongly encouraged Rotarians to take advantage of the United Nations Speaker Program. The UN hopes to work even more closely with Rotarians and asks that Rotarians invite United Nations personnel to speak at organized events throughout the United States. The speakers do not accept honorarium, however, they only ask that the clubs finance travel and accommodations expenses. He also invited Rotarians to the UN’s annual events around the world. The upcoming conference will be in Paris, and the year after that to Mexico, with the program dealing with human- rights and disarmament.

“Rotarians Do Not Differentiate”
The next speaker was Dong-Kurn Lee (aka DK), the President of Rotary International and the chairman of the Bu-Bang Manufacturing Company in Seoul, Korea. He joined Rotary in 1971 and in 1996 he charted thirty-two new clubs and added 1,800 new Rotarians to his district.
It was only two months earlier, when President DK addressed government and civic leaders at the forum convened by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, on September 25, 2008. At the forum, attended by top government and civic leaders, President DK reaffirmed Rotary's commitment to working with the UN to eradicate polio, and to build a healthier, more peaceful world. He stated that Rotary has helped to bring “the world closer to the end of a disease, and to the achievement of the fourth Millennium Development Goal of reducing child mortality” In a speech during a breakout session on health and education, President DK said that "We have created partnerships that will endure and will yield benefits far beyond the elimination of one disease."
At today’s address to Rotarians, President D.K confirmed that Rotary is a very diverse organization, but we know that on the inside, people are all alike, and we trust in the same “golden rule”. When a country or village needs assistance, Rotarians do not consider how the people address, or how they speak, or
RI President DK Lee and Eric Falt of the United Nations Public Information Department.
how they pray, he said. “What matters is that they are all human beings and they need help.” As a result, for the last twenty years we have partnered with the United Nations, Rotarians have donated $720 million to Polio irradiation, and have immunized more than 2 billion children in 122 counties and we and our partners reduced polio cases by 99 percent in our organized Polio-Plus program. President D.K. concluded his address encouraging all of the 1.2 million Rotarians, in more than 200 hundred countries, to continue working to “Make Dreams a Reality”
“MDG Progress Has Been Made In The Aggregate, But Not In All Countries.”
Salil Shetty, a native of India, joined the United Nations in 2003 as the Director of the Millennium Campaign. Prior to joining the UN, Mr. Shetty was the Chief Executive of Action Aid, a leading international development NGO in South Asia and Sub-Sahara Africa. He provided an assessment of the progress at the half-way point of the Millennium Development Goals

He noted that some regions, particularly China and India, have made significant progress, especially in the first goal of eradicating poverty and hunger. In addition, the world has made advances with much of the crippling debts being canceled, and that forty-million more children are going to school. Overall, he noted that on the global level, it is likely that we'll reach the universal target of halving extreme poverty by 2015.

Yet, he emphasized that these goals are not about aggregates, they are about the people of individual countries. He pointed out that there are still huge difficulties in Sub-Saharan Africa and many countries in south Asia and are not likely to reach the goals. Also, he specified that in some parts of Latin America, things are not as successful as the numbers may indicate be-cause of the high degree of income disparities in many of the countries with a large indigenous population.

There is concern that even though the world has made strong and sustained progress in reducing extreme poverty, however, this is now being undercut by recent higher prices of food and oil and of the global economic slowdown.

Most of the Directors and Officers of Rotary International attended the conference and use the opportunity to conduct their scheduled RI Board meeting.
Mr. Shetty’s department at the UN organized more than 115 million of people around the world to “Stand Up and Take Action” on October 17, 2008 and to remind their political leaders that they expect them to deliver on the commitments made in 2000 to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. While the global movement in support of the Millennium Development Goals is growing from famous film actors and musicians taking part, more assistance is needed.
Our speaker also noted that the Doha Development Rounds, which are the current trade-negotiation talks of the World Trade Organization (WTO) - also part of the United Nations - needs to allow developing economies to sell their competitive products to the industrialized countries without imposed trade barriers. The most recent round of negotiations in July 2008, broke down after failing to reach a compromise on agricultural import rules.

Secretary-General’s Letter to Rotarians

Mr. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations, was scheduled to address the con-ference but had to unexpectedly travel to Nairobi, Kenya for the African Union Regional Summit on the conflict situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
His welcoming letter was read by Mr. Kim Won-soo who has been the Deputy Chef de Cabinet since January2007 and assistant to the Secretary-General. Prior to that he served as Ambassador of the Republic of Korea as head of the Transition Team for the eight Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Dear Rotary International President Lee and Rotarians:

It is a great pleasure to welcome you all to the United Nations. It is always a pleasure to host Rotary International. We share your commitment to securing global public goods, and we value the energy you bring to global challenges. Ours is a good, long-standing partnership. Today we need your hard work more than ever.
Earlier this year, I started speaking about what I describe as “a people crisis”. Soaring prices for food and fuel, accelerating climate change, and stalled development for the world’s poorest people, are some thoughts I was eager to raise. Today, we see that if anything, it was an understatement. The global financial crisis has brought an additional shock compounding all the others. Although it may have receded from the headlines, the food crisis is still very much with us. Food and fertilizer prices are two times as high as they were one year ago. Climate change is worse with every passing day and some ask how we can take steps to prevent climate change in the middle of this financial crisis. But given the situation we can create green-jobs and spur investment. I ask, how we can offer not to.
And progress toward the Millennium Development Goals has been uneven; many countries are falling behind especially in Sub-Sahara Africa. We hear about of how our problems on Wall Street affect people on Main Street. We also need to think about people around the world even with no streets at all. A series of upcoming meetings provide an opportunity to get back on track. These include the G-20 gathering in Washington, the Finance for Development Conference, later this month in Doha, and climate negotiations early next month in Posna Poland. We must make the most of these occasions.
Partnerships will be crucial as we move ahead. The United Nations attaches great importance to close ties with Rotary International, and is grateful to the contributions you have made to global health, education and poverty eradication efforts. We also look forward to working with the administration of the new President Elect Obama, who has spoken often of the importance of diplomacy, international cooperation, and especially strong United Nations. Together we must deliver results for a safer, healthier, and a more prosperous world. It is encouraging to know that the United Nations will continue to be able to count on Rotary International to do its part. Please accept my best wisher for a memorable day at the United Nations. I thank you.

Mr. Ban Ki-moon,

Secretary-General of the United Nations

“Water May Become the New Oil”

The moderator of the Water Panel, Bill Miller, reaffirmed that water is critical to human sur-vival. However, over 1.1 billion do not have access to clean water, and over 2.7 billion are engage in a conflict over water. Water could become the new oil.A member of the Water Panel, Tom Hamlin a native of Canada worked with UN Environment Program (UNEP) department has work-ed on alternative energy and transportation projects in more than thirty countries in the last ten years. He currently works for the UN Department of Technical and Social Affairs.
Mr. Hamlin pointed out that approximately thirty countries, representing 2.8 billion people, especially China, India, Kenya, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Peru confront chronic water problems. Furthermore, effects from climate change can be very dramatic within the next twenty years, particularly in Africa. One projected effect is that there will be twenty-percent drop in available water supply, with a concomitant an increase in population. There is evidence that floods and droughts are occurring more frequent and are more severe.


The tactics to moderate water shortages are:
· Seek new sources - desalinization and reverse osmosis.
Save water - repair porous pipes and upgrade water delivery systems.
Reduce demand – initiate water efficient farming techniques and reduced flow-rates in faucets and toilets.
Recycle - terrace farming, hierarchical, multi-uses of water, and more water treatment plants.
“There are Three Legs to End the Cycle of Poverty: Health Hunger, and Education”

Frank Mayhew, from the Sebastopol, Rotary Club of California, updated Rotarians about the “Ending Poverty - One Village at a Time” model. Frank and his wife, Cathleen, were inspired by Jeffry Sach’s book “The End of Poverty “to create this program, and it was first initiated on the couple’s trip to visit a fellow Rotarian in Uganda.

To reduce the “cycle of poverty” requires meaningful improvements in health, hunger and education improvements. To clarify the “One Village at a Time” model an effective metaphor of a three-legged stool was provided by Frank: If all “three legs” of the stool are present, the stool will stand. If one leg is missing, the stool will not stand. The same is true with poverty reduction, with the three legs being health, hunger and education.

The project starts by a Rotary club in the developing country doing a “needs- assessment.


The Water Panel included William A. Miller, James Sniffen of the UN, and Rotarian Frank Mayhew

Rotarian Greg Arcaro and Bob Benson (PDG) from Westchester N.Y., hosted Ambassadorial Scholar Kiriko Ooka and her sister who are from Japan.

Rosemary Gill and her husband from the Kennett Square, Pa. Rotary Club traveled with more than 15 Interactors.Literacy Panel Focuses on Getting
Books to Children
The panel moderator, Sylvan Barnet, explained that significant progress has been made in literacy around the world, and local governments are spending substantial resources. Nevertheless, currently there are still 102 countries that have not yet reached universal literacy and about 72 countries are not on track in achieving the millennium Development Goal of Universal literacy.

Dr. Carmen Ramos-Bonoan MD, a pediatrician and a native of the Philippines, is the National Director of “Reach Out and Read” (ROR) in the Philippines. She is also very familiar with Ro-tary because her husband has been a long-time Rotarian. Started in 1989 in Boston by a concerned group of pediatricians, ROR encourages literacy promotion as a standard part of pediatric primary care so that children will grow up with books and a love of reading. Doctors, nurses and other health care providers advise parents about the importance of reading aloud, and give age-appropriate books to children at pediatric check-ups from six months to five years of age. By building on the unique relationship between parents and medical providers, ROR helps families and communities encourage early literacy skills so children enter school prepared for success in reading. This program has helped more than three million children. Dr. Carmen concluded her presentation informing the attendees that with the help of the United Nations and Rotary “we can eliminate illiteracy”.


The Rotary Books for the World program was summarized by Rotarian Charles Clemmons (PDG) of the Rotary Club of Seabrook, Texas. He and his wife, Barbara, are recipients of the Rotary International's “Service-Above-Self A-ward". With vast Rotary service, Charles and Barbara co-founded the “Books for the World Project” which collects used books from schools, libraries, and individuals and then ships them to southern and eastern Africa. The program has sent over eighty shipping-containers of books over the last few years. Many of the used books are collected from school districts in Texas and are then sent to Johannesburg, South Africa. The Texas and African school districts are storing the containers, and students are stacking and dis-tributing the books.
The containers sea transport cost about $4,100, and a container itself cost about $2,100 to purchase. Stemming from a recent promotion, Johannesburg Rotarians have received more than 7,000 requests for books. Charles also underscored the might of Rotary Inter-national’s Foundation Matching-grants to leverage the funding. The program, however, does not ship to countries that require custom duties to be paid on the books.”Rotarians Take Actions to Prevent War and to End the Reasons For It”
Incoming RI President of Rotary International, John Kenny of the Rotary Club of Grange-mouth, Scotland has been a Rotarian since 1970, and is a past dean of his local law faculty, and a judge. He is a Major Donor to Rotary Foundation, and has received the Foundation’s Meritorious Service, and the Distinguished Service Award.
President-elect John gave a brief, yet insightful address insuring that our real riches are those that we keep inside us, commonly known as our values. Those of us that have joined Rotary, know that it is not only our thoughts, but our actions that make a difference. Rotarians take actions to intelligently prevent war and to end the reasons for it. We train future leaders, conduct international service projects of water, health, hunger, and education, and by establishing international fellowships with em-phasis on ethical and honest behavior, with the other Rotarians in more than two-hundred countries and geographic regions. The in-coming president concluded that we want to bring solutions to the problems of the world, and Rotary is the organization that helps us to do this.
Grace Agwaru, a native of a Uganda, is an agricultural economist and was the first recip-ient of the Gift of Life Program where she was to sponsored and hosted to receive heart surgery at Saint Francis Hospital in Manhasset, Long Island in 1974. Grace was four years old then. This program, that was initiated by the Manhasset, New York, Rotary Club and the Rotary Club of Kampala, Uganda, provides heart surgery to children from countries where the life-saving surgical procedures were not available. This year, the Gift of Life provided surgery to more than 10,000 children and is established in fifty-two countries.

William Currie ,(left) the current President of the Gift of Life with recipients Grace Agwaru and Ray Halberstrom. Grace was the first recipient of the program in 1975. More than 10,000 children have been operated on over the last thirty-three years, and the program was one of the favorite charities of former first lady Nancy Reagan.

Grace gave a moving account of how grateful she was that Rotarians gave her the Gift of Life. When she was four years old, she simply had a dream to be a child, but she soon learned that she had a hole in her heart, and she was diag-nosed not live to adulthood. As the first re-cipient of the program, and since so many have sacrificed for her, she was inspired to use her life to give back to others. Grace is currently a community development manager of the Teso Foundation for Education, Research and Rural Development. Funded by the Pearl of Africa Foundation, Teso is a non-profit, non-governmental organization whose aim is to enhance the lives of the people of Kumi District in eastern Uganda. Uganda was given the name the “Pearl of Africa” by Winston Churchill when he was overcome by Uganda’s magnificent natural beauty.
Grace is very active in micro-finance, ed-ucation, and other community programs. She has also started a Rotary club in Uganda which is working to provide open-heart surgery for more than the 350 children in Uganda waiting for surgery.
Grace received a standing ovation by many when she told the conference that “When we save the life of one person, we are also saving the life of thousands of people, and by saving my life, you have helped me to reach out to the poor in my community”. Wilf Wilkinson, the immediate Past –President of Rotary International, and a member of the Rotary Club of Trenton, Ontario substituted for the chairman of the Foundation, Jonathan. Past President Wilf read an inspiring letter from Chairman Jonathan B. Majiyagbe, reminding Rotarians to bear in mind Margaret Mead’s words to “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world, indeed it is the only thing has ever had.” He points out in his letter that when Rotarians work together, we can truly “Make Dreams Real” and our foundation is our way of each Rotarian of being part every Ambassadorial Scholars, Rotary Peace Centers, polio eradication, and every Rotary project that our foundation supports. The letter concluded with that when we support our foundation “we shine a light that will illuminate a path to understanding and peace, and it is our priv-ilege and responsibility to keep that light shin-ing for generations to come.”
Mr. Jonas Haertle, who was asked to fill in as a guest speaker the night before the conference, is a senior advisor and local network co-ordination for the United Nations’ Global Compact in the Americas, Africa, and the Middle-east. The UN Global Compact is a strategic policy initiative for businesses that are committed to aligning their operations and strategies with ten universally accepted principles in the areas of human rights, labor, environmentand anti-corruption. By doing so, business, as a primary agent driving global-ization, can help ensure that markets, com-merce, technology, and finance advance in ways that benefit economies and societies everywhere.
The ten principles are:
· Support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights.
· Make sure that they are not complicit in human rights abuses.
· Uphold the freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining;
· The elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labor.
· Eliminate effective abolition of child labor;
· Elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation.
· Support a precautionary approach to environmental challenges.
· Undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility.
· Encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies.
· Work against corruption in all its forms, including extortion and bribery.
Incoming President John Kenny was also speaker at the conference.
The Health Panel Focuses on Polio and Diabetes Anand Balachandran, the inter-agency co-ordinator of the World Health Organization gave an update on Rotary and the World Health Organization’s Global Polio Irradiation Initiative. As most Rotarians are well aware, in 1985, Rotary International unilaterally em-barked on the world-wide initiative to bring about a polio-free world. At the time, there were 125 countries that were polio-endemic and 350,000 children were infected every year. A few years later, the global health community joined and partnered with Rotary in 1988. He noted that Rotary’s initiative has saved more than five-million children from polio-inflicted disabilities by vaccinating more than two bil-lion children. Also, what is less recognized, is that this vaccinating program prevented the deaths of an additional 1.2 million children by providing Vitamin-A along with the vaccine.
However, there a few regions, in four coun-tries, that have been elusive where the Di-rector-General of W.H.O. has intensified efforts. The four countries are Nigeria with over 750 cases in 2008, India with over 500 cases, Pakistan with over 100 cases, and Af-ghanistan with over 30 cases. As a result, since polio knows no geographic boundaries there have been polio cases detected in Chad, Sudan, Angola and Geneva Switzerland due to the stubborn persistence of polio in these four countries.
While Type 1 polio - the most dangerous strain - is prevalent in only one or two state in India, in Nigeria, there has been a disturbing outbreak in a much wider cross-section of the country. Being the largest country in Africa, Nigeria has threatened the world-wide progress on the war on polio, he said. Of the four endemic countries, Nigeria has been singled out by the United Nations to increase efforts in their national universal immunization program. This is one of the few times a single country has been pressured by the 192 member-states of the UN and the Secretariat-general to muster the “political-will”.
WHO is planning steps to immunize for the Type 3 polio virus. This is a much less dan-gerous strain of the virus, and is easier to fight. Sadly, Mr. Kalitadra also pointed out that a suicide bomber attacked a clearly marked Un-ited Nations convoy on September 15, 2008 in southern Afghanistan and killed two WHO doctors together with their driver. They were on their way to provide polio vaccinations to children.
Bill Miller PDG,,Anand Balachandran, Dr. Martin Silink and C. Wayne Edwards of the Health Panel
Dr. Martin Silink, of the Rotary Club of Lane Cove, Australia, is a professor of Pediatric Endocrinology at the University of Sydney. He is also President of the International Diabetes Federation: the umbrella group of over 200 diabetes associations in more than 160 coun-tries.
Dr. Silink gave encouragement and thanks to New York Rotarian and RI representative to the UN, Sylvan Barnet. He thanked “Barney” for his “indispensable help to open the door and assist in the campaign for the UN resolution in 2006”. The 2006 resolution recognized that diabetes is a serious risk to family, and the entire world, and designated World Diabetes Day on Friday, No-vember 14, 2008.
Dr. Silink pointed out that diabetes in the de-veloping world it is an epidemic. 250 million people worldwide or 6% of adults have dia-betes, and it is increasing by seven-million in-dividuals per year. There are two types of dia-betes. Type one is due to insulin deficiency and type 2 is primarily caused by obesity and in-creasing. Approximately 440,000 children have Type 1 diabetes and 70,000 are in truly desperate circumstances. Due to lack of access to insulin, for example, the life expectancy of children with diabetes in Mozambique and Malawi is less than one year. The doctor pointed out than several Rotary clubs in Australia have partnered and have supplied insulin and syringes for 1,000 children in eighteen countries. He also pointed out that the cost of insulin is prohibitive in many countries. The average-days-to- needed- to-work to buy one month of insulin is more than two weeks in many countries.
C. Wayne Edwards, PDG of the Rotary Club of Tallahassee. Florida and a certified Financial Planner outlined his district’s assistance to as-sist in diabetes. Wayne underscored that there is no vaccine for diabetes, and without insulin a diabetic child will die. With this in mind, each Rotary club in the Tallahassee Rotary district were given “Pink Piggy-banks” that were donated by Walgreens Drug Stores, and each club was asked to make a donation.

The clubs raised $25,000 and leveraged this initial amount with District Designated Funds and an RI matching grant, and the $25,000 grew to $106,000 dollars. With this funding, in partnership with IDF the Tallahassee club organized a diabetes camp in Bolivia. Seven Bolivian clinics were established to instruct diabetic children on how to live with diabetes, provide the insulin they needed, and arrange transportation for the parents and the patients to the clinics. Since then, the Bolivia Program now has expanded and established several clinics in Nigeria and Cameroon.


C. Wayne Edwards, PDG of the Rotary Club of Tallahassee Spoke About the Bolivia Project of Diabetes Camps.

In addition, The Eli Lilly Corporation’s Foun-dation donated $180,000 placed in trust with the Rotary Foundation to the project. The corporation also produced a video that has been nominated for an Academy Award about the program. Rotarian Wayne was informed at today’s conference that an Insulin Rotary Action Group has been ap-proved by the Rotary International Board of Directors at their pre-conference meeting.

Hunger Panel Promotes Villagers Growing Their Own Food
Dr. Ian Darnton-Hill is a physician and public health nutrition official in UNIEF headquarters in New York. He stressed that hunger al-leviation is the underpinning base of all development programs for UN agencies and partnerships. 850 million people suffer from hunger and additional 135 million more have been significantly affected this year’s price rise of food staples. There are six to eight counties in Sub-Sahara Africa and south Asia where the situation has gotten worse. 64 countries are on target, but 51 counties are not making progress and there are 24 countries that have a have a chronic shortage of food. Work is still needed to improve breast feeding, diarrhea and parasite control, treat severe malnutrition, and improve household food security.
Additional effort is needed for women during pregnancy and the child’s first two years of life. If a child is malnourished for more than the two years of life, the damage is probably irreversible. While more than a third of all child deaths in developing countries are from malnutrition for those that survive, “it blunts their intellect, saps the productivity of every-one it touches, and perpetuates poverty.”
Although fewer children are undernourished than in ten years ago, over 140 million children in the developing world are still underweight. Significant progress has also been made in relation to Vitamin A supplementation, thanks to Rotary’s Polio Plus program. However, micro nutrition (essential vitamin and mineral intake) deficiencies remain significant public health problems in many countries.
UNICEF needs partners such as Rotary com-mitted to scale-up and sustain the current high impact nutrition interventions in areas such as Infant and Young Child Feeding, Micronutrients Nutrition Household food security in emergencies, and nutrition and HIV/AIDS.
“If you give a child a meal, you feed him for a day; teach a child to grow food, feed him/her for life.”
John Batcha, of the North Mecklenburg County Rotary Club in North Carolina was an execu-tive director of the Asgrow Seed Company, that distributs garden seeds to twenty-nine countries. He is now president of Seed Programs Inc. and partners with Rotarians Sowing Seed To Fight World Hunger.

This program is based on the ancient proverb:
If you give a man to fish, you feed him for a day; if you teach him to fish, you feed him for life. John emphasized that the Rotary Seed Program does not give food, it teaches children how to grow their own food, with the result that “If you give a child a meal, you feed him for a day; teach a child to grow food, feed him/her for life.”
It also provides informational material to plant the seeds and partners with Peace Corps volunteers to work with school, and orphan-ages to plant local gardens in developing countries. The SPI has already sent eleven mil-lion packages that planted one million gardens in sixty countries. The vegetables produced are rich so a

. The Hunger Panel included Helen B Reisler PDG, Rotarian John Batcha,, and Dr. Ian Darnton-Hill of UNICEF
The conference ended promptly at 4:00 pm and there was every indication that all of the at-tendees discover more about the important partnership of Rotary and the United Nations. More importantly, the day highlighted just how well Rotary provides the organizational structure to assist ordinary business and pro-fessional people to do extraordinary things.

Many participants sauntered across the street to Trump’s World Bar and attended a cocktail reception hosted by the Rotoract Club of the United Nations. At the reception, which was held on the main floor of the tallest residential building in the country, Rotarians of all ages continued their support of Rotary projects by participating in the omnipresent “Rotary Raffle” with the proceeds supporting the Rotaract water project in Central America.

It was a day well spent!

Photo: More than 600 high school students left their home towns in the middle of the night to arrive at the United Nations by 8:30am

The Youth Program of Rotary/UN Day" - November 6 2008


The 2008 Youth Program, at the United Nations, on "Rotary/UN Day" was an outstanding success. PDG Helen Reisler, Rotary International Alt. Representative to the UN, a Past President of the Rotary Club of New York, and a Zone Director of the Rotary Global History Fellowship, was chosen to organize and coordinate this important event. She took on this responsibility with a passionate belief that this generation of youngsters, our future parents, professionals, business and community leaders, are the hope for ensuring Rotary's future.and our "tools" for greater peace and understanding.

The purpose of this Youth Program was to show the High School audience how Rotary works with young people such as themselves, and guides them in doing United Nations work in communities around the world, while enriching their own lives in the process.

To reach this goal, Helen's first step was to choose a planning team of Rotarians from various clubs, each possessing an individual skill. Along with Andrew Morzello and Omar Herrera who were co-moderators, the team was composed of John Porco,a graphics designer who kept the audience mesmerized with informational "Hip Hop" videos, Roger Risko who set up a "Radio Rotary Tent" to interview the youngsters, Matts Ingemanson who imparted his expertise on "The Young Paul Harris", Susanne Wetzel who challenged the students with "The 4-Way Test", Roger Swanson, our Student Exchange coordinator, Sue Donnelly, Interact/Rotaract expert, David DelMonte, scheduling master, Scarlett Pildes who utilized her various connections., and Kelly Roberts President of Rotaract at the UN.

Effective Publicity resulted in twice the audience of last year's event, drawing 650 people, and featured more than 20 presenters on 4 panels. The topics were varied and presenters travelled in from many locations. The presentations, which kept the attention of the audience for three hours, included:
"Overview of the UN", "Model United Nations," Shelterbox;Global Response to Humanitarian Needs," "Ending Child Trafficking," "Elderact;Enhancing the Lives of Seniors," "Making an Impact in Your Community," "Gift of Life," "Fighting Aids in Africa/Spreading Happiness in Harlem," "Water Projects in Honduras with Engineers Without Borders," "Community Based Rotaract," "Spring Break;a Time for Fun or Service?," "Safe Childhood;Emergency Medicine for Uganda Children," "Building Leaders Locally," "Expanding to International Leadership," "Exploring a New Culture in France," "How My Life Changed in Chile." the panels covered Interact, Rotaract, RYLA and Exchange Student projects.

RI President Dong Kurn Lee concluded the program with inspiring words meant to encourage the students to begin to make service a part of their lives.Followup analysis showed that many students took this seriously by adopting projects into existing Interact Clubs, or starting new clubs in their High Schools. Interestingly, "Ending Child Trafficking" was one of the favorites.

Rotary's Role in the Formation of the United Nations 1943-1959

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Photo: June 12, 1959 - Dag Hammarskjold, the second Secretary-General of the United Nations, addressed the closing session of the 50th Rotary International Convention in Madison Square Garden in New York City. He thanked Rotary for helpinf the "less fortunate" countries.
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The Rotary Club of New York, as many other Rotary clubs, played an essential role in building support during the formative years of The United Nations, and in selecting New York City for the Permanent Headquarters of the United Nations. As such, more than 60 years later, Rotary International still maintains the highest consultative status with the United Nations of any non-governmental organization. In this capacity, Rotary International and the United Nations has built a strong and productive partnership in achieving the Millennium Development Goals of 2000, including the global eradication of Polio, cultural exchanges, literacy, education, water/sanitation projects, and promotion of peace conferences around the world.

By the late 1940's, Rotary International was one of the largest "international" organizations in the world. There were more that 6,800 clubs in more than 81 countries. More importantly, Rotary was already working on projects around the world to diminish the causes of war and aggression. In fact, during a 1943 Rotary conference, held in London, an outline of the development of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was established in 1946 and Rotarians helped write its constitution. Additionally, many of the delegates at the San Fransisco Conference that were representing their respective governments, were also members of their own Rotary clubs and utilized their clubs to develop support for the soon to be established United Nations Organization (UN).


Formation of the United Nations:
August 1941 - It was during the Atlantic Conference, off the coast of Newfoundland, where President Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill issued a joint pronouncement that an effective international organization would be needed to replace the struggling League of Nations that was unable to prevent the outbreak of the Second World War. There, too, the Four Freedoms were promulgated as fundamental freedoms humans "everywhere in the world" ought to enjoy: Freedom of speech and expression, Freedom of religion, Freedom from want, Freedom from fear.

January 1, 1942 - The term "The United Nations" was first announced by Franklyn D. Roosevelt, several weeks after the attack at Pearl Harbor. It was the name given to the coalition of countries lead by the United States, Great Britain, and Soviet Union to defeat the Japanese and German aggression. By February 15, 1943 more than forty countries had joined the United Nations and had severed diplomatic relations and signed a declaration of war on the Axis powers.

In October 1943, at the Moscow Conference, the "Big-Three" and China (referred now as the "Big Four") formed a Four Power Alliance pledged to commence the creation of a post-victory, international, military force and organization to maintain peace, and to quickly curtail any future aggression. The Moscow Declaration stated " the necessity of establishing at the earliest practicable date a general international organization, based on the principle of sovereign equality of all peace-loving states... for the maintenance of international peace and security."


August 21-October 7, 1944 - At Dumbarton Oaks, an estate in Washington DC (photo), the "Big Four" met with the main objective to create an organization that "would maintain international peace and security, by peaceful means, if possible, and economic sanctions and force if necessary; and to promote security by encouraging economic and social cooperation among nations." While the foundations were laid out, some details on voting procedure had to be decide at a later time.

February 1945 - At the Yalta (Crimea) Conference, the provisional government of France was also invited to take a leadership role at the San Francisco Conference along with the "Big Four". In addition, forty-six other countries that waged war against the Axis Nations were also invited to participate at the conference at San Francisco, that was formally known as the United Nations Conference on International Organization. Their mission was to create the charter for the United Nations basically along the guidelines of those proposed at the informal conversations at Dumbarton Oaks.

April 12, 1945 - Two weeks before the San Francisco Conference was to meet, President Roosevelt died. Exhausted and ill, he was resting at Warm Springs, Georgia, when he suddenly complained of a terrible headache. Two hours later, he was pronounced dead of a stroke. Roosevelt was succeeded by Vice President Harry S. Truman, who vowed to continue with the formation of the United Nations Organization.


April 25 to June 6, 1945 - At the San Fransisco Conference, 49 of the 800 delegates and advisers were active Rotarians. Some of the notable Rotarians that attended the conference were:

• Thomas J. Davis, past president of Rotary International (1941-42) and unsuccessful Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate;
  
• Luther Hodges, past president of the Rotary Club of New York (1945-46). Luther also went on to become governor of North Carolina, Commerce Secretary for President Kennedy(1960-63), and President of Rotary International in 1968.
  
• Gabriel L. Dennis, the Secretary of State of Liberia was a signer of the Charter for Liberia


• Jan Christan Smuts, the Prime Minister of South Africa from 1919 until 1924 and from 1939 until 1948.
  
  
• Carlos Romulo of the Philippines was also a signer for the Philippines. He served as Resident Commissioner of the Philippines to the United States Congress from 1944 to 1946, President of the Forth Session of the General Assembly ( 1949-50), and was the Philippines' Secretary of Foreign Affairs from 1950 to 1984.


• Jan Masaryk, Foreign Minister of Czechoslovakia from 1940 to 1948.

As a result, many have argued, it was decided at the conference that the causes of aggression and war, such as poverty, ignorance, and lack of human rights, would have to be ameliorated as well. As a consequence, the UN Charter was designed to help achieve these goals much more than originally planed at the Dumbarton Oaks conference. Rotarians contributed to the drafting the charter , its Preamble, and the articles on ECOSOC and the NGO's.


October 24, 1945, the Charter was ratified and the United Nations came into existence.


Rotary Helps Overcoming United States Isolationist Sentiment:

The UN leaders knew that the American public, and the American political leaders had to fully support the newly created organization. Without full United States support, the soon to be created United Nations Organization would be powerless - as had been Woodrow Wilson's discredited League of Nations. With this in mind, the U.S. Department of State commenced a public relations campaign to build support for the proposed organization, and partnered with a number of civic and religious organizations including Rotary Clubs to build up this support.

The following pages will outline some of these activities.

On October 9, 1942, the Rotary Club of New York hosted the "United Nations" luncheon and Sir Gerald Campbell the well known special assistant to the British Ambassador, addressed 600 members and guests at the Hotel Commodore. He informed the Rotarians that unity and organization were gradually being achieved by the United Nations. Twenty-one trade and consular officials of the United Nations also attended the luncheon.

April 16, 1943 - Ray O. Wyland president of the Rotary Club of New York simulcast its annual "Pan-American Day" Luncheon with the key note speaker Under-Secretary of State Sumner Welles. The Secretary traced the development of the United States relations with the other Central and South American republics. Attacking the tariffs of 1921, 1922 and 1930 said that this slow strangulation of international trade was one of the chief causes of the "world crisis". He asserted that other Western Hemisphere republics “will never forget the dislocations caused in the economic life of many of them by the successive tariff increases in the United States."


June 27, 1944- Col. C. V. Jenkins, a past president of the Rotary Club of New York, heads campaign to change the name of Sixth Avenue in New York City to "The Avenue of the Americas" - The Gateway to the Americas. The purpose of the name change was to "help make real the dream of a unified Western Hemisphere Community of Nations". Plans where submitted to install flags of the Latin Consulates and countries along the avenue.

On August 18, 1944, on his way to London, the President of Rotary International, Richard H. Wells addresses the Rotary Club of New York and vowed to re-establish Rotary clubs in the Axis countries within 5 years after the war. At a meeting, he stated that the Nazis had "Run Rotary out of Paris" but President Richard vowed to re-establish nearly 500 European Rotary clubs disbanded by the war.
April 13, 1945 - Nelson Rockefeller, The Assistant Secretary of State, was the keynote speaker at the annual "Pan-American Day" luncheon of the Rotary Club of New York. His speech, in front of more than 500 Rotarians, was also simulcast by radio to the Western Hemisphere. Rockefeller stated that "No nation, large or small can solve all its problems alone. Yet united, we face the possibility of great productivity, prosperity and peace if we work together. That is the purpose of civilization." His speech was broadcast through out the Western Hemisphere including translations in Spanish and Portuguese. Rockefeller reaffirmed that the world's nations affirm their recognition of responsibilities to the world effort, and should be pulling for a new workable "international security organization".

In May 1945, Secretary of State Edward R. Stettinius Jr., invited Rotary International to send one representative and one alternate to the San Francisco Conference to act as consultants to the American delegation. 41 other non-government organizations (NGO's) were also invited to send a delegate and alternate (Photo of the San Fransisco Opera House site of the conference.)












September 1945 -NBC Radio Network Schedules Seven Hours of Programs to Celebrate UN Week. Secretary of State George C. Marshall launched the week of broadcasts. Rotary International President, Leo E. Golden, gave a half hour presentation asking all civic minded businessmen and professionals to support the United Nations. Other speakers included, poet and author of the UN Preamble Archibald MacLeish, and Secretary John Foster Dulles.



United Nations Committee Votes that The New International Organization Should Be Located In the United States and New York City is Interim Site:

December 15, 1946 - At the London Conference, after heated discussion and debate, the United Nations committee selects Westchester County of New York and Fairfield County of Connecticut, as the general area for the Permanent Site of World Headquarters. New York City was chosen as the location for the "Interim Headquarters" until the exact Permanent Site could be located and constructed. The Chairman of the UNO Headquarters Committee, Dr. Eduardo Zuleta Angel of Columbia states that "New York is a city where every race and every nation of the world is represented, where the different peoples of the world are molded in a common society".


The reasons that the United States was chosen by the U. N. Preparatory Commission were:

• Europe was no longer the world's political or economic center.


• Unlike the League of Nations, if the new UNO is located in the United States, it would insure United States participation.
  
• Europe could break-out in war again.


• United States government maintained neutrality and abstained from voting on location.


• Russians strongly in favor of the United States as the location.


• Geneva (site of recently completed League of Nations compound) was not an option because "Swiss neutrality" would demand that any Security Council decision to use military force had to be held outside of Swiss borders.
  
  
  

A 1946 map from the New York Times outlines the recommended site for the "Permanent Headquarters for the United Nations" as decided at the London Conference. At the time, it was originally discussed to create somewhere from a two square-miles to forty square miles self-contained campus.

A 2008 Photo of the Queens Museum that was the early home of the Security Council after it Hunter College.

March 26, 1946 - The UN Security Council opened its first session at the "Interim Location" at Hunter College's Gymnasium in the Bronx. A few weeks later, Secretary General Trygve Lie also selected the New York City building from the 1938 World’s Fair site at Flushing Meadows for the temporary meeting hall of the General Assembly, the Secretariat, and the Security Council. The other bodies and commission will meet at the Sperry Gyroscope plant at Lake Success in Nassau County. The New York City building at Flushing Meadows was rent free and reduced rent for the Sperry plant was paid to the War Assets Corporation. New York Officials hoped that the Flushing Meadows location would be considered as a possible site for the Permanent Site of the UN Headquarters. Robert Moses, a New York Rotarian was authorized to spend $1.2 million to improve the Flushing Meadow site and Secretary General Lie signed a three year lease for the Sperry plant for the General Assembly. New York Rotarian, Robert Moses, made available 1,612 apartments in Parkway Village in Queens, and Peter Cooper Village, at the average cost of $25 per room.

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December 1946 - Rotary Clubs organize to host 250 employees and delegates of the United Nations to spend a 3 day Christmas Holiday in private homes in Binghamton, Endicotte, and Johnson City in Upstate, New York. A special train took the guests to their destination.

175 New York Rotarians visited the Temporary General Assembly Building at Flushing Meadows, Queens. (This is the current site of the U.S. Tennis Open and the building is now a public ice rink). A few weeks later sixty members of the Philadelphia Rotary Club were also welcomed at the Lake Success Building.


This is the only reminder at the Flushing-Site in 2008. This plaque is located in the front lawn of the former Security Council Buiding that is now the Queens Museum of Art.

December 10 1946 - Westchester and Fairfield Eventually Rejected and UNO Seeks a New Location:

• Protest from increasing number of Westchester and Fairfield County citizens caused the Selection Committee to reconsider locating in Westchester and Fairfield counties.


• The Lake Success and Flushing temporary sites offered by New York City were too far from city and unattractive.
  
• President Truman offered the San Fransisco Presidio - the beautiful military base with park-like grounds overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge -rent free! However, the Europeans thought this was too far from Europe.


• Philadelphia offered the attractive Belmont-Roxborough site. It was on the eastern coast of the United States and was considered attractive to most members of the site location commitee.
  

However, on Friday night, December 6 ,1946, at the midnight hour, before Philadelphia was to be voted on as the Permanent Site, Secretary-General Lie, Robert Moses, and Mayor O'Dwyer called Nelson Rockefeller Assistant Secretary of State to arrange for his father to finance the purchase of a six block area of slaughter houses and run-down buildings on the East-side of Manhattan known as Turtle Bay for $8.5 million. They thought it was "worth a try" since the Rockefeller family had generously donated the library to the League of Nations and the family was very supportive of the new international organization.

December 15, 1945 - New York City Voted to be Site For Permanent World Headquarters

The site offered by John D. Rockefeller Jr.

March 26, 1947 - Trygve Lie, the first Secretary-General (Center, Front Row) receiving the $8,500,000 gift from John D. Rockefeller 3rd. (right- front row) to purchase the land at the Turtle Bay Section of New York City where the UN headquarters is now located. New York Rotarian Robert Moses (back row, left) was instrumental in helping to locate the UN World Headquarters in New York.


Rotary Starts the Ambassadorial Scholarship Program:

September 1946 - President Truman at the National Commission of Education, Scientific and Cultural Cooperation in Washington, asks the attendees to assist the United Nations. In his speech the President stated: "it is understating that gives us the ability to have peace. When we understand the other fellow's view point, and he understands ours, we can sit down, and if there are differences , we can work them out." As a consequence, at the June 1947 International Convention in New York, Rotary International expanded its one-year- old program and awarded an additional fifty-five "Ambasadorial Scholarships" to college graduates, from fifteen countries, to study for a full year in another country of their choosing.



June 9 1948 - Rotary International and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace partner to donate $12,000 to bring forty students from Member States to intern at United Nations Headquarters. The interns stayed at Adelphi College that is located near Lake Success, and had lunch at the United Nations Cafeteria. While up to this time, the UN had several interns from the United States , this grant gave students from foreign countries an opportunity to work at the UN.

June 1949 - Rotary Club of New York Hosts 40th Rotary International Convention
at Madison Square Garden.

Largest Rotary International Convention with more than 15,000 Attendees with Theme to Support the United Nations and UNICEF

In June 1949, Trygve Lie, the first Secretary-General of the United Nations, addressed the 40th Rotary International convention at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
(Photo: RI president Angus S.Mitchell - left- welcomed Trygve Lie to the Rotary Convention)
More than 16,000 Rotarians attended and was the largest Rotary Convention ever. NYC's Mayor O'Dwyer welcomed the delegates of fifty countries. He stated that that is was fitting that the United Nations was in New York because the city is an example of how people of all nations and races can live together peacefully.

Also at the convention, Madeleine Carroll, the British actress, also challenged Rotarians to take up the cause where the the United Nations has up to now failed to realize its goal. The rehabilitation of the hungry and sick children of the war-torn areas still needs to be solved. She went on to say that the United Nations International Children’s Emergency (UNICEF) fund is "only a drop of water in the bucket." Miss Carroll asked that even with the limited help of UNICEF, it was vital for individuals and community groups to help, where governments have failed. “If, as it seems, UNICEF is to fold up, something must take its place, and immediately or millions of children will die and suffer."
She went on to say that "the world’s Rotarians being powerful, could really help the children of the world". The actress suggested that Rotary undertake “a new children’s crusade".
Miss Carroll, who was the only women speaker at the convention, received a standing ovation in tribute.

In the convention's Keynote address, Secretary General Trygve Lie said that "the one thing he was sure is that no war of importance will ever be started while the General Assembly is in session, because an aggressor could not get away with it". He went on to say, "there is only one way, however, by which to prevent a third world war in the long run. The only way is to bring into the United Nations, and to keep within the United Nations, all the nations of the world, and to make the United Nations work on a universal basis."

A letter by President Harry Truman was also read by the Secretary of the Navy. The President stated: "I believe it is equally important, that to the world's orderly progress, that business leaders of all nations also have much closer ties that in the past. Certainly one of the greatest influences for bringing that about should be Rotary International. I am sure that it will be, for Rotary has always been at the forefront of any great movement for improving the welfare of people everywhere."

Ambassadorial Scholars Program Started:
At this convention, Rotary voted to spend $750,000 during the next three years to promote better understanding and friendlier relations among the peoples of several nations. Additionally fifty-six college graduates were awarded scholarships to spend the next academic year in countries other than their own. Additionally, part of the funding was to be used to send speakers to various countries to explain the workings of the United Nations and otherwise promote international unity.

June 1959 - Rotary Club of New York Hosts the 50th Annual Rotary Convention - Once Again, Promoting Support for the United Nations.

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June 12, 1959 - Dag Hammarskjold, the second Secretary-General of the United Nations, addressed the closing session of the 50th Rotary International Convention in Madison Square Garden in New York City. He called for government and business to help for the less fortunate countries. He warned that the economic gap, already wide, between prosperous countries, and those less fortunate, is steadily becoming wider. And he asked the wealthier nations to help.

He also said that no one should forget the special value of the United Nations as an instrument of negotiation between the Atlantic Alliance and the Geneva Alliance, or between the traditional Western countries and the new countries of Asia and Africa.

New York Rotarian Meets With Pope Benedict XVI at United Nations

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New York Rotarian Josef Klee welcomes Pope Benedict XVI during his April visit to United Nations Headquarters. Mr. Klee is a volunteer adviser to the Holy See at the United Nations headquarters in New York.
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On April 18, 2008, Pope Benedict XVI addressed the General Assembly of the United Nations Organization at the organization’s headquarters in New York. He is the third Pope to address the United Nations, following Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul II. (Pope John Paul II addressed the United Nations twice, in 1979 and in 1995.)
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Upon arriving at the United Nations, Pope Benedict XVI was welcomed by the UN Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, and the President of the General Assembly, Mr. Srgjan Kerim. Before addressing the General Assembly, Pope Benedict met privately with the Secretary-General.
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He noted that the founding principles of the United Nations – the desire for peace, a sense of justice, respect for the dignity of the human person, and cooperation and humanitarian assistance — are just aspirations of the human spirit. The Holy See shares an interest in these principles.
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Questions of security, development, reducing inequality, and care of the environment require collective action in good faith for the common good. While scientific and technological advances can be of great help, some can rob the human person and the family of their identity. He called on the international community to act with juridical means when needed to safeguard human rights.
The Holy Father spoke of the critical importance of protecting human rights, noting the sixtieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Promoting human rights is the most effective strategy for reducing inequality and increasing security. Human rights are not simply a matter of law, but of justice, based in the natural law written on the human heart.
Once again, the Holy Father spoke of the importance of dialogue between religions as a way of building consensus in service of the common good. He emphasized the importance of freedom of religion in its public as well as its private dimension.

Pope Benedict said that the Catholic Church wishes to offer her proper contribution to international relations, making available her centuries of experience. He concluded his address by greeting the assembly in all the official languages of the United Nations, wishing them peace and prosperity with God’s help.
The assembly responded to his address with a standing ovation.
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.....................April Breakfast Meeting -


The Guest Speaker at the April Breakfast meeting was the Minister Plenipotentiary and Head of the Economic Department of the German Mission to the United Nations Victoria Zimmerman Von Siefart. She has worked with the German Foreign Service since 1985 and has an impressive backgroung of heading Foreign Service Departs in London, Philippines, Switzerland and New York. Ms. Zimmerman Von Siefart was born in Bombay, India and was educated in The Netherlands and Germany, and studied in Paris, Freiburg im Breisgau, and Bonn.

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According to the Economic and Sustainable Development Commision, efforts to reduce poverty and improve food security in developing countries are hampered by declining support for strong agricultural growth, long considered a hallmark of successful poverty reduction strategies, according to the 2008 Trends in Sustainable Development report published by the Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

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The report highlights recent trends in agriculture, rural development, land, desertification and drought – five of the six themes being considered by the Commission on Sustainable Development at its 16th and 17th sessions (2008-2009).

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Strong agricultural growth is four times more effective than growth in other sectors in benefiting the poorest half of the population, the report finds. However, while many developing countries have posted gains in agricultural production, distribution and exports, people living in areas of high inequality and in isolation from the broader economy typically benefit little from them.

Recent Food Crisis and Price Increase

The United Nations Secretary-General established a Task Force on the Global Food Security Crisis under his chairmanship and composed of the heads of the United Nations specialized agencies, funds and programmes, Bretton Woods institutions and relevant parts of the UN Secretariat. The primary aim of the Task Force is to promote a unified response to the global food price challenge, including by facilitating the creation of a prioritized plan of action and coordinating its implementation. The Secretary-General appointed UN Under-Secretary-General John Holmes as Task Force Coordinator and Assistant Secretary-General David Nabarro as Deputy Coordinator

More Support for Africa

The second meeting of the MDGs Africa Steering Group was held at UN Headquarters in New York on 10 March 2008 reviewed a first set of draft recommendations from the MDG Africa Working Group, and proposed that African Governments work, with support from the international community, to:
launch an African Green Revolution to accelerate economic growth and combat hunger;
implement comprehensive school feeding programmes using locally produced food and ensuring coverage of micronutrients;
achieve the Education for All Goals by 2015, including gender parity at all levels, and implementing the Action Plan for the Second Decade on Education;
control infectious diseases;
ensure access to emergency obstetric care for all women by 2015;
provide family planning services for all by 2015;
meet the water supply and sanitation MDG targets;
make critical infrastructure investments in power, transportation, water and sanitation to raise productivity, ensure low-cost service delivery, and integrate Africa into the global economy; and
implement the Marrakesh Action Plan for Statistics.

United Nations Electorial Assistance Department

The April 2008 guest speaker for the International Service Division of the Rotary Club of New York was Mr. Deryck Fritz, a Senior Political Affairs Officer with the the United Nations Electoral Assistance Department. Mr. Deryck, a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago, studied at the University of the West Indies in Trinidad, and Pace University in New York. For more than a decade, Mr. Fritz has worked in several UN field electoral missions, including Cambodia, Mozambique, Western Sahara, Timor-Leste, Occupied Palestinian Territories, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Iraq. Most recently, he was part of the technical assistance team to the mediation efforts of former Secretary-General Kofi Annan and the Panel of Eminent African Personalities.

Historically this department of the UN included advancing the principle of self-determination of peoples through the development of self-government and decolonization. In the modern period, it has entailed establishing and advancing the principle of democracy and political rights.

Today, the United Nations system is engaged in a wide range of development assistance activities which are intended to support the efforts of governments to promote democratic election processes. Since 1989, the United Nations has received over 140 requests for electoral assistance from Member States. Member States most often seek advice and assistance on the legal, technical, administrative, and human rights aspects of organizing and conducting democratic elections or seek the Organization's assistance in supporting the international observation of an electoral process.


In practice, the objectives of United Nations electoral assistance are essentially two-fold:
(1) to assist Member States in their efforts to hold credible and legitimate democratic elections in accordance with internationally recognized criteria established in universal and regional human rights instruments;
(2) to contribute to building the recipient country's institutional capacity to organize democratic elections that are genuine and periodic and have the full confidence of the contending parties and the electorate.


It was pointed out that the United Nations recognizes that there is no single political system or electoral method equally suited to all nations. While comparative experience and examples provide useful guidance for the construction of democratic institutions, assistance strategies should ultimately be shaped by the particular needs and circumstances of the country seeking assistance, taken within the framework of international standards. United Nations activities in the field of electoral assistance are conducted in conformity with the basic principles of the sovereign equality of States and respect for their territorial integrity and political independence, as enunciated in the UN Charter. Assistance activities are carried out only where requested by national authorities of Member States and broadly supported by the people of the country concerned.

UNESCO Director Outlines Goals and Objectives

(Photo: From left to right are New York Rotarians Kamu Kilinc, Sylvan Barnet and our guest speaker Ms. Gosselin)

The March speaker at the Rotary Club of New York International Service meeting was the director of the UNESCO's Liaison Office of the New York Office Hélène-Marie Gosselin. Prior to her current position, she was Director of the UNESCO Caribbean Cluster Office in Kingston, Jamaica, covering 20 English and Dutch-speaking Caribbean countries.

Ms. Gosselin joined UNESCO in 1993 as Director of the Office of Public Information at the Organization’s Headquarters in Paris, France. In 1997, the Secretary-General appointed her as Commissioner General for the United Nations at the World Exposition Expo 1998 on the Oceans in Lisbon, Portugal. Ms Gosselin was once again appointed by the UN Secretary-General and by UNESCO Director General Koichiro Matsuura, in 2002 as the Commissioner General of the United Nations for Expo 2005, Aichi, Japan on the theme of Nature’s Wisdom.

Ms. Gosselin joined the United Nations in 1979. She held several posts at UNICEF in the Information and External Relations Division at the Organization’s Headquarters in New York, as well as, in the Geneva Office for Europe in Switzerland. She returned to New York as Assistant to the Director of the Information Division in 1985.

From 1987 to 1991, she headed the Regional Communication, Information and External Relations programme of the UNICEF Regional Office for West and Central Africa in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. In 1991 she was appointed Director-General of the Communications Branch at the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) in Ottawa, Canada.

A History graduate, Ms Gosselin pursued post-graduate studies in Political Science, History and Business Administration at the University of Montreal in Canada. As Editor-in-Chief of a business monthly magazine, published by Southam Business Publications, Ms Gosselin received several national journalism awards. She was appointed at the European Union Canadian Delegation in 1976 as Deputy Head in the Press and Information Service.

As outlined on its website UNESCO functions as a laboratory of ideas and a standard-setter to forge universal agreements on emerging ethical issues. The Organization also serves as a clearinghouse – for the dissemination and sharing of information and knowledge – while helping Member States to build their human and institutional capacities in diverse fields. In short, UNESCO promotes international co-operation among its 193* Member States and six Associate Members in the fields of education, science, culture and communication. *As of October 2007 UNESCO is working to create the conditions for genuine dialogue based upon respect for shared values and the dignity of each civilization and culture. This role is critical, particularly in the face of terrorism, which constitutes an attack against humanity. The world urgently requires global visions of sustainable development based upon observance of human rights, mutual respect and the alleviation of poverty, all of which lie at the heart of UNESCO’s mission and activities.

Through its strategies and activities, UNESCO is actively pursuing the Millennium Development Goals, especially those aiming to:
• halve the proportion of people living in extreme poverty in developing countries by 2015
• achieve universal primary education in all countries by 2015
• eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education by 2005
• help countries implement a national strategy for sustainable development by 2005 to reverse current trends in the loss of environmental resources by 2015.
• UNESCO and the United Nations Millennium Goals

UNESCO AND NON-GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS

Since its inception, UNESCO has recognized that non-governmental organizations and foundations which have concerns close to its own play an important role in international cooperation in the service of peoples.
For more than a half-century, UNESCO has woven a valuable tapestry of cooperative relations with a number of such organizations in its fields of competence, thereby enabling it to work with civil society in achieving its objectives and to disseminate through them its democratic and ethical ideals. Currently, UNESCO is enjoying official relations with 310 international NGOs and 19 foundations and similar institutions which are working in the fields of competence of the Organization. In addition to this formal framework, the Organization has been carrying out a range of activities hand in hand with NGOs, not only at international and regional levels, but also at national level.

India's Consul General Outlines Impressive Economic Growth and Cultural Contributions

On Monday January 14, 2008, the Consul General of India in New York, the Honorable Neelam Deo (left) provided an impressive summary and analysis of her country's economic growth and cultural contributions over the last decade. She gave her presentation at the Rotary Club of New York's lunch meeting held at the Harvard Club.

In the photo the Consul General is introduced by the president of The Rotary Club of New York, Dr. Camilo Uy (right).

Ms. Neelam Deo was appointed the Consul General of India, New York in October, 2005. She has a Masters degree in Economics from the Delhi School of Economics and had taught in Kamala Nehru College, Delhi University. As a career diplomat of the Indian Foreign Service with over three decades in the Indian Diplomatic Corps, Ms. Deo has been India’s Ambassador to Denmark and Ivory Coast, with concurrent accreditation to Sierra Leone, Niger & Guinea. Prior to her assignment in New York, she was Head of the Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Myanmar Division in the Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi, dealing with India's overall relations with these countries. Ms. Deo has also worked in India’s Diplomatic Missions in Washington DC, Bangkok, and Rome.

The relationship between the world's largest democracy and the USA is strong with some of the examples including:

• The largest number of international university students in the US is from India.
• 10% of the CEOs of the top 250 U.S. companies are Indian.
• 50% of start-ups entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley are from India.
• The $2,500 car in India will change the way cars are manufactured.
• Indian film and media writers, many who have studied in American universities, are very successful in the US.

Some of the earliest Indian classic works of literature such as the Hindu epics Ramayana and Mahabharata, treatises such as Vaastu Shastra in architecture and town planning, and Arthashastra in political science are becoming increasing know in Western countries.

It was also mentioned that there are more than 2,100 Rotary Clubs in India, the third largest number of clubs after the US and Japan.

Sierra Leone's Ambassador to the UN Meets with Rotarians

On Wednesday January 15, 2008 H.E. Joe Robert Pemagbi, (Front center) the Permanent Representative of Sierra Leone to the United Nations, met with Rotarians for an informal breakfast meeting to review a variety of democratic and economic issues facing Sierra Leone, and humanitarian projects Rotary is conducting in Africa.

Also included in the photo are (left) Sister Marie Adele of the the Fraternities -Notre Dame, AG - Thomas McConnon, Club Service Chairperson - Shelia Washington, GSE Liaison - Professor Eva Corredor, PDG Paul Caruso and Doctor

From 1999 until his current appointment, Ambassador Pemagbi was Chairman of the National Commission for Democracy and Human Rights in Sierra Leone, and a member of the Commission since 1994, where his duties included formulating and raising awareness about democracy, civic rights and responsibilities, and human rights. He received his master’s degree in linguistics from the University of Leeds (1976) and his bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Sierra Leone in 1972.


Sierra Leone became an independent nation from Britain on April 27, 1961. A military coup overthrew the civilian government in 1967, which was in turn replaced by civilian rule a year later. The country declared itself a republic on April 19, 1971.

The Sierra Leone Civil War began in 1991, initiated by the Revolutionary United Front (RUF). Tens of thousands died and more than 2 million people (well over one-third of the population) were displaced because of the 9-year conflict. Neighbouring countries became host to significant numbers of refugees attempting to escape the civil war. It was officially declared over on 18 January 2002.

Considered one of the world's poorest countries, Sierra Leone has been ranked last by The United Nations' Human Development Index (HDI) for 2007-08.

The HDI is a comparative measure of life expectancy, literacy, education, and standards of living for countries worldwide. It is a standard means of measuring well-being, especially child welfare. It is used to distinguish whether the country is a developed, a developing, or an under-developed country and also to measure the impact of economic policies on quality of life.

About two-thirds of the population engages in subsistence agriculture, which accounts for 52% of national income. The government is trying to increase food and cash crop production and upgrade small farmer skills. Also, the government works with several foreign donors to operate integrated rural development and agricultural projects.

According to the U.S. State Department, Sierra Leone is rich in minerals and has relied on the mining sector in general, and diamonds in particular, for its economic base. By the 1990s economic activity was declining and economic infrastructure had become seriously degraded. Over the next decade much of Sierra Leone’s formal economy was destroyed in the country’s civil war. Since the cessation of hostilities in January 2002, massive infusions of outside assistance have helped Sierra Leone begin to recover. Full recovery to pre-war economic levels will require hundreds of millions of additional dollars and many more years of serious effort by the Government of Sierra Leone and donor governments.

COSTRUCTION OF THE SAINT BAKHITA DISPENSARY IN BENIN

Photo: Andrey V. Pirogov, Assistant Director-General - Executive Director of the WHO Office at the UN (third from left) is presented with the report of Dr. Giorgio Giovannoni, Chair of the Health Educational Programs Committee of the International Service Division of the Rotary Club of New York. The report outlines the need for the construction of the Saint Bakhita Dispensery in Atacora, Benin. Also in the photo are (from left) John German, Giorgio Balestrieri, Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar Celine H.L. Tsai from the Taipei Millenium Rotaract Club in Tiawan, Rotarian Bill Delong and Sister Marie Adele of the Fraternite Notredame.

Editor's Notes:
This report was originall written in Italian and traslatted into English. Some minor changes have been made by the Newsletter Editor.

Saint Bakhita is The Catholic Saint of Africa. She was born to a wealthy Sudanese family, and was kidnapped by slave-traders at age 9, and given the name Bakhita by them. Sold and resold in the markets at El Obeid and Khartoum, finally purchased in 1883 by Callisto Legnani, Italian consul who planned to free her. She accompanied Legnani to Italy in 1885 and worked for the family of Augusto Michieli as nanny. She was treated well in Italy, and grew to love the country. An adult convert, joining the Church on 9 January 1890, she took the name of Josephine as a symbol of her new life. She entered the Institute of Canossian Daughters of Charity in Venice, Italyin 1893 taking her vows on 8 December 1896 in Verona, and serving as a Canossian Sister for the next fifty years. Her gentle presence, her warm, amiable voice, and her willingness to help with any menial task were a comfort to the poor and suffering people who came to the door of the Institute. After a biography of her was published in 1930, she became a noted and sought after speaker, raising funds to support missions.

Tom McConnon provided Doctor Giovannoni, that is the project cooordinator (www.puntomedico.it/benin), the contacts with the District Governor in Benin for this important project that besides the NY Rotary and other rotarians in Italy and Benin has as supporting members the Veneto Region, the Health Unit No. 15 of Padova District, Guerrato Spa of Rovigo, the Savings Bank of Padova and Rovigo, the C.I.S.L. of Padova, the Association of the Rural Families of the Piave and Giuseppe Olivotti s.c.s. a non-for profit organization.

GENERAL SITUATION OF THE REGION

Economy:

Natitingou Diocese is situated in Atacora, the only region in the whole Benin characterized
by the presence of mountains. Seasons sequence is marked by a rainy period, which lasts
from May to October, and by a dry one dominated by Harmattan, with dry winds coming
from the Sahara.
Inhabitants mainly live in houses made up of mud and straw, although in few cases it’s
possible to have building with iron-plated roofs, which are often further less unfit than the
straw one, because of the high temperatures. Jobs mainly consists on cultivations and animals breeding. The instruments used to work the fields are very rudimentary such as the hatchet, while oxen are rarely used. The main products are: millet, beans, potatoes and yams.
All of them are produced for a subsistence economy, and are often damaged by acts of
nature, like: drought, overflows, and parasitical epidemics.
Only growing cotton, although limited in some areas, permits a very modest income from
abroad.
Agriculture is obfuscated by the presence of uneven ground, rains which are often
insufficient and concentrated in short periods of the year. Another negative factor for
economy of this area is the complete absence of other industries, apart from agriculture,
such as handicraft.

Population:
The population of Natitingou diocese counts up over 40.000 inhabitants who chiefly live in
rural areas and it is divided in more than 20 different ethnic groups; however, only 5 of
these are acknowledged on the cultural side and officially recognized and they are: the
Ditamari, who live in the Tatas Somba; the Wamas, who occupy the middle area of the
region; the Baribas at the east; the Berbas in the north-west; while the Gourmantchés are
nomadic.

These ethnic groups, although maintaining their ethic and traditions, are able to keep a
relation of agreement among them; share the same difficulty in every sort of communication,
even if the population feels to be isolated and left alone, both by local politics and by
international organizations.

School-attendance index:
School attendance is limited, less than the 30% of young boys and girls being in school
age attends it regularly. This phenomenon is further more diffused among young females.
School is often interrupted because of the pressing necessity of job for the families.
Children’s labor is often required for fields growing.
Another difficulty consists on the poverty of the families who haven’t got sufficient money
neither to permit their children to enter school nor to buy goods of bare necessities.
In addition to poverty, there’s a lack of sensibility towards the importance of school
education.
In many cases, relatives themselves have never attended school, and, so, they hardly
understand the importance of giving a school education to their sons.

Health:
Having a bad nutrition affects especially children and young persons, and, among young
people, almost the 50% suffers from it and haven’t got sufficient food, and often this is due
to ignorance and taboos; as consequences of this, we have sickness and damages which
obstructs the children’s natural growth. The principal sicknesses affecting this area are:
malarial fever, anemia, diarrhea due to the use of undrinkable water.
Other sicknesses, although less frequent than the formers, are diffused in spite of
vaccination campaigns carried out, and they are: meningitis, cholera and jungle fever.
There are still many big villages which can’t take advantage of a Health Center to take
care of themselves and this because of various reasons.
Land and economy characteristics in the area of the intervention:
The area interested by their project comprehends 23 villages, which are Natitingou diocese
parishes and is situated in a mountain region of Benin.
The ground is poor, although, with appropriated techniques, it is possible to improve the
production with new growing techniques, fertilizing, irrigation, although this last one has to
be limited to the richest horticultural crops because of the lack of water, especially
during the drought.
The area is crossed by a river with a flow that may change during the year worth a
maximum reached in the rains period, that is to say from May to October, and a minimum
in the dryness from November to April.
To increase water availability for human uses, for animals and crops and making the
period of utilization last for longer, it is possible to project the creation of some
along the course of the brook, and some wells thanks to the presence of a deep stratum
rich of water.
These resources would make water available to the population during the whole year and
to all the components of the family, furthermore even to those sites where will take place
the attendances expected by the actuation of the project.
It is known that water is a strategic factor for a productive, economic and social
development of a community and, without it, it is hard to accomplish an improvement on
the present situation of poverty. Other positive aspects in this area concern the presence of a road to Natitingou, which is only 22km far away are the availability of 30 hectares of already settled and good quality ground;
The possibility of having other adjacent 30 hectares of ground at disposal and the
prospective of a market place where to collocate agriculture and animal-breeding products.
Population’s attitude towards this project is another considerable factor, thanks to
the activity of the dioceses development committee. In fact, expectations on this project are a factor essential for the promotion and the participation of the community in the realization of any development initiative.

SITUATIONS OF MEDICAL STRUCTURES PRESENT IN NATITINGOU DIOCESES

After being invited by Natitingou bishop, Pascal N’koue, who had previously
been our guest in Italy, we went to Benin and visited the dioceses in order to rate the social
and hygienic conditions and check the level both of medical structures and organization of
the region. We examined two clinics, one situated in Nattitingou city and another one which are about 100 kilometers distant among them, I’d like to remember that there are only 7 clinics in the dioceses and that they are many kilometers far away one from another.

Natitingou clinic appeared absolutely insufficient for what concerns the structure, the
spaces reserved to the medical assistance, the equipment and, furthermore, for the small
number of the equipped members. We were impresses especially by the delivery room,
which was insufficient for dimensions, equipment and hygiene.
Spaces set for recovering and visiting the patients( the obstetric room is furnished with 5
beds; while general cases are managed in a room furnished with 6 beds) seemed
unavailable to receive people both because of the bad ambient conditions and the
hygienic ones.

There’s even a surgery applied for check up and a lab where any microbiological and
parasitical exam could be done; however they are very hampered by a bad equipment.
In this medical structure work a doctor, an obstetric assistant and a lab expert.
The doctor appeared very motivated and well-prepared; he and his colleagues complained
about the situation in which they have to operate in the hospital delivery room.
We visited even the clinic 100 km far away from Natitingou. This structure was in better
condition than the former. The delivery room, the spaces used for recovering women who
have just given birth to a baby and the ward (2 rooms with 5 beds each) looked clean
enough and quiet comfortable; however, it was shocking to discover that this clinic suffers
from the absence of a doctor who is neither available. This clinic is managed by a nun who
operates there as a nurse, with the help of an assistant who had experience of obstetric.
Patients attending this clinic are managed both for the diagnosis and the cures by the
equipment previously described, but in case of necessity and not without troubles, they are
moved to clinics more furnished (don’t forget that the only hospital is many kilometers
distant from the clinic). As a consequence, patients may run into serious risks, especially those women whose labor and childbirth present complications.


In spite of all these aspects, what impressed me in a greatly positive way, is the motivation
and the strength of these persons who daily give themselves to the assistance of poor and
needy people 100 km far away from Natitingou.
Furthermore, we visited a clinic in the north of Tanguieta, close to Porga, which has not
been operative yet, but will soon start working. This clinic is applied with an ambulatory for
check-up, a lab, an obstetric ward, a pediatric one and one for first aid, although offering
few beds, it looked very functional and clean.
Very close to this clinic, it has been built a hostel for hosting the religious members of the
equipped who will handle the clinic. This type of building should be taken as a model for the
reorganization of Natitingou clinics.

Clinic of Porga
Finally we went to Tanguieta’s hospital in the north of Natitingou dioceses.
For what concerns the medical equipped, the hospital counts up: a medical director, who
manages every aspect relating to surgery (from general surgery to orthopedic surgery);
furthermore, the medical equipped is formed by 7 doctors, while there are about 100 people
joining the paramedical personnel as nurses.
The hospital has a well furnished surgery room where can take place any kind of
emergency operations and specialized ones. There are even 3 beds used for intensive
therapy, in addiction to the surgery one, a ward which is very important and worthwhile for the
hospital is the pediatrics one with 120 beds, although is some period of the year there
might be recovered more than 180 children.
It’s obviously present an obstetric ward and one where are recovered even many patients
dying for AIDS virus.
This hospital is remarkably managed by the FATEBENEFRATELLI foundation, which
operates in a very wide territory going from Benin up to Togo and Burkina Faso. In fact,
there are many patients coming to this hospital even from 1000 kilometers of distance.

URGENT SANITARY NEEDS AND PROPOSAL FOR THE FUTURE
After the on-the-spot investigation and after the exchange of opinions we had with the
doctors and the religious members who work in the clinics previously described, and in
particular with the doctor at the head of Natitingou’s clinic and the medical director of
Tanguieta’s hospital, it has been brought out the exigence of pursuing the following tasks:

1. Finding a doctor to be responsible for all the clinics in Natitingou dioceses (at the
moment, there’s only one doctor who operates in Natitingou city), who will
periodically visit all the clinics in order to control the work of the paramedical
personnel; check the furniture and visit those patients considered in need of a more
specialized visit by the paramedical personnel and that only the doctor can carry
out. The presence of a doctor might be important even because the doctor could
become a reference for the population in those places and so create a relationship
based on faith towards the medical clinics and the cures practiced.

2. Join all the clinics among them by the mean of a radio network in order to make it
possible to them to communicate in case of collaboration and advice. It might be very useful even the availability of a motor ambulance to connect the clinics.

3. Reorganize the clinics for what concerns the necessary furniture and the equipped
members. In particular, Natitingou clinic urges to be reorganized, while waiting for a
new building, and to be improved. In case it would be impossible or inconvenient to
make it wider, it would be better to optimize the use of the spaces available (such
as the delivery room); to apply it with the minimum furniture and the instruments
necessary for medical activity.

4. The building of a new clinic in Natitingou results fundamental first of all because the
present one is absolutely insufficient for the medical cures required by Natitingou
population; furthermore it could be an important reference for Tanguieta’s hospital.
At the moment the hospital of Tanguieta hosts many patients who might be
recovered in other local buildings at the same fine way as in Tanguieta’s hospital. If
only there were local clinics well functioning, the hospital of Tanguieta could
become a reference only for cases of extreme emergency, so saving means and
cures to patients who really need them.

5. To spread among the population a sentiment of sensibility towards the use of the
medical buildings of their area, making them comprehend the usefulness and the
benefits they can obtain for their health in those structures, without revolutionizing
their beliefs and habits.

6. To activate a clinic at the farm of Pam Pam in order to give medical assistance to
people who work there and to all the population living in the surroundings. Such an
employment and the sanitary buildings might help, as time passes by, the formation
and development of a village close to the farm.

7. Promote collaborations among the clinics.

Submitted by Dr. Giorgio Giovannoni
Rotary Club of New York

Executive Director of World Health Organization in New York Reviews Global Fight Against Polio and Other Health Projects.

Andrey V. Pirogov, Assistant Director-General - Executive Director of the WHO Office at the UN was the guest speaker at the February 25, 2008 International Service Breaffast meeting.
He joined WHO in 2006 as Executive Director of the WHO Office at the United Nations in New York. Prior to that, he was Deputy Permanent Representative of Russia in Geneva and in this capacity served as the principal counterpart to WHO and other multilateral health institutions. He has been involved in UN affairs for more than 20 years. Mr Pirogov graduated from the Moscow Institute of International Relations in 1977. He joined the diplomatic service of his country the same year and has since held a wide range of diplomatic posts in the Foreign Ministry of the USSR and Russia.
Mr Pirogov professional appointments include positions with the USSR Embassy to Cameroon, the Russian Mission to the European Communities in Brussels and participation in numerous international conferences. During his diplomatic career, Mr Pirogov gained wide experience with the organizations of the UN system and in such areas as European security, relations between Russia and the EU, disarmament, international security and the external economic relations of Russia.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is the directing and coordinating authority for health within the United Nations system. It is responsible for providing leadership on global health matters, shaping the health research agenda, setting norms and standards, articulating evidence-based policy options, providing technical support to countries and monitoring and assessing health trends.
1. Promoting development
2. Fostering health security
3. Strengthening health systems
4. Harnessing research, information and evidence
5. Enhancing partnerships

Mr. Pirogov as does the WHO web site recognized Rotary International’s Polio Plus program that was established in 1985. Rotary was the first to have the vision of a polio-free world, and continues to play a crucial role in global efforts to eradicate polio. More than one million Rotary members have volunteered their time and personal resources to protect more than 2 billion children in 122 countries from polio. Rotary provides urgently needed funds - to date, the organization has contributed more than US$ 500 million, and raised an additional US$119 million in 2003. In addition, Rotary's Polio Eradication Advocacy Task Force has played a major role in decisions by donor governments to contribute over US$ 1.5 billion to the effort. That amount, combined with direct funds from Rotary, is more than half the money needed for the entire global polio eradication program. Rotary members also provide valuable field support during National Immunization Days through social mobilization and by administering the oral polio vaccine to children.

Rotary Day at the United Nations 2007

Rotary Day at the United Nations

November 3, 2007

On November 3, 2007, Rotary International’s Representatives to the United Nations, headed by Brad Jenkins from the Bernardsville, N.J. Rotary Club welcomed more than 950 Rotarians, 150 Rotaractors and Interactors, and 350 High School students from forty-eight countries and twenty five states to the Annual Rotary Day at the United Nations in New York. Speakers at this sold-out conference included Rotary International’s President, Wilfred Wilkinson; RI President–elect Dong-Kurn Lee; Chairman of The Rotary Foundation, Robert J. Scott; UN directors; and Rotarains to outline successful global poverty reduction Rotary Projects. Most of RI's Directors and dozens of Rotary Ambassadorial Scholars, Peace and Conflict Scholars, and Rotary World Peace Fellows also attended.

This annual Rotary program over the last 20 years has become so popular that over 300 Rotarian attendance requests had to be turned away from this year's event.

Almost 1,300 Rotarians, Rotaractors, Interact tors and high school students spent the day at the UN to understand more about the Rotary and United Nations Partnership to Alleviate Global Poverty.

The focus of this informative day was to strengthen the increasingly important partnership between Rotary International and the United Nations in achieving the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). These goals include halving extreme poverty, halting the spread of HIV/AIDS, ensuring environmental stability, and providing universal primary education by the target date of 2015. ∞∞


The President of Rotary International, Wilfred Wilkinson, gave an inspiring examination of how, with the efforts of Rotary, Peace is Possible. President Wilfred had been in New York on October 25, 2007 to accept an award on RI's behave from the United Nations Association of New York in recognition of Rotary’s contribution in providing access to clean water to villages around the world and work on the global water crisis.
He emphasized that if we are to teach real peace in the world, and if we are to carry on a real war against war, we will have to start with the children. Anger and hatred are not inherited, they are learned, and children who see hate learn hate. But people in conflict can achieve peace, and Rotarians can help because “Rotary is a long standing, non-religious, non-political organization, and we are not beholden to any prime minister or government” he noted.

From left to right are RI Representative to the United Nations, Brad Jenkins; President of RI, Wilfred Wilkinson; Undersecretary for Communications and Public Information at the United Nations, Kiyotaka Akasaka; and RI Vice President, Michael K. McGovern.

He also wanted his fellow Rotarians to keep in mind that a “person becomes great to the degree for which he works for his fellow man”. Each of us has the opportunity to build peace and create bridges by collaborating with the United Nations to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. Building bridges, even small ones, is something that many Rotarians have done very well, he added.
He noted that this year Rotarians and guests from dozens of countries gathered recently for three Rotary Presidential Peace Forums.

They were:

• Boyana, Bulgaria, in August that invited participants to discuss the possibilities of peace with a focus on the Balkans.
• Istanbul, Turkey on September 1 which coincided with the UN World Peace Day, initiative with a focus on peace in the Middle-East.
• Nairobi, Kenya, on September 20, that outlined Rotary's role in building peace in Africa.
  ∞∞
  
  
  
  Kiyotaka Akasaka, the United Nations Undersecretary-General for Communications and Public Information, also welcomed the Rotarians. Mr. Akasaka joined the Japanese Foreign Ministry in 1971 after graduating from Kyoto University. He held senior positions in the World Health Organization and was a member of the Secretariat of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT – the precursor of the World Trade Organization) up until April 2007. He also held the position of Deputy Secretary-General of the Organization for economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) where he was responsible for sustainable development, the environment, and partnership with other international organizations. He also chaired the Kyoto Protocol.

He recalled his mind-set when in 1996 he participated in one of Rotary's vaccination campaigns in Africa, and he realized that the children he had just dispensed the vaccine to will never get polio! It was a profound and inspiring feeling, and he was grateful to participate in such a noble program. He also invited Rotarians to support the 60th anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights on December 10, 2008 in Paris, France where the original document was signed.





LITERACY PANEL

• From left to right are Mr. Cream Wright, Chief, Education Cluster of UNICEF; Bill Miller, Alternate RI Representative to the United Nations; and Barbara Walters of the Kalamazoo, Michigan, Rotary Club
  
  
  Mr. Cream Wright, Chief of the Education Cluster at UNICEF welcomed the Rotarians and clarified that every child deserves an education, and that school is about more than just learning.He pointed out that UNICEF supports education programs serving children from pre-school age through adolescence. Since the majority of children not in school are girls, we make a special effort to give girls a learning opportunity which transforms lives, and yields spectacular benefits in social and economic development. However, Mr. Wright also pointed out that the quality of education is very important. It is essential to determine when children stay and complete school that they learning.
  ∞∞
  
  Rotarian Barbara Walters of the RC of Kalamazoo, Michigan is a reporter and columnist with the Kalamazoo Michigan Gazette and she first became involved in Rotary when she was assigned by her newspaper to report on a Rotary 11-day Caravan drive to Belize. Barbara arranged for her club to provide a full time certified teacher for Casa Amparo ala Mujer (House of Mercy for Women) that served as a shelter for abandoned girls in Reynosa, Mexico which is across the border from Texas. The shelter is managed by Catholic nuns who provide physical, spiritual, emotional and educational needs of these children who have nowhere to turn. Today, the shelter serves close to one hundred girls from age 6 to 17.
  Barbara recognized that many of the girls needed additional assistance to learn to read and write. Poor reading and writing skills made employment opportunities difficult for these girls when they entered adulthood and could send them back into the cycle of poverty. In response to this, in the mid 1990s, with used desks from public schools, the Rotary Club of Kalamazoo provided funding for a full time, certified teacher for the home. In 1993, there were no children from the orphanage that entered high school and now, with the hired teacher, there have already been two girls that graduated from college. Recognizing success, the club is now funding a second teacher. Barbara also pointed out that 35 years ago she and her husband served as teachers for three years in Malawi. Hearing about her participation at this conference, one of Barbara’s former students, Steven Mackenzie, who is now the Ambassador to the United Nations for Malawi, has arranged to meet with Barbara and her husband during her visit to New York. Insightfully, Barbara noted that, at times, teachers may forget some of their students, but seldom do students forget their teachers.
  
  WATER PANEL
  From left to right are Rotarian Dr. Ron Denham, Rotary’s General Coordinator of Water, and Sanitation Resource Action Groups , Clarissa Brockelhurst, Chief of Water, Environment and Sanitation Programs at UNICEF; Alternate RI Representative to the UN Sylvan Barnet; and John Booth of the Summerland, British Columbia, Rotary Club.
• 
  The moderator of the Water Panel, RI Alternate Representative to the UN, Sylvan Barnet pointed out that clean water is a local problem and solutions are at the local level. He also pointed out that about two percent of the world's water is used for human consumption, and seventy percent for agriculture. Project sustainability and longevity were discussed as the most critical variables. Sustainability can best be insured by having those who are the recipients of the effort involved on all levels of development. Dr. Ron Denham, Rotary’s General Coordinator of Water and Sanitation Resource Action Group (WASRAG) also participated in the panel.
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  Clarissa Brockelhurst, Chief of UNICEF’s Water, Environment and Sanitation Section, spoke about the need for clean water and sanitation, although she remarked that she felt that she is speaking to the converted. UNICEF has a $245 million budget and is currently working in 90 countries with a staff of 300. Needless to say, with such a colossal task, it needs the support and assistance of organizations like Rotary. In addition, UNICEF works with the World Bank and the African Development Bank for funding major sanitation projects such as pipe lines and treatment plants.
  More and more, NGO’s are looking at the linkages of clean water and its impact on the other Millennium Development Goals. It is now apparent that health and nutrition are related to access to clean water. Clarissa pointed out that in a recent medical journal it was asserted that proper sanitation is the greatest medical milestone since1948, even more important that most medicines. For example, people with AIDS cannot successfully adhere to their treatments and remain healthy without clean water. Sanitation also affects education. Schools have to be girl-friendly, and separate bathrooms are needed for girls or many parents would not send their girls to school. Also, time saved not carrying water from a distant well allows more time for classroom time and studying.While many wells and pump are being installed and storage tanks for rain water are being built, thanks to Rotary and other NGO's, promotion of through hand-washing is an important step to stop the spread of infection. Social marketing is very effective when executed properly. Therefore, a major campaign is on-going to encourage more hand washing. WASH partnerships with Unilever, Procter and Gamble, The Gates Foundation, and others have promoted through hand-washing habit at the community level. When an educational campaign is effective, then the family and villages will build their own sanitation facilities, UNICEF has ascertained.She also announced that while it is still somewhat of a taboo subject in many societies, next year (2008) is the International Year For Sanitation and she proudly promoted UNICEF’s ”Sanitation is Beautiful” flyer. She also noted that storage of clean water is also important.
  ∞∞
  
  
  Rotarian John Boot of the RC of Summerland, British Columbia, Canada outlined the Nakuru (Kenya) Rain Water Harvesting Program, a proven model for gathering rain water into a tank that costs about $400 and lasts for 30 years. Nakuru is the provincial capital of Kenya's Rift Valley province, with roughly 300,000 inhabitants, and currently the fourth largest urban centre in Kenya.
  
  He emphasized that given Rotary's incredible reach of 32,000 clubs in 172 countries many tanks can be built. There is a need for 3,500 tanks to be built in the Nakuru area of Kenya alone. The tanks are financed by a combination of club- level fund raisers, RI matching grants, and Canadian government matching grants. The families that receive the tank are required to pay fifty dollars, or contribute labor to help build other tanks in the community. The program has built over 1,200 tanks.
  John outlined a number of points to remember when building these tanks:
  · Search for new partners with sponsoring with African clubs.
  · Talk to the people involved.
  · Let the recipients of the tanks do most of the work.
  · Appropriate scale is vital - small projects work best.
  · Plant 100 trees around the tank
  ∞∞
  
  President-elect Dong-Kurn Lee, from Seoul, Korea also addressed the Rotarians. D.K. Lee is president of Yonsei Company, Ltd. and Bubang Techron Co. and has been a Rotarian since 1971.
  He pointed out that the United Nations and other NGO's had a significant effect on the restoration of Korea when it was devastated by its civil war in the 1950's. The United Nations responded to the bleak situation by providing humanitarian aid. As a result, Korea was able to rise from the ruins of war and is now ranked third in Rotary Foundations contribution and fourth in Rotary membership. That is because Korean Rotarians as well as all Rotarians believe that there a time to help, and a time to act, President-elect Lee noted.
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  Rotary Foundation Panel
  From left to right are Panel Moderator Brad Jenkins; Dr. Stephen A. Nicholas from the Yonkers, New York, Rotary Club - and Columbia University Medical Center; RI Peace and Conflict Scholar Richelieu Allision; RI President-elect Dong-Kurn Lee; and Robert Scott, Chairman of The Rotary International Foundation.
  

Robert Scott, Chairman of the Rotary Foundation is a member of the Cobourg, Ontario, Rotary Club. He was born in Scotland, and a graduate of the Edinburgh University School of Medicine. Bob reaffirmed that the the mission of The Rotary Foundation is to enable Rotarians to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty. It is supported solely by voluntary contributions from Rotarians and friends of the Foundation who share its vision of a better world.
The foundation supports thousands of water, health, and hunger programs and they will bring about peace, but the world also needs peace makers. He recommends that Rotarians also focus on the “Rotary Peace Makers” network the thousands of Ambassadorial Scholars, Peace and Conflict Scholars, and Rotary World Peace Fellows that our foundation has sponsored and the six Rotary Centers in partnership with seven leading universities:

• Duke University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA (joint Rotary Center)
• International Christian University, Tokyo, Japan
• Universidad del Salvador, Buenos Aires, Argentina
• University of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England
• University of California, Berkeley, USA
• University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
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Dr. Stephen Nicholas, a Rotarian from the Yonkers, New York, Rotary Club is Professor of Clinical Pediatrics and Clinical Population and Family Health at Columbia University and has pioneered care for children and families with HIV/AIDS since 1983 and narrated a very encouraging presentation regarding the treatment and spread of pediatric HIV/ AID's. He has also directed clinical research in the Dominican Republic, Haiti, South Africa and St. Petersburg, Russia.

While forty million people have HIV/AIDs and four million people still get it every year, and tragically three million will die this year, it is a serious and grave crisis. However, Dr. Nicholas clearly noted that there is progress and hope for the eradication of global pediatrics HIV/AID’s (mother-to-child) and he described the major advances in HIV/AIDS treatment.
Back in the 1980’s the fight against HIV/AIDS seemed to be hopeless when infected children rarely lived beyond three years old even in the developed countries. However doctors soon learned that mothers only occasionally transmitted HIV/AIDS to their children in utero. Most HIV/AIDs is spread the day of birth and by breast feeding. As such, the first step in fighting global pediatric HIV /AID’s was to instruct, and make it possible for AIDs infected mothers not to breast feed their babies, and to only have caesarian delivery.

A second major development in fighting AIDs was in 1989 a new medication changed HIV/AID’s from being lethal, and then in 1996 the “AIDs Cocktail" was develop and this significantly helped in the treatment. As a result, the treatment of AID’s infected mothers has been refined and has virtually stops HIV from being passed to the child and this significantly stop the pediatric HIV in the US and Europe. However, in the developing countries, “hopelessness, and not funding”, is the cause for the lack of political will to eradicate pediatric HIV transmission. 40 percent of infants will get HIV/AIDs if their mothers do not stop breast feeding. However, if we treat the HIV infected mother and use bottle feeding formula rather than breast feeding, the rate of pediatric HIV is zero percent! Needless to say, the mothers need to be treated or all the babies saved will become AIDs orphans. In the mid 1990’s it cost about $10,000 for the drugs to treat this infection. Happily, in 2004, infected parents can be treated for about $300 year. In addition, drugs are usually available free of charge in many countries from the Global Fund for AIDs, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The doctor outlined the Rotary World Community Service Project in La Romana, Dominican Republic to prevent mother-to child HIV transmission and to reduce the number of orphans. The Dominican Republic and Haiti has the highest rate of AID’s outside of Sub-Sahara Africa. This Family Aids Center was created by the RI Foundation and is supported by many local Rotary Clubs in New York.

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Richelieu Marcel Allison in 2006 completed the RI Peace and Conflict Studies Program at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand. He also received a degree in Business Management form Zion University in Liberia and is a founding member and regional program director of the West African Youth Network.
He pointed out that Rotary’s Peace and Conflict Studies Program is a unique short-term certificate program aims to inspire people to work for a “culture of peace and tolerance”. It selects candidates who are already working in the area of conflict resolution and concerned with on-going and emergent regional conflicts.

Richelieu Marcel Allison from Liberia is a Rotary Peace and Conflict Studies Recipient

Mr. Allison expressed his gratitude to The Rotary Foundation because it is recognized around the world has a “bringer of hope”. He outlined how Liberia, that was founded by freed American slaves, and named its capital Monrovia after President Monroe, was engulfed in a brutal civil war in the early 1990’s. As a young boy then, Mr. Allison witnessed firsthand the devastating effects of civil war and a countless number of dead bodies. Also, he expressed how frightening it was to know that you and your family could be killed by anyone with a gun.
Thankfully, Liberia has come a long way since then and is now an exemplary democracy and is actively rebuilding its civil-society infrastructure. In 2006 Richelieu was selected to attend the Rotary International Peace and Conflict Studies program at Chulalongkorn University in Thailand. He was initially denied a visa but the Ambassador was an alumnus of Chulolangkorn University and a visa was ultimately granted and Mr. Allison studied a three month intensive program.

The program reinforced a “culture of peace” to be brought to West Africa including Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone. Mr. Allision hopes to starta "Peace Caravan" in West Africa. Together these countries share border areas and local people can discuss peaceful solutions for their differences. “Everywhere there are conflicts, and therefore we need to invest in peace, and to invest in more peace-ambassadors for a better peace.” Mr. Allison also said that he wished every individual could inculcate the “Four Way Test” into all their actions to make a better world. He concluded his talk by quoting Martin Luther King “that “we make peace by talking not to our friends, but by talking to our to enemies.”
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HEALTH PANEL

From left to right are Past President of RI-Britain/Ireland, Brain Stoyel; Moderator Sylvan Barnet of the Rotary Club of New York; and Senior Health Advisor for Malaria at UNICEF, Melanie Renshaw; with the malaria reducing Insecticide Treated Mosquito Nets (ITN) on display.

Moderator Sylvan Barnet introduced the subject by referencing Jeffery Sach's (Earth Institute) remarks that malaria can be eliminated economically and is a do-able project. Further, Rotary clubs, through their Polio-plus experience, could also help in monitoring and surveillance of bed-net use.
Melanie Renshaw, the Health Advisor at UNICEF's Regional Office for Eastern and Southern Africa outlined how malaria kills a child somewhere in the world every 30 seconds. It infects 350-500 million people each year, killing 1 million, mostly children. In addition, ninety percent of malaria deaths occur in Africa, and that malaria accounts for about one fifth of all childhood deaths. Malaria also has serious economic impacts by slowing economic growth and development, and perpetuating the vicious cycle of poverty.
The good news is that malaria is both preventable and treatable, and effective preventive practices have been implemented in many parts of the malaria infected regions of the world. She noted that sleeping under insecticide treated nets (ITNs) can reduce overall child mortality by twenty-percent. There are studies that show ITNs, when consistently and correctly used, can save six child lives per year for every one thousand children sleeping under them. ∞∞

Brian Stoyel is the Past President of Rotary - Britain and Ireland, and received the Service Above Self Award in 1999. In 2003, he started the Rotarians Eliminating Malaria in Tanzania and is chairman of Rotarians Eliminating Malaria Action Group. Brian pointed out that this Rotary action group raises funds to provide ITNs, insecticides and medicines as well as providing HaemaCue machines to monitor individuals for malaria. Funding is also provided for education and awareness programs by training local workers to go into villages to educate the local people to recognize symptoms, provide treatments, and to take steps for prevention.
The project is based on getting the local clubs to take responsibility for the project and then supplying the technical expertise and equipment required. The two Rotary clubs of Arusha, Tanzania are local partners for this program. Brian pointed out that one insecticide treated net (ITN) cost less than $5.00, and four people can sleep under it. The recipients are asked to pay 1,000 Tanzanian shillings or about $1.50. The nets have the Rotary logo and are manufactured locally to save shipping costs and to help the local economy. The nets have to be retreated every twelve months, but even if not treated the bed nets are still effective but the mosquitoes are not destroyed.



HUNGER PANEL
From left to right are Rotarian Gary Parrish of the Little Rock Arkansas Rotary Club; Moderator, Bill Miller, and Deborah Said, y N.Y. Director of the World Food Program of the United Nations.

Deborah Saidy, the New York Director of the World Food Program, is a graduate of American University in Washington D.C. and earned an Undergraduate degree from Smith College. She joined the UN in 1992 and previously served as the Emergency Coordinator for World Food Program in Johannesburg.
She noted that the WFP strives to eradicate hunger and malnutrition, with the ultimate goal of eliminating the need for food-aid itself. Yet in any given day, the WFP has twenty planes in the air and 5,000 trucks on the ground. She emphasized that the development of agriculture in key troublesome regions is the long term solution to alleviate global hunger. File 2 1 hour 00
The core strategies behind WFP activities, according to its mission statement, are to provide food aid to:
· Save lives in refugee and other emergency situations.
· Improve the nutrition and quality of life of the most vulnerable people at critical times in their lives.
· Help build assets and promote the self-reliance of poor people and communities, particularly through labor-intensive works programs.
· 25,000 people die every day and many are susceptible to malaria and tuberculosis. These are the chronic poor.
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Gary Parrish, Past President of the RC of Little Rock and a second generation Rotarian since 1989, outlined the Farmers Feed the Children Program. Gary visited farming families in Romania where he noticed that many children had no energy because of lack of nutrients in their diet, and many families were impoverished. To help with this, his Club partnered with Heifer International, a non-profit, charitable organization that is based in Little Rock, Arkansas and dedicated to relieving global hunger and poverty. It donates livestock and plants, as well as education in sustainable agriculture, to financially-disadvantaged families around the world. The animals are chosen to be large milk producers and appropriate for the Romanian farms.

In partnership with Heifer International, Gary sketched out how the Rotary Club of Little Rock delivered two dairy cows to a farming family in the Transylvania area of Romania. In three months, the two heifers became four. Under this program, the first calf is donated back to another farmer, and 600 liters of milk per year are given to community centers such as schools and hospitals. The famer can then sell the remaining milk on the open market.
When several months passed, Gary noticed that he saw that once poor farmers were now feeding poor children of other farmers. He also noticed that the children were happier and healthier looking, and repairs were completed around their houses. Previously there was little protein in their diet, but thanks to this program, 20,000 children have benefited from a better diet.
A very important aspect of this program, Gary pointed out, is that this program is a hand-up, not a hand-out, and it is sustainable. He emphasized that Rotary also brought credibility, as well as providing a 3H grant, to the project in view of the fact that Heifer International needed outside partners to keep this program going. The end result is that once again we have seen Rotary Change Lives, and we have built better friendships and goodwill, Gary clearly illustrated.

Rotary International Receives United Nations Association Humanitarian Award
October 25, 2007



The United Nations Association of New York honored Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation with its 2007 Humanitarian Award on October 25 at United Nations in New York. Other honorees included Antony Burgmans, former chairman and CEO of Unilever, and Guy Laliberté, founder of Cirque du Soleil's One Drop Foundation. All three organizations were honored in recognition of their significant efforts regarding the global water crisis and their on-going commitment to sustainable development worldwide. The UNA awards are presented annually in observance of United Nations Day (24 October) with this year's award ceremony focused on the global water crisis.


The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-Moon, warmly welcomed the honorees and guests at the Annual Humanitarian Awards Dinner Reception. From left to right are Wilfred J. Wilkinson, President of Rotary International; Guy Laliberté, founder of Cirque du Soleil and the One Drop Foundation; and Ambassador Joseph Verner Reed the Master of Ceremonies. Antony Burgmans, former chairman of Unilever, the third honoree is not in this photo.






The Secretary-General commented that while it may be hard to believe when living in New York with plenty of rain, and rivers surrounding the city, the world's waters remain fragile. The need for a sound and sustainable approach to water resource management is pressing and water reserves continue to be wasted and degraded throughout the world. He wanted to make a point to congratulate tonight's honorees for their contributions because each of them deserves not only tonight's award, but also our collective gratitude and support.

At the evening’s Gala dinner the attendees were welcomed by Peter Rajsingh, President of the UNA-NY and the Master of Ceremonies was Ambassador Joseph Verner Reed, the former Ambassador of the United States of America to the Kingdom of Morocco and U.S. Representative of the United States to the United Nations Economic and Social Council.
ekiqfohe

Rotary International
Rotary received an elegant Tiffany Crystal with the inscription:
To Rotary International: “For its leadership for bringing clean water to poor communities around the world”.

President Wilfred noted that in the years since Rotary International has started focusing on water as one of its annual service projects, we have learned just how much can be accomplished with relatively little, how a single small water project, perhaps a pump or a filter, can change the life of a community. Clean water has a great impact on nutrition, education, health, family interaction. We also learned that beneficiaries of water projects must be active participants in the project. A successful water project enables children to be healthier, and then can go to school, and can bring a community together.

In his concluding remarks, our president also clarified that for Rotarians there is no excuse not to help with the global water effort because as Past RI President, Bill Boyd said, we need to continue to try, and even though we may not succeed, we will have not failed.



The One Drop Foundation
The second honoree was Guy Laliberté, founder of Cirque du Soleil, and the newly created One Drop Foundation. One of the foundation's main starting objectives is to fund and provide safe drinking water to selected communities in the developing world. One Drop also aims to support a public awareness regarding the global water crisis in developed countries, starting with Canada, the United States, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Hong Kong and Australia.
While the Cirque du Soleil started from very humble beginnings in 1980, it now employs more than 3000 people in three continents with over 30 millions attendees around the world. Many of the company’s employees are also contributing and are in full support of One Drop Foundation. The Tiffany crystal that was presented states: To Mr. Laliberte' for his creative vision and energy to help with the global water crisis.

At the Gala Dinner, Mr. Laliberté presented thoughtful insight to the reasons for creating a humanitarian foundation. He mentioned that his parents taught him that sharing what you have with others is very important. So, when he left home and went on the road at 14 years old to entertain people, he realized that our planet can be made better. At this early age he then committed to continue the “circle of life” and to give back what life gave him when he had the resources to do so. As a result, for his company’s 25th anniversary they have created the One Drop Foundation. Water is the “Source of Life” and sadly, one person is dying every eight seconds from the lack of clean safe water. The One Drop Foundation plans to spend the next 25 years to lend a hand to curtail the global water crisis, Mr. Laliberté elucidated.


Unilever
The third honoree, Antony Burgmans, the former chairman of Unilever was born in the Netherlands and joined Unilever in 1972 as a marketing assistant. After excelling in several international divisions of the company, in 1994 he advanced to Chairman of the Europe Committee, which coordinated Unilever's European activities. In May of 2005, he became Chairman of Unilever. Among his many civic-minded contributions, he chaired the CEO panel at the World Water Forum in The Hague, the Netherlands, in 2000 and again in Osaka, Japan, in 2003. Mr. Burgmans connected with the attendees when he outlined his commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility. But before he made his comments, he pointed out that the “perception of time is different when you speak, or if you listen”. So he made certain that his comments were brief.

Mr. Burgmans understood at an early age that earning money and behaving responsibly are “completely compatible”. He gave an example when his company faced a dilemma when a number of NGO’s, including the World Wildlife Federation, were rightfully concerned about the over-fishing of Scandinavian waters. However, they unjustifiably saw Unilever as one of the main culprits of harming ocean life. As a result, Unilever, under Mr. Burgmans guidance, met with the WWF and offered to fund the monitoring the commercial activities of Unilever. As such, the WWF could certify that Unilever was acting environmentally responsible. The partnership worked perfectly, but Mr. Burgmans noted that several Scandinavian governments criticized the program because they believed that this was not the traditional role of business. The honoree clarified that governments should not be against business, and industry should not be against government. “Business is not the problem, it is part of the solution”, he emphasized, and firms should be proud of their contributions because it is the “decent thing to do”.

The Tiffany crystal that was presented to Mr. Burgmans stated: "To Mr. Burgmans for his lifetime commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility and the promotion of sustainable economic development."


The evening’s Gala was motivating, even inspirational. The related philosophies of Guy Laliberté to complete the “Circle of Life", and that of Antony Burgmans that “ Business and Social Responsibility Are Fully Compatible”, are visions that Rotarians certainly espouse. All three of the recipients of the UNA Humanitarian award started from humble beginnings, excelled in their respective professions, and found it necessary to contribute to help solve some of the world’s persistent problems in their own way, and one village at a time.

Last year, the United Nations Association honorees were Robert L. Corcoran, president of the General Electric Foundation and Ann M. Veneman, executive director of UNICEF, for their significant work in global education.

Ms. France Chrétien Desmarais, Vice-Chair of the One Drop Board of Directors; behind her is her husband, André Desmarais, President and Co-Chief Executive Officer of Power Corporation; Guy Laliberté with his wife Claudia Barilla Laliberté, (center and center right), and Michel Lamoureux, (right) Executive Director of the One Drop Corporation at the UNA reception.











At the Gala attendees review information about the Global Water Crisis.












Mr. Antony Burgmans, former Chairman and CEO of Unilever, at the reception before addressing the attendees.












President Wilfred talking with Ambassador Zina Andrianarivelo-Razafy, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Madagascar to the United Nations.











The Rotary Club of New York's President Camilo Uy, M.D. , his wife Dr. Mary Lynn, and Rotarian John German attended the UNA Gala Dinner to honor Rotary International.














An artist from the Cirque du Soleil provided spellbinding and spine-tingling acrobatics for the Gala.











Wilfred J. Wilkinson, President of Rotary International (right) and Thomas McConnon, Assistant Governor of District 7230, which includes the Rotary Clubs of Manhattan.

Ambassador Joseph Verner Reed preparing for the award presentation.

New York Rotarian David Del Monte and his wife Deirdre.



















Ambassador Joseph Verner Reed preparing for the award presentation.







Music was enjoyed at the reception, performed by the Caribbean steal drum band "C&C Sounds"

Rotary and the United Nations Update

In a special report on Corporate Citizenship and Philanthropy, the Financial Times ranks Rotary as the fifth most important partner at the United Nations. This was the result from a survey of more than 400 possible world partners.

The past four months is always the most active at the UN for the Rotary UN Office and the other non-government organizations (NGO) accredited to the Economic and Social Council. It is the time of the annual meetings of the various Commissions - Status of Women, Social Development, Population Development and Sustainable Development. We contributed statements to two of them.
Perhaps our most important contribution was on Sustainable Development. This year the committee's theme is energy and alternate sources such as solar power, wind power and hydro power. Our Rotary club have many projects in the world on alternative power sources.

Rotary's concentration is increasing on water projects; 30% of our 32,000 clubs have various degrees of focus in projects that provide clean and safe drinking water. We have implemented a Rotary Action Group on water and sanitation. The 2008-2009 UN year has been declared to be the UN International Year on Sanitation. We, your Rotary representatives, have attended two important planning meetings to be prepared.

Other meetings we attended were on Global Immunization (UNICEF), Conference on Health and Environment, The General Assembly briefing of NGOs, the ECOSOC meeting on jobs and employment and one on Aid and Trade for the least developed countries.

These are the meetings in New York City at the UN Headquarters. Other Rotary Representatives attended similar meetings in Geneva, Paris, Nairobi, Rome and Addis Ababa.

The months ahead will involve many meetings and conferences on climate change, and planning our annual Rotary Day at the U.N. on November 3. Stay tuned!

Sylvan Barnet

Ukraine Rotarians Visit New York

The President of the Odessa, Ukraine Rotary Club outlines the Gift of Life projects and the children saved by the Gift of Life / Rotary Project

Robby Donno, a frequent and always welcomed guest at the Rotary Club of New York outlines the Eastern European Gift of Life program.

One of the Cardio-Surgeons (front) from the Odessa Children's Hospital also outlines the Odessa Gift of Life Program via an interpreter .


10,000 operations over the last 20 years!

Robby Danno, one of the founders of "Gift of Life" program that was started at a Long Island Rotary Club in 1975 introduced the President of the Odessa Rotary Club. Increasingly, the "Gift of Life" is now performing needed heart surgery overseas since it is more cost effective. There are currently five hospitals in Columbia, five in the Philippines, seven in China, and 13 in India, that work with the Gift of Life program.Robby introduced a number of his guests, including Rotarians from the Rotary Club of Odessa, Ukraine. The president of the Odessa club gave an inspiring talk noting that more than eight hundred Russian children and four hundred Ukrainian children have received surgery through the Gift of Life / Rotary partnership. She also noted that her club has only 12 active members, and that there are about eight hundred Rotarians in the Ukraine.The cardio-surgeon at the Odessa Children's Hospital also addressed our club through a translator. She mentioned that it was appropriate to meet on New York's first warm Spring day because the Spring brings life, and so does the Gift of Life. She emphasized that, thanks to Rotary, more children in the Ukraine are now being operated on a regular basis. But there are still many more children waiting for surgery. Robby pointed out that while it cost on average $8,000 to $10,000 to save a child in this country, and about $2,000 overseas, there is no monetary equivalent that could replace that moment when a parent learns that their child is going to live a long and normal life. Past-president Bill also pointed out how Rotary is the envy of other humanitarian organizations because we have a network of Rotarians in 169 countries that are universally committed to contributing to making the world a more peaceful and healthy place.

650,000 Text Books Donated to Liberia

Books For Africa:

New York Rotarians, Florence Chenoweth and Natalie Hahn outlined their successful international service project to donate books to schools in Liberia at the Rotary Club of New York's lunch meeting at the Princeton Club of New York.

Due to the civil war over the last twenty years, nearly every school in Liberia has been destroyed. But with the end of the war and a democratically elected government, the schools are now being rebuilt and there is a real need for school books. Florence, who is Liberian, and Natalie, who lived in Africa for 14 years deceided last year to "Lend a hand" and commited themselves to the goal of sending a shipping container of 100,000 books. With the help of our Executive Director, Andreas, our club's Foundation, the Rotary Club of Lincoln, Nebraska, (Natalie's home state), USAID, World Vision, and some very generous publishing companies, their service project has already sent more than 500,000 books and an additional 120,000 books are being sent by the end of this summer!

Munich Rotarians are Welcomed in New York

President Raphaela Stricker of the Munich International Rotary Club (right) and New York Rotarian Shelia Washington spent some time outlining service projects. Shelia is the chairwoman of the Rotary Club of New York's Financial Literacy Program that the Munich Rotary generously helps to support.

Munich and New York Rotarians celebrate continued partnerships in fellowship and Rotarian humanitarian service projects. The reception was graciously hosted by New York Rotarian Josef and Uda Klee at their New York apartment.

President Raphaela encourages continue partnership in working together in humanitarian projects.

At the Princeton Club of New York, acting Chairman of the Rotary Club of New York Foundation, Dick Sainburg, receives a finacial gift from the Rotary Club of Munich-International. The gift will be used to fund a Financial Literacy Program to selected schools in Manhattan.

New York Rotary Club President, Jim Bryant, receives a gift (Munich Lion) from the Munich- International Rotary from President Raphaela.

New York Sun Reporter views of New Secretary-general

What Is New and What is Not at the UN?

On January 1, 2007, Mr. Ban Ki-moon of the Republic of Korea was sworn in as the eighth Secretary-general of the United Nations. He brings to his post 37 years of service both in government and on the global stage. Our guest speaker, reporter Benny Avni, a staff reported of the New York Sun and writes often on the United Nations. Mr. Avni was born in Israel and service in the Israeli military. The New York Sun is a contemporary five-day daily newpaper published in New York City. When it debuted on April 16, 2002, it became "the first general interest broadsheet newspaper to be launched in New York in two generations."

Mr. Avni noted that Mr. Ban is significantly different from his predecessors with his relations to the United States. Experience shows that every time the United Nations clashes with the United States, the UN becomes irrelevant. Without strong cooperation with the United States, the United Nations cannot make a difference. While China is a growing power and playerat the UN, and terrorist groups can have a significant capability to wreck havoc throughout the world, the US is in fact the only Super Power. As a result, the US is able to act in the world theater, maybe not as effectively as with the UN. However, the UN cannot act at all without the full participation and cooperation of the United States mr. Avni noted. He went on to say that many UN member-states ,including many of the democracies, believe that the role of the UN should be a counter-weight to the United States.

For example, Butros-Butros Ghali entered office as "Pro-Soviet" and converted to a"Pro-United States" position. However, he began to assert UN independence, and as a result he clashed with the Clinton administration. As a result, he was not selected by the Security Council for a customary second five-year term. The most recent Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, when selected was very "Pro-United States", but as a consequence of his claims that the Iraqi War was illegal, Mr. Annan spent the last few years of his term in confrontation with the US.

Secretary-general Ban however is of the generation that feels South Korea owes its very existence to the United States. He, and as does our guest speaker, believe that the US is a force of good in the world, and his sensibilities coincide with those of the US deligation. In addition, he also has a broader business background than his predecessors, Unlike Kofi Annan, who spent most of his career at the UN rising through its bureaucracy, Mr. Ban was a South Korean foreign minister and earned a living in private sector. He also believes that civic work is important. Also, Secretary-general Ban readily filled a financial disclosure form, while his predecessor was very hesitant to do so, even though all other high-level administrators and appointees at the UN were required to do so.
Furthermore, to the chagrin of our guest speaker, Mr. Ban held his first meetings at the UN in New York at 8:00 a.m. Our guest speaker and many in the UN community are not accustomed to attending meetings and briefings until lunch time. This ispart of the new work ethic that Me Ban is trying to implement.

What is not new?

To actually change the organization's culture, Mr. Ban had to bring in innovative, high-level administrators. However, he quickly learned that every change he attempted to make had to navigate through a massive mill to be accepted by the bureaucracy. Then the changes ultimately had to be approved by the General Assembly. In order to make some transformations, Secretary-general Ban was required to identify the "trouble makers", recompense them in some manner, and only then he was able to move forward with his adaptation. As a consequence, many of the UN high-level administrators are still in charge of many of the UN's agencies.

Our speaker also noted that there has been much "fanfare" about the recently restructured Human Rights Council that replaced the discredited Human Rights Commission. Mr. Avni outlined the "significant" reform that was made. The reformed Council now has 48 member instead of the previous 53. He also noted that since its inception, the Human Rights Council has implemented a total of eight resolutions. All eight were regarding violations by the state of Israel, and three more are pending on Israel. The

New York Sun's reporter sarcastically noted that according to the newly "reformed Council " there are no other human rights violations in the world. As such Burma, Tibet, Darfor, ect., have not committed any human rights violations. Mr. Avni said that in all fairness, it should be mentioned that the reformed Council has taken the "bold" steps to investigate the situation in Darfur. Sudan is not mentioned, he noted.

Ban Ki-moon of the Republic of Korea, Official Biography from the UN Website

Career highlights

At the time of his election as Secretary-general, Mr. Ban was his country's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade. His long tenure with the ministry included postings in New Delhi, Washington DC and Vienna, and responsibility for a variety of portfolios, including Foreign Policy Advisor to the President, Chief National Security Advisor to the President, Deputy Minister for Policy Planning and Director-General of American Affairs. Throughout this service, his guiding vision was that of a peaceful Korean peninsula, playing an expanding role for peace and prosperity in the region and the wider world.Mr. Ban has long-standing ties with the United Nations, dating back to 1975, when he worked for the Foreign Ministry's United Nations division. That work expanded over the years, with assignments as First Secretary at the ROK’s Permanent Mission to the UN in New York, Director of the UN Division at the ministry's headquarters in Seoul, and Ambassador to Vienna, during which time, in 1999, he served as Chairman of the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization. In 2001-2002, as Chef-de-Cabinet during the ROK’s Presidency of the General Assembly, he facilitated the prompt adoption of the first resolution of the session, condemning the terrorist attacks of 11 September, and undertook a number of initiatives aimed at strengthening the Assembly's functioning, thereby helping to turn a session that started out in crisis and confusion into one in which a number of important reforms were adopted.Mr. Ban has also been actively involved in issues relating to inter-Korean relations. In 1992, as Special Advisor to the Foreign Minister, he served as Vice Chair of the South-North Joint Nuclear Control Commission following the adoption of the historic Joint Declaration on the Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. In September 2005, as Foreign Minister, he played a leading role in bringing about another landmark agreement aimed at promoting peace and stability on the Korean peninsula with the adoption at the Six Party Talks of the Joint Statement on resolving the North Korean nuclear issue.Education

Mr. Ban received a bachelor's degree in international relations from Seoul National University in 1970. In 1985, he earned a master's degree in public administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.Prizes and awardsMr. Ban has received numerous national and international prizes, medals and honors. In 1975, 1986 and again in 2006, he was awarded the ROK’s Highest Order of Service Merit for service to his country.PersonalMr. Ban was born on 13 June 1944. He and his wife, Madam Yoo (Ban) Soon-taek, whom he met in high school in 1962, have one son and two daughters. In addition to Korean, Mr. Ban speaks English and French.*********

Peacemaking in Action: The Case for Nepal

(By Sheila Washington RCNY)


Eight thirty AM, February 21, 2007, on a beautiful NY morning, the meeting of the Rotary Club of NY at the UN was called to order by Dr. Nikolaus Helbich. Three interns from Germany were among the visitors. After introduction of guests and a sumptuous breakfast catered by the Penthouse Café at the German Mission, Director Giorgio Balestrieri introduced the speaker Dr. Mikio Tajima.

Dr. Tajima, a New York Rotarian, is a UN Director Retiree, Professor Emeritus Kawansei Gakuin University, Japan and UN Global Compact Advisor. In 1972 he visited Nepal as a member of UN Fact-finding mission to South-Asian landlocked countries. What he witnessed at Biratnagar, the major transit point with India and Nepal made him an instant sympathizer and supporter of Nepal. Upon retirement from the UN he formed Reconciliation 21 (R21), a conflict prevention NGO with a mission to strengthen Nepal’s NGO system; and, coordinate outside efforts to bring productivity and stability to the country.

About Nepal: It is a Kingdom of about 27 million people, mostly Hindus. Its monarchy ruled for nearly 240 years until 1990, when there was the first people’s uprising. At that time the King agreed to install a multi-party system. Subsequently, elections were held and a Parliament installed. In 1995 the head of the Communist Party of Nepal (CPN), which was then the majority party, became the Prime Minister. In short order, he was dismissed resulting in the party splitting into two groups the Maoist (CPN/M) and the Marxist Lenin Group (CPN/UML) Both groups opposed the monarchy. The former resorted to force while the latter denounced the use of force and remained the legitimate political party.

In February 2005, the 15 year democratic exercise came to an end. The King, Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev dismissed Prime Minister Deuba and his government and declared himself an absolute monarch and took direct control of the army. Massive arrests, suspension of civil liberties and declaration of a state of emergency followed. Communication with the outside world was cut as a stunned international community looked on. The King’s undemocratic actions resulted in the 7 large political parties forming an alliance (SPA) with commitments to closer ties with the Maoists.

With the widespread political discontent the SPA and the Maoists began a program of nationwide strikes and Mass Street protests. After 19 days and with the decisive support of civil society groups the King handed over power to the political parties and reinstated Parliament. On April 28, 2006, Parliament convened and a new Prime Minister, G. P. Koirala was sworn in two-days later.

The King’s army was renamed the “National Army” and placed under Prime Minister Koirala control. Under increasing pressure from the international community, the UN was allowed to open the UN High Commissioner for Human rights (CHCHR). With this action, the UN began to emerge as a positive outside force in the eyes of the people of Nepal.

The SPA and the Maoists signed a ceasefire agreement and decided to hold Constituent Assembly elections in June 2007. The biggest challenge for the new government is the disarming of the Maoists insurgents. However, both the SPA and the Maoists agreed to entrust the arms- management task to the UN. In addition, Nepal’s list of pressing issues also includes, a new constitution, the Kings future, and the shape of the new national government (federal or another model).

Dr. Tajima underscored the point that the peace process alone will not be sufficient nor be sustainable unless accompanied by confidence-building measures at various levels of its civil society. He travels to Nepal in early March for a two-day Round Table with university students, teachers, businessmen, political leaders and mass media in Kathmandu, the capital. The theme of the meeting is promotion of a peace culture (tolerance, reconciliation and forgiveness). The objectives are to begin the reconciliation organizing and create implementation plans to enable the mobilization of networking support.

In conclusion, Dr. Tajima expressed his hope that the resulting guidelines and think-pieces from this and subsequent meetings will be used by international NGOs, university students and others to promote awareness around the world about Nepal.

When the meeting adjourned at 9:45, it was clear that the people of Nepal have a dedicated and highly motivated champion in Dr. Tajima.

Postscript: As if to a confirm Dr. Tajima mission, on March 4, 2007, the New York Times published an article about traveling in Nepal, headlined, “As Political Unrest Eases, Travel Picks Up.” The article cited developments such as, the signed peace deal with the Maoist rebels after 10 years of bitter conflict, the temporary constitution now in effect, and the interim Parliament that is bringing stability to the country. The UN Security Council voted in January to set up a mission to oversee the disarmament and cease-fire accord. This adds to reasons being cited for the renewed interest and the return of adventure-oriented travelers to Nepal.

Norway's Ambassador Encouraging More NGO Support

The Permanent Representative of Norway to the United Nations, Ambassador Johan Ludvik Lovald (left) was the guest speaker at the January 2007 International Service Divsion's breakfast meeting. The Ambassador has been serving the Norwegian government at the UN in New York since the 1970's. He earned his Ph.D. from Northwestern University in Evanston Illinois. (Yes, the same Evanston Il. where the headquarters of Rotary International is located.) The Ambassador spoke about the NGO and Private Sector relationship with the UN. He was one of the main negotiators of the 2005 Summit UN Outcome Document that among other items, recommends increase NGO participation.
New York Rotarian Nikolaus Helbich (center) was the moderator and NY Rotarian Patrick Mellea (right) also participated in the discussion.

The Ambassador noted that while it is essential that the UN remain an inter-governmental organization, and its procedures must be respected, the NGO is becoming an increasing important resource for the UN, especially in helping toward the eradication of global poverty.

The ambassador noted that in the 1990's there were a number of the colossal world conferences with NGO's and private sector. And while these conferences have not taken place in the last ten years or so, the NGO still is essential. As such, many UN agencies are refining procedures to incorporate formal consultation, and more importantly, informal methods to be utilized by many of the UN missions. In 2005, the President of the 60 General Assembly, H.E. Mr. Jan Eliasson, asked Ambassador Johan L. Løvald of Norway and Ambassador Rezlan Ishar Jenie of Indonesia to serve as his special advisor on the relationship between Member States and representatives of civil society in the context of General Assembly affairs.

For a copy of his report go to: http://www.ngocongo.org/files/report_on_the_relationship_between_member_states_and_civil_society.pdf

The Ambassador recommend at the breakfast meeting that NGO's can be very effective and helpful by mustering support for the MDG's that all governments had agreed to at the 2000 Millennium Summit. In additional there is general agreement to eliminate the foreign debt of the world's 18 poorest counties. Furthermore, there is now an EU agreement for EU countries to reach the 0.7 of 1 percent of GDP allocated to foreign aid for the world's poorest counties.
Presently, about nine countries have already reached the .7 of 1 percent of their resective GDP to be committed to global poverty eradication. Norway has already surpassed this .07 of 1% percent. It allocates half of this amount to multilateral organizations such as the UN and other Bretton Woods institutions such as the World Bank. A significant part also goes to Norwegian NGO's that work toward this goal. It was also pointed out that UNICEF has a global task force that is meeting with Rotary which is is a good example of using NGO expertise with the UN agency.

Gender-Equality at the United Nations Explicated by Slovenian Ambassador - December 2006

• Ambassador Eva Tomic, (center) the Deputy Representative to the United Nations of Slovenia was the guest speaker at the International Breakfast meeting in December. She joined the Foreign Service of Slovenia and was first assigned to New York in 1991. During her career, she headed the Department Human Rights in Slovenia, and also worked with the International Criminal Court. In recent years, she served as the Vice-Chair of the Commission on Sustainable Development, and has worked with the Third Committee of the UN which deals with social, humanitarian and cultural issues such as immigration, youth and family. Also included in the Photo are the meeting's moderator, Joe Klee (left), and Mats Ingemanson (NY Rotarian and Editor of Rotary Global History Fellowship)
  
  
  Since its independence in 1991 from the former Yugoslavia, Slovenia is one of the nine new European countries that joined the EU. And with only 2 million people, Ambassador Tomic is ostensibly very proud that her country has been selected to head the European Union in 2008 after Germany in 2007.
  
  Ambassador Tomic opened the discussion by stating that the UN is well represented by gender equality agencies, but that the organization as a whole has not utilized these entities as effectively as it could. She spoke about the need for continued commitment for gender "mainstreaming" at the highest levels of the UN. In addition, the Ambassador stressed the importance of interaction between different UN branches on gender equality. ("Gender Mainstreaming" is one of the strategies for achieving gender equality. It involves ensuring that gender perspectives, and attention to the goal of gender equality, are central to all activities.)
  
  Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000) also promoted the participation of women and bringing gender perspectives to the center of all United Nations peace-making, peacekeeping, peace-building and reconstruction efforts.
  
  The UN agencies that promote gender-equality within the UN Organizational structure include:
• OSAGI - Office of Special Advisor on Gender Issues and the Advancement of Women .
• UNIFEM - UN Development Fund for Women advocates the strengthening of gender equality programming of UN operational agencies. It also conducts very effective work on the ground working with NGO's.
• INSTRAW -International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women which promoted research on equity for women issues.
• CSW- Commission on the Status of Women which is a part of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)
• UNDAW - UN Division for the Advancement of Women
• IANWGE - The Inter-Agency Network on Women and Gender Equality is a network of gender focal points in UN entities. The Network is chaired by the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women.
  
  
  The latest proposal of the UN Reform panel recommends the implementation of a "One UN Policy" at the country level. For example, there are 24 UN agencies operating in Columbia. Consequently, establishing communication or coordination of goals and objectives while incorporating gender issues into the decision process may be compromised. By merging all agencies into one, gender-equality issues can be more effectively incorporated in the decision and policy making process.
  
  
  It was also pointed out by the meeting's moderator, Josef Klee, that the former Secretary General was committed to achieving gender employment parity with 50% the core, non-civil service posts should be held by women. Currently there are 2,700 "Core Posts" that have been identified to be under this quota system. At present, 43% of these posts are now held by women. While this percentage may be impressive when compared with other large organizations, it is still not parity. As a result, women now receive some advantage when applying for one of these positions. Unfortunately, this as expected creates the conundrum of not discriminating against men.
  
  Rotary International's UN representative, Sylvan Barnet, noted that at least six of the MDG's, if not all, are particularly favorable to women. There is a "Feminization of poverty, water, and HIV/AIDs, since women are more affected by these developmental issues than men. He also noted that Rotary is very committed to incorporating women in international development evidenced by the more than 50% of the one thousand Rotary Ambassadorial Scholars are women, as are 60% of the Rotary Peace Fellows.

Secretary-General's UN Military Advisor Reviews Peacekeeping Missions

The Secretary-General appointed Major-General Randhir Kumar Mehta of India (right) as the Military Adviser in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations in 2005. With a distinguished career in the Indian army holding numerous national command and staff positions and serving as a Sector Commander with the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) from May 2000 to February 2001, the General has also been a member of India’s delegation in various peace talks. He is a graduate of the National Defence Services Staff College, the Higher Command Course of the National Defence College ,and holds Masters of Sciences and Philosophy degrees. Major-General Mehta has been honored by the President of India with the “Yudh Seva Medal” for gallantry in operations in Sierra Leone and the “Vishisht Seva Medal” for Distinguished Services of a High Order.


Certain factors are critical for the success of any UN peacekeeping operation.
• The international community must diagnose the problem correctly before prescribing peacekeeping as the treatment;
• There must be a peace to keep; and all key parties to the conflict must consent to stop fighting, and to accept the UN role in helping them resolve their dispute and to the deployment of a UN peacekeeping mission.
• Members of the Security Council must agree on a clear and achievable mandate.
• Deployment must proceed quickly.

United Nations peace operations entail four principal activities:
• Conflict prevention - addresses the structural sources of conflict
• Peacemaking- conflict in progress
• Peacekeeping - maintains an existing peace
• Peacebuilding - rebuilds government and democratic infrastructure for a solid foundation for peace.

Currently there are apoximatedly 70,000 “blue helmets” 34 percent from Asia, 28 from Africa, the rest from South America and Middle East.

There are 18 mission’s world wide:
Sudan,
Burundi,
Cote d’Ivoire,
Liberia,
Congo,
Etiopía,
Haiti,
Timor-Leste,
India / Pakistan Border,
Cyprus,
Georgia,
Kosovo,
Golan Heights,
Lebanon,
Jerusalem.

Rotary International Ambassadorial Scholar, Satomi Mori, (second from left) participated in the November Breakfast meeting at the United Nations. Somita is studying at the Teachers' College of Columbia University. Also in the photo (from left to right) are Ed Gray, (Chairman of the Rotary Club of New York Foundation), NY Rotarian Sheila Washington, Uda Klee, International- Law Attorney, and Rotary Club of New York Director, David Del Monte.

Ms. Mori's scholarship was sponsored by the Omiya-North Rotary Club in District 2770 which is located in the eastern part of Saitama Prefecture, Japan.

United States Ambassador, John Bolton, Outlines Key United Nations' Concerns. - December 2006

December 5 was the day when most of the nation’s editorial pages were either praising (Wall Street Journal) or condemning (The New York Times) United States Ambassador to the United Nation, John Bolton, on his one year tenure. Nevertheless, he was enthusiastically welcomed at the Rotary Club of New York when he graciously spent his lunch hour discussing the key priorities that the United States faces at the United Nations.

The Ambassador emphasized that there is a full agenda at the UN, particularly at the Security Council. The most pressing problems are the deliverable nuclear weapons programs being developed by North Korea and Iran. In 1994, North Korea signed an agreement to stop its nuclear weapon development program in exchange for generous economic benefits. However, it is now being purported that North Korea has been clandestinely engaged in, and benefiting from, Iran’s nuclear program.

According to the Ambassador, North Korea sells ballistic missile technology and weapons to outlaw states. It also is earning foreign currency by counterfeiting U.S. currency, laundering illegal gambling revenue from Japan, and selling illegal drugs through diplomatic pouches. As a consequence, the UN Security Council passed Resolution 1695 (Demands suspension of all related ballistic missile activity;urges country to return immediately to Six-Party Talks without precondition) and it passed in July Resolution 1718 (Prevents Provision of Nuclear Technology, Large-Scale Weapons, Luxury Goods to Country; Permits Inspection of Cargo to Ensure Compliance) This is also designed to impede Kim Jong-il's ability to reward his subordinates, the Ambassador noted.

Perhaps more problematic is Iran. With its uranium mines, and uranium enrichment production facilities, Iran has mastered, or is very close to mastering, the nuclear fuel cycle and may already have an indigenous capability to develop nuclear weapons. For four years, the United States has been trying to convince European, Russian and Chinese leaders to stop Iran's nuclear weapon capabilities before they have full nuclear weapon capability. Security Council members have been willing to invite Iran to join the rest of the federalized world if they give up their pursuit of weapon-grade nuclear program. However, since there was no progress in these discussions, the Security Council passed a resolution for Iran to cease its uranium enrichment program by last August 31.

Many member-states at the UN are frustrated by continuing the diplomatic route for too long, and sanctions are now being considered. It will be a test of the Security Council if it will take this issue seriously. If it does not, the US will need to consider alternate means to stop nuclear-weapon capability in Iran, Ambassador Bolton averred.

Another area of concern is the influence of Hezbollah relative to the democratically elected government of Lebanon. The Ambassador stated that Syria is encouraging the Lebanese governments to concede power to Hezbollah. Close to 25% of Lebanon’s population has demonstrated in the streets in support of Hezbollah, but political parties should not have their own militia, the Ambassador emphasized. If the democratically elected government does not survive, Hezbollah will acquire control of Lebanon's governmental assets and military. Consequently, Syria and Iran will be very influential with Hezbollah and then there will be a "terrorist" state in the Middle-East.

Another point is that the government of Sudan is still resisting UN Peace-Keeping force to stop gross violations of human rights, starvation and murder in Darfur, he noted.


During the Q&A section, Ambassador Bolton did acknowledge that the United Nations is and has been successful in a number of areas, but he advised, as Paul Volker did in last year’s UN Reform Report, the UN has to be sure that it does not get lost in a "Culture of Inaction"”.

Rotary International's - "World Peace Fellowships"

RI Alternate Representative to the United Nations, Sylvan Barnet, spoke about Rotary World Peace Fellows who are graduates of the Rotary Centers for International Studies In Peace and Conflict Resolution Program. These scholars will be a part of tomorrow’s solution in promoting greater tolerance and cooperation among people worldwide. Rotary World Peace Fellows, who are chosen from a wide variety of countries, can help future leaders advance knowledge and understanding.

The Rotary World Peace Centers are located in eight leading universities around the world and selected scholars generally study at a Master’s level program in conflict resolution, peace studies, international relations, and other related disciplines.
The eight universities that have partnered with Rotary International are:
• Duke University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
• Sciences Po, Paris, France
• University of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England
• University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
• International Christian University, Tokyo, Japan
• Universidad del Salvador, Buenos Aires, Argentina
• University of California, Berkeley, California, USA

Each Rotary district may submit one candidate for competition in the worldwide selection process for up to 60 Rotary World Peace Fellowships offered annually. All Rotary clubs are encouraged to recruit qualified candidates to apply for the Fellowship and to nominate a candidate for the competition. Rotary Foundation Scholarships for International Understanding are for one year of study in any country that has Rotary Clubs.

For more information go to:
:http://www.rotary.org/foundation/educational/amb_scho/centers/partners/index.html

Rotarians and Rotaract Fill United Nations in Support of Millineum Development Goals November 4, 2006

More than 1200 Rotarians and Rotaract
Fill United Nations
To Combat Global Poverty
Rotary International Day at the United Nations
November 4, 2006







H. Bradley Jenkins, Luis Vicente Giay, Chairman of the Rotary Foundation, H.E. Mr. Ahmed Al Haddad Ambassador/ Chief of the Cabinet Office of the President of the 61st Session of the UN General Assembly, Gillian Sorensen Senior Advisor of The United Nations Foundation, and RI President Elect, Wilfred J Wilkinson all spoke about the UN and Rotary Partnership





RI President Bill Boyd (second from left) presents a plaque to Alternate RI Representative Sylvan Barnet (third from left) for his essential contribution in strengthening the partnership with the UN. Also present (from left to right) are RI Representatives H. Bradley Jenkins, Joan Fyfe, Doris Lewis Sargeant, and James Spencer.

"Rotary International Day At The United Nations" - November 4, 2006

On Saturday, November 4, 2006, more than 1200 Rotarians and Rotaract filled the conference center as well as the viewing balcony at the United Nations. This was the largest annual Rotary Day at the UN attendance ever in more than twenty years. The energized participants spent the day outlining Rotary projects and methods to strengthen the long-standing working partnership between Rotary International and the United Nations to reduce global poverty.

The full-day program was planned and conducted by the RI Representative to the United Nations, H. Bradley Jenkins, and Alternate RI Representatives Sylvan Barnet (New York), Joan Fyfe (New York), Doris Lewis Sargeant
(New York), and James Spencer (Connecticut) . The informative and well organized program was designed to give Rotarians an overview of the developmental needs of many countries as presented by UN experts. This would be followed by one of the hundreds of project that Rotarians are performing at the club and district level. By the end of the day it became increasing evident that global poverty reduction is a gargantuan effort, and it cannot be solved by the UN or government alone. It requires a concerted effort by many organizations perhaps spearheaded by the UN. But it is clear that Rotarians from all over the world are working together to be part of the solution.

Many of the Directors and Officers of Rotary International participated or attended the conference including, President of Rotary International, Bill Boyd
(New Zealand), President Elect of Rotary International Wilfred J Wilkins (Canada), and, the Chairman of the Rotary Foundation, Luis Vincente Giay (Argentina).

As many already know, Rotary has a long history with the United Nations. In fact, many Rotarians were active participants in the UN creation and were original signers to the UN Charter. In a letter to commemorate the Rotary Day at the United Nations 2006 outgoing Secretary-General of the United Nations Kofi Annan wrote:

"For more than 100 years, Rotary has been at the forefront of efforts to improve the lives of people around the world. And, since the United Nations was created, Rotary has been a wonderful partner to us. You have joined forces with us in efforts for health, literacy and poverty eradication. You have spread the word about the work of the United Nations. You have promoted peace through your exchange programs. And, you have played a critical and historic role in our joint mission to eradicate polio worldwide.

Rotary is living proof that people with diverse backgrounds can learn to get along with each other and concentrate more on the things we have in common, rather than on the things that drive us apart. That is what our humanitarian work is all about.
This is the last time I will be writing to you as Secretary-General of the United Nations. So, this is the time to thank all of you for the wonderful support you have given me and the Organization for the past 10 years. Thank you for understanding that this is your United Nations. Thank you for understanding that it is up to all of us to make the most of this indispensable instrument, in the interests of the people it exists to serve. I wish you continued success in your valiant mission."At the July 2000 World Summit meeting at the United Nations, all the world’s countries and many of the world’s leading development institutions galvanized unprecedented efforts to meet the needs of the world’s poorest and agreed to achieve the UN's eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by the target date of 2015.

The eight MDG's are:
1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
2. Achieve universal primary education
3. Promote gender equality and empower women
4. Reduce child mortality
5. Improve maternal health
6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
7. Ensure environmental sustainability
8. Develop a global partnership for development.


The President of Rotary International, William Boyd, presented opening comments outlining his support for pragmatic Rotarian contributions in support of achieving the MDG's, especially in fighting illiteracy and expanding programs to bring clean water to where ever it is needed, one community at a time. "It is only through hard work and cooperation will we bring about a better world". President Bill emphasized.

Later on in the day's program, President Bill also presented Sylvan Barnet (Rotary Club of New York) a crystal plaque in recognition for his years of service as one of the main architects in building the bridge to strengthen the United Nations - Rotary International Partnership in providing global humanitarian service.

Margareta Wahlstrom, Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator (second from right) presented the Keynote Address. Ms. Wahlstrom (a native of Sweden) also served as the UN Special Coordinator for Humanitarian Assistance to Tsunami - Affected Communities from December 2004 to July 2005
She gave an informative outline of the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) which was established to facilitate the work of all organizations that deliver emergency humanitarian assistance to populations and communities in need. Their goal is to coordinate humanitarian assistance to be more effective, more efficient and more flexible.
OCHA solicits donations through the consolidated appeals process (CAP) and emergency appeals on behalf of countries affected by disasters. The world responded spectacularly to the tsunami disaster, however, on average, there are some 20 appeals are made annually to meet the needs of nearly 40 million people. Needless to say, one of the most difficult tasks is to bring attention to the most neglected and forgotten emergencies. There are more than a dozen neglected emergencies such as Niger or the Sahel in Africa.


Rotary International and United Nations Partnership Update Panel



H. Bradley Jenkins, Luis Vicente Giay, Chairman of the Rotary Foundation, H.E. Mr. Ahmed Al Haddad Ambassador/ Office of the President of the 61st Session of the UN General Assembly, Gillian Sorensen Senior Advisor of The United Nations Foundation, and RI President Elect, Wilfred J Wilkinson all spoke about the UN and Rotary Partnership

RI President Elect, Wilfred J. Wilkinson(Rotary Club of Trenton, Ontario, Canada) addressed the conference and added that for true peace, there must be a healthy and educated population. Whenever Rotarians are faced with problems too large to even contemplate, they start small and keep on going. The President-elect also noted that Rotary builds bridges of friendships, and while the bridges may be small they may last for hundreds of years. But most importantly, Rotarians have built thousands and thousands of these bridges. He concluded his remarks with "We may never live in a world of total peace, but we as Rotarians know that we have helped achieve peace, and let today's meeting encourage us to do even more."

RI Foundation Chairman, Luis Vicente Giay (Rotary Club of Arrecifes, Argentina - Accounting) humorously stated that he only was only allocated five minutes to speak about the great success of the Rotary Foundation, however, in most South America countries five minutes is not even enough time to say hello. Nevertheless, Chairman Luis provided stirring insight into our Foundation. He informed Rotarians that larger donations are increasing to the Rotary Foundation because of the credibility of Rotary. Donors know that Rotary funds go strait to the project and not for more fund raising or high salaries. He concluded by assuring Rotarians that it is our Foundation that also makes us proud to be Rotarians .


Mr. Ahmed Al-Haddad, Chief of the Office of the President of the General Assembly thanked Rotarians for their contributions to achieve the MDG's. Private sector participation is vital to the success of the MDGs. In fact it is one of the goals in itself because it has long been recognized that the task is too great for any one organization. He asked for continued Rotarian support of the UN's Global Compact.

Ms. Gillian Sorensen, Advisor to the UN Foundation (New York) informed Rotarians that her father was a life-long Rotarians and she heard about Rotary projects every week while growing up.
She focused on that the UN is all about peace, human rights, and development and the MDG's are at the heart of this. Gillian gave an optimistic outlook that the UN organization is transforming. It is becoming a leaner and a more effective organization. Of note, there is a new Peace Commission, and implementation of new hiring practices, and procurement policies that are rapidly becoming more transparent.

She noted that all of us have listened to the shortfalls of the UN over the last few years. However, most of us have not heard what Gillian called "The good news that does not make the news, news". For example:
-The UN is currently successfully conducting sixteen Peace Keeping missions
-Currently sheltering more than 20 million refugees
-Promoting policies of reserving the global environment
-Successfully conducting World Health Organization health projects including eradicating polio in partnership with the Rotary
-Weapon reduction progress is being made every year.


Literacy Panel
Martin Postma (left) President of RC of Westminster Colorado , Sylvan M. Barnet (center) Rotary Club of New York and Alternate RI Representative to the UN, Helene-Marie Gosselin (right) Director of UNESCO in New York

Panel Moderator Sylvan Barnet informed the conference that promoting literacy and universal education is an important step out of poverty and is one of the millennium developing goals. It is UNESCO (United Nations Education and Scientific and Cultural Organization) that is responsible to meet the literacy challenges for the UN. He also pointed out that in 1943 it was Rotary International tha t sponsored the conference in London that lead to the creation of UNESCO. Furthermore, Rotarians that wrote the first line of the preamble to the UNESCO constitution: "War Beings In The Minds of Men". Also, when UNESCO was officially established in 1947, after WWII, Rotarians were instrumental in including the word "Scientific" in the organization's name.

Helene-Marie Gosselin, (Montreal, Canada) the Director of the UNESCO's New York Office pointed out that there still remains an estimated 781 million adults, two thirds are women who are unable to read and write. There are also 77 million children of primary age who are not enrolled in school and more than three-quarters of these out-of-school children live in sub-Sahara Africa and south and west Asia. Moreover, there are millions of children who are enrolled in school but do not attend regularly, and consequently do not learn to read and write.

UNESCO launched an initiative known as Literacy Initiative for Empowerment (LIFE). This initiative aims to create learning opportunities for illiterate adults in the poorest 35 countries where literacy rates are under 50% or the illiterate population is greater than 10 million.

She encouraged Rotarians to continue their local community projects as well as their international literacy projects because illiteracy is prevalent in pockets of even the most developed countries: and Rotarians have be terrific partners with such groups as Literacy Volunteers of America, as well as English as a Second Language programs.

Martin Postma of the Rotary Club of Westminster, Colorado spoke about the Socially Conscience Coffee project that is providing for the first time education, healthcare, and economic opportunity to the coffee bean growers of northern Brazil. This program is also providing vocational skills training, and is purchasing products from regional businesses to help develop the local economy. Known in Portuguese as the Centro Rural Educafe, children from the Sinay Neves coffee farms and several neighboring coffee farms are now receiving a quality education and regular meals. In addition, local adult coffee farm workers and their wives also have the opportunity to learn how to read and write.


Water Panel
Dr. Roberto Lenton Senior (left) Advisor, The Earth Institute, Columbia University
David Spicer, (right) Past President and Ezra Teshome (second from left) PP of the Rotary Club of University District ,Washington USA Ethiopia Water Projects ,Doris Lewis Sargeant Moderator
Rotary Club of Smithtown, New York

Dr. Roberto Lenton, (Argentina )from The Earth Institute - Secretary - General Kofi Annan's advisory organization on the Millennium Development Goals outlined that clean and safe water is essential to human life. Yet, over one billion people lack clean, safe drinking water and over two billion lack access to hygienic sanitation. These two facts allow water and air borne, preventable diseases to claim 6 thousand lives daily around the world, - the majority of them being children. In addition, in many villages, water may be two to three miles away. Too often, women and children have to carry up to 40 pounds of water on their back and too often the water is unsafe to drink.

In addition providing more clean water can enhance the progress of many
of the MDG's. For example:
Health -Healthy people can better help themselves.
Hunger - Illness from unsafe water brings caloric loss and hunger.
Education -The hours not spent getting water can be spent in school.
Environment - Less pressure on fresh water supplies.


It was pointed out that currently Rotarians are conducting more than 8,000 club-to-club water projects. Rotarians David Spicer and Ezra Teshome from University District Rotary Club in Seattle, Washington, spoke about their partnership with four countries and four districts in the Ethiopian Water Project. This project trains local villagers to keep water wells clean and operational and sustainable. Very often water wells last only a few years after construction from over-use, lack of maintenance, and accountability. This program builds water wells, provides training and encourages responsible villagers to charge a small fee to finance the maintenance and supervision of the wells to insure sustainability.

The Rotary Clubs in Addis Ababa in Ethiopian (District 9200)helps provide funding and coordinates with the Seattle Rotary Clubs and "Water Partners" in prioritizing the most critical areas of need. They also provide oversight of the water projects and financial accountability.


Health Panel
Warren Kaufman, President of the Rotary Club of Carmel Valley California
Moderated by Joan J. Fyfe and Doctor Ortega UN project on HIV/AIDs

Dr. Ortega a physician born in the Philippines represented the Joint United Nations Program on HIV and AIDS, or UNAIDS, the main advocate for coordinated global action on the HIV epidemic. He gave an insightful presentation of the world's fight against the spread of the infection.

As of January 2006, UNAIDS estimates that AIDS has killed more than 25 million people since it was first recognized in 1981, making it one of the most destructive epidemics in recorded history. In 2005 alone, AIDS claimed an estimated 3 million lives, of which more than 570,000 were children. A third of these deaths are occurring in sub-Saharan Africa, retarding economic growth and destroying human capital. While drug treatment reduces both the mortality and the morbidity of HIV infection, access to the necessary medication is not available in all countries. The doctor also noted that blood transfusions of unsafe or untested blood is a significant cause for the spread of AIDs.
He pointed out that UNAIDS' mission is to lead, strengthen and support an expanded response to HIV / AIDS that includes preventing transmission , providing care and support to those already living with the virus, reducing the vulnerability of individuals and communities to HIV, and alleviating the impact of the epidemic. The doctor also emphasized that the UN is assertively seeking Civil Society engagement and the development of strategic partnerships with organizations like Rotary.

Warren Kaufman, Rotary Club of Carmel Valley, California outlined his club's Safe Blood Africa program. While as a Rotary Group Study Exchange Team Leader in Nigeria, Warren noticed many unnecessary deaths due to unsafe blood transfusions. Too often when a Nigerian needed an emergency transfusion, a family member was forced to purchase a pint or two from someone who was not healthy, primarily from lack of food or alcohol use. The blood was then transferred "hot" without the benefit of disease testing, HIV/AIDs positive, or typing. When a person receives a transfusion from an AIDS infected donor, the patient will 100% of the time contract AID/HIV or hepatitis as well as most other blood borne diseases.

The Safe Blood Africa that sends refrigerated Blood Banks with a generator and training material for safe blood handling to selected sites selected by Nigerian Rotary clubs.

The cost for the blood bank package is about $20,000. However, the Rotary system of matching grants makes participation in the program affordable for most clubs. Each blood bank is funded through a partnership that includes one or more clubs in District 6780 in California, a Nigerian club in District 9120, and the Rotary Foundation. For example, the donor club raised $6,000 , the district governor can then contributed $6,000 in District Designated Fund (DDF is the district portion of Rotary Foundation contributions) and District 9120 in Nigeria contributed $100 in DDF. This total is then matched by the Rotary Foundation in the amount of $12,100, with the $24,200 now available.

In 2005 the Safe Blood Africa program sent four blood banks to Nigeria and twenty more blood bank are planned for this year. It is estimated that 11,000 lives have already been saved in Africa by the project.





Hunger Panel

Janice S Chambers (right) ,Senior Editor of "The Rotarian", Rotarian James A Spencer (center) Oscar Avalle (left) Special Representative of the World Bank to the United Nations



Janice Chambers , Senior Editor of the Rotarian Magazine gave a very insightful presentation on the Crisis in Niger where she visited and wrote the cover page article in the September, 2005 Rotarian. She pointed out that Niger, very often confused with Nigeria, is one of the 14 African countries in Rotary District 9100 and has the dubious distinction of being the world's poorest nation. The average birth-rate is also among the highest with 8 births per-women and a life expectancy of only 44 years. Each year, it suffers from cyclical famine when all the grain has been consumed before the new harvest. As a result, the country slides even further into poverty. In September 2005, nearly a third of the country's 12 million people faced starvation. UNICEF officials report that the situation is still critical.



Aman Iman,
L'Eau, C'est la Vie
Water is Life


Recent droughts have pushed millions of Niger's people, who depend on rain water to sustain crops and livestock, to the brink of starvation. Two-thirds of Niger's surface is covered by the Sahel desert, which limits its people from migrating to more fertile grounds within their country.
Janice noted that Rotarians from District 1030 (England) set up the West Africa Trust to support projects in Niger. Inaddition, The Nomad Foundation, a U.S.-based nonprofit , joined the new Rotary Club of Agadez and teamed up with U.S. Rotarians on a new RI Matching Grant project. Belgian and German Rotarians are working on a number of RI Matching Grant project, partnering with Niger Rotarians and UNICEF to build wells. Rotarians worldwide have contributed more than $700,000 for humanitarian efforts in Niger last year, much of it for long-term, sustainable aid that will end help end the cycle of poverty.



Thomas McConnon
Director, Rotary Club of New York

UN Secretary- General Thanks Rotary International in Final Official Communication

Secretary-General Novermber 6, 2006
SG/SM/10716


Department of Public Information • News and Media Division • New York
ROTARY IS ‘LIVING PROOF’ THAT PEOPLE WITH DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS CAN GET ALONG,

WHICH IS THRUST OF HUMANITARIAN WORK, SECRETARY-GENERAL SAYS IN MESSAGE

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s message to the Rotary International Conference in New York on 4 November:

For more than 100 years, Rotary has been at the forefront of efforts to improve the lives of people around the world. And, since the United Nations was created, Rotary has been a wonderful partner to us. You have joined forces with us in efforts for health, literacy and poverty eradication. You have spread the word about the work of the United Nations. You have promoted peace through your exchange programmes. And, you have played a critical and historic role in our joint mission to eradicate polio worldwide.

Rotary is living proof that people with diverse backgrounds can learn to get along with each other and concentrate more on the things we have in common, rather than on the things that drive us apart. That is what our humanitarian work is all about.

This is the last time I will be writing to you as Secretary-General of the United Nations. So, this is the time to thank all of you for the wonderful support you have given me and the Organization for the past 10 years. Thank you for understanding that this is your United Nations. Thank you for understanding that it is up to all of us to make the most of this indispensable instrument, in the interests of the people it exists to serve. I wish you continued success in your valiant mission.

*

Spanish and Turkish “Alliance of Civilization” Initiative Seeking Civil Society Support - October 2006

Ambassador Palacio (left) earned his law degree from the University of Madrid, and is a graduate of the Madrid School of Diplomacy. He started his diplomatic career in 1983 and has served in Bolivia, Morocco, Brazil, Geneva and in 2004 was appointed Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York. The Ambassador was very involved with Rotary and attended many meetings while serving in Brazil. As such, he commends Rotary as a great humanitarian organization working to improve the world.He met with the International Service Divsion at our Monthly Breakfast meeting.



Events of recent years have exacerbated mutual suspicion, fear and misunderstanding between Islamic and Western societies, and this environment has been exploited by extremists throughout the world. With this in mind, when the prime minister of Spain José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero was first elected in 2005, he introduced the “Alliance of Civilization” initiative to bridge the divide between the Western and Islamic societies. Spain also invited a very special ally, the Prime Minister of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, to join in the initiative, because it is a nation at the crossroads of two different worlds and the dividing line between the Eastern and Western worlds.

The Alliance seeks to counter deterioration of relations between societies and nations, which could threaten international stability, and to promote a paradigm of mutual respect between civilizations and cultures.

Ambassador Palacio pointed out that the initiative needed to receive global legitimacy which is only attainable at the United Nations. Therefore, the Initiative had been presented at the 59th General Assembly and many members-states are in support. At the same time, this is a plan for tangible actions and the plan asks for support from civil society , foundations, and all organizations that are currently working in these fields to reach out to the areas of conflict and disaffection.


There are four areas that are crucial to the success of initiative:

Education - one example is misrepresentation in school text books
Youth - They are the future. It needs to be ascertained that misrepresentation is minimized and discrimination is reduced.
Migration -Spain being on the frontier of the EU is especially aware of how migratory movements can create tension. It is essential to learn how to effectively integrate new immigrants into new cultures.
Media - It should be determined what messages or images newspapers, films, television, video games, etc. are presenting of the other societies or their own society.

Editors Note:

Rotarians have been promoting cross-cultural exchanges through the Ambassadorial Scholars, High School Student Exchange , Group Study Exchange, and many other programs. Rotary is a perfect and experienced partner in assisting the “Alliance of Civilizations.”

RI President Honors New York Rotarian For Building United Nations Partnership

The President of Rotary International, William Boyd, presented New York Rotarian, Sylvan Barnet (Barney) a crystal plaque in recognition for his years of service in strengthening the United Nations - Rotary International Partnership to provide global humanitarian service. More than 1200 Rotarians, Rotaractors, and UN officials gave Mr. Barnet a standing ovation in the brimming UN conference center during Rotary at the United Nations Day on November 4, 2006

Humanitarian Partnership Established with Munich and Rotary Club of New York

The President of the Rotary Club of Munich - International, Raphaela Stricker (second from right) and Rotarian Hans-Dieter Lohneis (right) visited New York to promote and develop an international partnership with the Rotary Club of New York. President Raphaela’s initiative is for the two clubs to collaborate to finacially support and conduct international humanitarian projects and to enhance cross-cultural ties and friendship.

Lina Shehayeb,(third from left) a visiting Rotarian from Lebanon and frequent guest at the Rotary Club of New York, received a grant from the Rotary Club of New York’s Foundation. The grant will assist Lina's Club in Lebanon to provide humanitarian assistance to some of the victims of the recent devastating war in her country. Also included in the photo are Ed Gray (second from left) Chairman of the Rotary Club of New York’s Foundation, Giorgio Balestrieri, (third from right) Chairman of New York’s International Division and Kaan Soyak (left).



Tom McConnon

NY Rotarian, Ambassador Wolfgang Trautwein, Assigned to European Post - June 2006

Sylvan Barnet (left) presents a remembrance-gift to New York Rotarian, Ambassador Wolfgang Trautwein for his service and generous contributions to the Rotary Club of New York. Alas, our host for the last two years made it know that he is likely to be assigned to a new position in Europe and will be leaving New York in July. He plans to place the plaque in his new office and will join the Rotary Club at his new location.

China and the United Nations - June 2006

Two new Rotarians, Jay Joshi (left) and Jennie Shing (second from right) participated in this month’s round table discussion with Chinese Ambassador Zhang (second from left). They were welcomed by Rotary International's Alternate Representative to the United Nations, Sylvan Barnet (Center), and NY Rotarian, Ambassador Wolfgang Trautwein (Right). Ms. Shing, a commercial banker, recently returned from a one-month trip to China.

China’s Ambassador Outlines Role of the United Nations and Helps To Support Humanitarian Rotary Project in Shanghai.

Ambassador Yishan Zhang was the guest speaker at the June 7th International Breakfast Meeting of the Rotary Club of New York. He gave an enlightening and insightful summary of the economic advances and challenges of China, as well as providing the Chinese perspective of recent developments at the United Nations.
The meeting was hosted and moderated by New York Rotarian, Ambassador Wolfgang Trautwein of Germany. Ambassador Trautwein informed the participants that proceeds from the meeting were being donated to the new Rotary Club in Shanghai to help finance a health project and to foster a New York and Shanghai relationship. Alas, our host for the last two years also announced that he is likely to be assigned to a new position in Europe and will be leaving New York in July. The Ambassadors' friendship flourished while they were working together when Germany was a non-permanent member of the Security Council and Ambassador Zhang was the Council's president at the beginning of the Iraqi War.

Ambassador Zhang is a graduate of Beijing Foreign Studies University and received advanced degrees from Columbia and Princeton University. His extensive career with China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) include service in Geneva, and Vienna in an Ambassadorial capacity with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

In the first part of his presentation, the Ambassador noted that China has three special characteristics that everyone should Keep in mind:
First, China has a very long history. Ancient China made great contributions to mankind. However in 1840, starting with the Opium War with Great Britain, China was colonized by Western powers and suffered under this colonial system. Then, with the end of foreign occupation, the period from 1949 to the present is considered as the time for the "Rebirth of the Chinese Civilization".

Second, China has a huge potential market and has sustained close to a nine-percent growth rate over the last years. In fact, recently President Bush stated, when discussing Sino-American relations, that “China needs twenty-five million new jobs every year to stay even. Yet, I rejoice when our country gained 4 million new jobs since 2003." The Ambassador noted therefore that employment is a major dilemma of China. “We have a huge market but we need to create twenty-five million jobs a year.” “No mater how small a problem is, when it is multiplies by 1.3 billion it becomes a huge problem. Conversely, no matter what the Chinese economy achieves, when it is divided by 1.3 billion it is not enough.” Even though China is the 4th largest economy in the world, after Germany, in terms of per capita income China is posted at 111th!

He noted that during the last two decades, China has changed dramatically. The most basic change is the transformation from a demand economy to a market economy. There are no longer government planed production quotas. In the past, there was no private ownership of property. In the cities, property was “State Owned” and in the rural areas is was “Collective Owned.” Today, more than two-thirds of China's economic growth comes from the private sector.

Third, even with impressive economic gains, China still considers itself a developing country. This is particularly evident by the vast income-gap between those of the coastal cities and western China. However, progress is being made. The Millennium Development Goals of 2000 set-out to reduce the poverty in the world by half within fifteen years. Mr. Zhang was pleased to declare that China has already achieved this goal. In 2000, China had 250 million of its citizens living below the poverty level. Today, it is less than 26 million. The ambassador noted that China has become polio-free with some assistance from Rotary’s Polio-Plus Program. However, there are about 600,000 HIV/AID’s victims in China, and the government is taking bold steps to reduce this rate.

China views the United Nations as the most universally represented, intergovernmental organization in the world, and therefore promotion of the United Nations is part of China’s foreign policy. He outlines the three pillars of the United Nations:

• Security and Peace - Until recently, mainly because of its experience with colonialism, China has not favor the Peacekeeping operations of the United Nations. However it has changed its position gradually and now supports limited peacekeeping missions. Currently, China has some 6,000 civilian and armed personnel in several of the fifteen or so UN Peacekeeping Mission around the world.
  

• Economic and Humanitarian Development - As a developing country, and a member of the Group of 77, China feels developmental issues needs more emphasis at the UN. China is working for trade regulation improvements between developing countries and developed economies because many counties have become poorer over the last twenty years.
  

• Human Rights - The newly created Human Rights Council that replaced the often discredited Human Rights Commission will bring a “new page to the promotion and protection of human rights around the world” . The Council has declared in its charter that the “Protection of Human Rights is the Responsibility of the State.” Currently the Council is part of the General Assembly, but in five years its organizational effectiveness will be examined and may then become a charter organization or remain under the General Assembly.
  
  
  History of Rotary in China

Rotary has had a long, rich history with China. The first Rotary Club in Shanghai was chartered in 1919. By 1947 there were 32 clubs welcoming local businessmen and expatriates, but political changes resulted in the closure of all Rotary clubs on mainland China by 1953.
Rotary leaders met with Chinese officials to introduce Rotary as early as 1982. Actively pursing the possibilities of reintroducing Rotary to China, RI president led delegations to China in 1907, 2000 and 2002. The Board recognized that the Hong Kong Rotary clubs became part of the People’s Republic of China in 1999.
To demonstrate Rotary’s humanitarian ideals, grants and exchanges have been encouraged. As part of Polio Plus, Rotary has given $22 million to eliminate polio in China, a milestone that was achieved in 2001. A total of seven Group Study Exchanges have occurred since 1991. In addition, starting in 1997, Rotary clubs and the Rotary Foundation have built credibility by funding $975,000 in humanitarian projects throughout China, and Hong Kong clubs are raising US $1.3 million for Hepatitis B immunization for 1 million babies.
Provisional Rotary Clubs in China
RI granted provisional status to clubs in Beijing and Shanghai in 2001 and appointed an RI advisor to provide orientation to the club members. Currently, District 3450 provides training and support to the provisional clubs with the help of the three year training subsidy from RI.
The 38 members of the Provisional Rotary Club of Shanghai achieved 100% Paul Harris Fellow status three years ago. Their major fundraising supports the Gift of Life program, providing heart surgeries to Chinese children. They will precipitate in a GSE with District 5879 in Texas this year. In addition, the club administrators three Matching Grants, including a water project and a micro credit program to help women start businesses, and sponsors scholarships to the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. Nine countries are represented in the club membership, primarily from Europe, North America and Australia. Member classifications include medical consultant, professor, architect, lawyer and business management.
The Provisional Rotary Club of Beijing currently has five Matching Grants, the maximum number allowed. Four of the Matching Grants are for Gift of Life, including video conferencing between Chinese and US heart surgeons. More applications are pending, including a 3H grant. A Group Study Exchange with District 6490 in Illinois is planned this year. The club members also support Children’s Village in Beijing, a home for 115 children whose parents are in prison, work with a school for autistic children and helped to refurbish schools in Tibet. In addition, they are working to establish Rotaract and Interact in Beijing. The 52 members come from 12 countries, including Chinese from Hong Kong and other countries. Most members are CEO’s or senior managers from a variety of industries including , airline, hotel, banking, consulting, public relations, law, energy, information technology, pharmaceuticals, and automobile manufacturing.

t. mcconnon

UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and Actress, Mia Farrow, Meets With New York and Bermuda Rotarians

Award winning film actress, Mia Farrow personally thanked New York City area and Bermuda Rotarians for the near-eradication of polio from the planet. She spoke at the Rotary District 7230 Annual Conference held in Tarrytown, New York on April 28, 2006. Ms. Farrow was appointed United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Goodwill Ambassador in 2000. Since then, she has visited Nigeria and many other developing countries to participate in polio immunization campaigns on behalf of the United Nations in partnership with Rotary International. Mia joined the ranks of thousands of health professionals and volunteers as they have nearly immunize every child under the age of five. Ms. Farrow fell victim to polio when she was 9 years old while growing up in affluent Beverly Hills, California. She remembers those days well, and it changed her outlook on life. In addition, her adoptive son, Thaddeus, who was born in India, also contracted polio and is wheelchair dependent. Mia and her family therefore live the devastating effects of polio every day. She told Rotarians that her son's legs are atrophied and he needs to drag himself along the floor by his arms when he is not in a wheel chair. Ms. Farrow told the Rotarians that"In this great county of ours we make a lot of accommodations, but in the developing world everyday-life for polio victims is much more difficult. But thanks to the efforts of Rotary, 1.4 million children have been spared from this disease." In her friendly and personable manner the actress presented District Governor and past-president of the Rotary Club of New York, Helen Reisler, with a plaque thanking all Rotarians for the quest to eradicate polio. In return, Governor Helen presented the Goodwill Ambassador with a Paul Harris Fellowship and Mia graciously accepted it on behalf of the 1.4 million children that Rotary's program has saved. She asked that Rotarins invite her back once the Polio-Plus programs is completed and the world is certified polio-free. (In the photo, 85 year young , Rotary Club of New York's own Honorary Traveling Ambassador, "Uncle" Billy Delong outlines the friendship symbols of the "Pennsylvania Dutch". )



Thomas McConnon

Singapore's Ambassador Meets New York Rotarians

THE UN TODAY by Sheila Washinton, (Visiting Rotarian From San Diego, California)

It was Wednesday April 19th and at 8:30 am the Rotary Club NY was in session on the top floor of the German mission. It was a beautiful spring morning
for a room full of members, guests and the keynote speaker Ambassador Vanu Gopala Menon. The Ambassador is Singapore's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, and concurrently Singapore's High Commissioner to Canada.

After an excellent breakfast, opening remarks and announcements, coordinator and moderator Joe Klee of the International Division of the NYC Rotary introduced Ambassador Menon. Born in Singapore, September 8, 1960, Ambassador Menon joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in June 1985. He served in many leadership positions, including Singapore's Chief Negotiator for the Singapore-Australia Free Trade Agreement and Chairman of the World Trade Organization's Council for TRIPS from 2003-2004. He presented his credential to the United Nations in September of 2004.

In his overview, the Ambassador's comments reminded us that the UN has evolved from an institution founded to prevent war. It has evolved into an umbrella organization whose work today revolves around a seemly ambitious and open-ended agenda. Its scope of work includes but is not limited to, human rights, economic development, world health, child welfare, women's rights, international justice, trade, and intellectual property among other tasks. The UN has been praised for helping eliminate apartheid in South Africa, coordinating the mammoth relief effort for the 2004 tsunami in Southeast Asia and setting benchmarks for combating global poverty, hunger and disease as part of its Millennium Development goals. It is not usually that the UN is the first responder coordinating efforts in times of global crisis.

However, its long list of accomplishments is usually trumped by a short list of hot-button items that create and rule its image. This includes, the stronger image of the oil-for-food program in Iraq amidst allegation of corruption, peacekeepers accused of various crimes, and its seemly ineffective human-rights commission.

The UN began with about 50 states. In its 60th year, there are 191 member states.
Supporters and critics alike agree that the United Nations needs an overhaul booth physically and institutionally. In addition, its governance and management are under attack from many directions.

The Ambassador highlighted issues for the reform process.
Building a peace keeping force that stands on its own. In most countries, the UN has the Good Housekeeping Seal of approval and has proved itself effective in peace keeping efforts. Historically, small and medium sized countries are more likely to act at the request of the UN than from an individual country. However, there is no standing UN peace keeping force for timely assignment.
Restructuring of the discredited Human Rights Commission.
It currently takes a 2/3 vote to remove a State from the Commission. A change to simple majority is one of the proposals under consideration.


Investing In Development: Both developed and developing countries have a stake in development. As globalization races on it presents new and fast moving challenges to the member states. In a final report to the UN in 2005, an action plan was outlined to achieve the goal to cut world poverty by half in a decade. Will the member States seize the opportunity to take action?

Adapting True Management Reform: Secretary General Annan announced in March a bottom-up look at how the Secretariat should be managed. The plan includes, taking certain functions out of New York and implementing rigorous monitoring for more transparency of processes and procedures.

Image Building: Recalling that the US took the lead in the creation of the UN, there is currently a substantial and vocal hostility to the UN in the US. How can the UN promote the UN in the US?

Looking Ahead
The General Assembly remains a place for discussion and achieving consensus on these and other issues. The awesome veto power the Security Council membership of 5, seem to be lessened since the end of the Cold War. Because there is a general recognition that the world is interconnected and for all practical purposes it has no borders. The biggest challenge ahead for these two main bodies is the selection of the next Secretary General by the end of 2006. The outcome of that process will be most telling for the UN's future.

Creating a more effective format for explaining the UN and a common understanding of its goals for the general public's consumption is under consideration. For instance, directing some criticism directly at the Member State maybe more appropriate. If a problem were to go to the Security Council and one of its members blocked meaningful action, is it fair to consider that action a failure of the UN or for the record, is it the result of a UN State that prevented the UN from doing its job?

In summary, the Ambassador gave Rotarians a sensitive and comprehensive picture of the UN today. He expressed deeply the commitment of his country to a vital UN that can meet its challenges effectively. It was also gratifying to learn of the dedicated work of his delegation over the years to affect meaningful change that is consistent with the global challenges.
On the face of it, it seems that since its 60th anniversary summit, the UN is taking steps to make the adjustment needed for a comprehensive overhaul of its operating structure and management.
And so it was on a beautiful spring morning in April, as we headed off in different directions, there was a better understanding and, just maybe the knowledge that the momentum for reform can be sustained. At the UN today, the glass is half full.
The hope for a better way of life for most people on this planet is still alive.

Mexican Official Promotes More Communication

IF IT'S TUESDAY, IT MUST BE ROTARY CLUB OF NEW YORK By Shelia Washington (Visiting Rotarian from San Diego, California)

It was Tuesday March 14, 2006 MEXICO DAY

The Mariachis with Rotarian Rosario "Charo" De Pretti singing along provided the musical atmosphere for a festive luncheon. After the Mexican and the US National Anthems and Invocation, President Bill Currie welcomed all to the first Mexico Day. An excellent Ensalada Tehnana (salad) wetted our appetite for the sumptuous Mexican lunch catered by Café Frida.

It was also the day to award two students with scholarships. The award citations for Ms. Alendi Vidal and Ms. Elizabeth Rozon showed accomplished students with well-rounded civic and academic lives. They were accompanied to the stage by Deputy Consul General of Mexico Francisco Javier Diaz de Leon.

A raffle for round trip tickets to Mexico City and dinner for two at Café Frida added to the festivities. The proceeds go to --?--

At first glance it was easy to expect a standard Chamber of Commerce speech from the keynote Speaker, Ambassador Eduardo Ramos Gomez. He is President of the U.S. Mexico Chamber of Commerce, Northwest Region, and formerly Ambassador to Singapore.
However, Ambassador Gomez gave one of the most thoughtful speeches on the Mexico/US relations and the North American family of nations. It was good to be reminded that Mexico is the second largest trading partner of the US.
He highlighted four issues: Water, health/Aids, energy and emigration while emphasing the need for a focus on health issues. He pointed out that since 9/11, Mexico/NAFTA have been left dangling and Latin America in general with a leadership vacuum. In addition, the child, NAFTA who is more than ten years old is unattended in its adolescence. What's the next phase to fulfill the promise for the North American family of US, Mexico and Canada as conceived by the creation of NAFTA was the plea.

In a quiet but compelling voice, Ambassador Gomez expressed puzzlement as to why the nations were not sitting down to talks about our common goals and common problems. However, he left us with a sense of confidence that the underlying strengths of the North American relationship, experience and wisdom, will win out.

Mexico Day 2006 was festive and most enjoyable even as it provides much food for thought.

Taiwan Seeks Support For United Nations Membership - March 2005

• 
  
  
  This month's guest speaker was Professor Lung-chu Chen (center) who received his doctor of the science of law degree from Yale University and is Chairman of the Taiwan New Century Foundation. Professor Chen is also a Professor of Law at New York Law School and President of the Taiwan United Nations Alliance. He announced that he was proud to be among fellow Rotarians. Professor Chen was a Rotarian in Orange, Connecticut, USA, and Charter President of Taipei Far East Rotary Club. He proudly reported that there are more than one hundred Rotary clubs in Taipei. Also in the photo are Dr. Jaw-Ling Joanne Chang (left), Deputy Representative of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office. NY Rotarian Paul Hsiao (right) was the meeting's moderator.
• 
  The Professor outlined his concern regarding the injustice of excluding Taiwan from the United Nations. “There are 192 countries in the world and Taiwan is the only country that is not a member of the United Nations.” As a democratic, economically prosperous, country of 23 million people, Taiwan wants to be a member of the community of nations. “We are not asking for membership as a representative of all of China, but as the independent state of Taiwan” (ROC), he noted. Political reality is that Taiwan exists as an independent state and is a separate country from the People’s Republic of China . The “One China” policy needs to be restated as the “One China and One Taiwan” policy.
  The Republic of China (Taiwan) was a member of the United Nations until 1971. However, because of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) pressure and the United States' improving relations with the PRC during the early 1970’s, the United Nations General Assembly approved Resolution 2758 that recognized the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as the only lawful representative of China in the United Nations and its related organizations.
  Resolution 2758: Restoration of the Lawful Rights of the People's Republic of China in the United Nations
  The General Assembly,
  Recalling the principles of the Charter of the United Nations,
  Considering the restoration of the lawful rights of the People's Republic of China is essential both for the protection of the Charter of the United Nations and for the cause that the United Nations must serve under the Charter,
  Recognizing that the representatives of the Government of the People's Republic of China are the only lawful representatives of China to the United Nations and that the People's Republic of China is one of the five permanent members of the Security Council,
  Decides to restore all its rights to the People's Republic of China and to recognize the representatives of its Government as the only legitimate representatives of China to the United Nations, and to expel forthwith the representatives of Chiang Kai-shek from the place which they unlawfully occupy at the United Nations and in all the organizations related to it.
  1967th plenary meeting, #25 October 1971.
  
  While many member-states supported the 1971 resolution recognizing The People’s Republic of China (PRC) as the only lawful representative of China, Professor Chen clearly pointed out that the PRC had itself only been in existence since 1949 and that it has never ruled Taiwan for a single day. Taiwan and China have divergent political, economic, social and cultural systems and are two independent states.
  
  Historical Background
  Following China’s defeat in the first Sino-Japanese War in 1895, China ceded Taiwan to Japan in perpetuity. However, while Japan spent the next 50 years attempting to make Taiwan part of its empire, Japan’s rule of Taiwan came to an end with its defeat in World War II in 1945. In 1949, with the end of the Chinese civil war between the Kuomintang (KMT) and the Chinese Communists, the ROC administration, led by Chiang Kai-shek, was exiled to Taiwan. In the San Francisco Peace Treaty with Japan and the Peace Treaty between the ROC and Japan, both of which came into force in 1952, Japan formally renounced all rights, claims and title to Taiwan. However, the treaties failed to determine who was the beneficiary state upon Japan’s renunciation. As such, Taiwan’s legal status remained undefined, but it was expected, at the time, to be settled through the United Nations in the near future.
  The question of “Chinese Representation” at the United Nations was left to be addressed by the General Assembly. Unfortunately, “The Moratorium Formula” which was implemented whenever the situation was put before the General Assembly postponed a decision year after year. This postponement cycle lasted until the early 1960’s when many former African and Asian colonies acquired UN membership. During this time, the new member-states inherited the conundrum of supporting the ROC which represented China at the UN, but did not have access to the mainland; or to support the PRC which had control of the mainland, but was denied UN membership. Another delaying tactic at the time, the professor outlined, was the “Important Question Formula” which stipulated that any decision regarding Chinese Representation required a 2/3 majority from the General Assembly, and thereby further delayed any action on this issue.
  Until 1987, Resolution 2758 was not openly questioned by the Taiwanese people primarily because Taiwan was under “martial law” and its citizens could not protest the fact that they were international orphans. However, by 1993, Taiwan had attempted to gain entry in the United Nations under joint proposals sponsored by countries friendly to Taiwan, considering, among other things, Article 4 of the UN Charter.
  United Nations Charter - Article 4
  1. Membership in the United Nations is open to all other peace-loving states which accept the obligations contained in the present Charter and, in the judgment of the Organization, are able and willing to carry out these obligations.
  2. The admission of any such state to membership in the United Nations will be effected by a decision of the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council.
  Each year, since 1993, the government of Taiwan has asked friendly member-states to submit a proposal (click here to view the General Assembly proposal) http://www.un.org/documents/ga/docs/53/plenary/a53-145.htm to the UN requesting Taiwan’s participation. Paradoxically, only mostly small, developing nations in Africa, Central America, and Pacific Islands region have official diplomatic relations with the Republic of China, while many of the larger, more powerful countries, such as the United States and the United Kingdom have de facto embassies in Taiwan. The United States, for example, maintains unofficial diplomatic relations through the American Institute in Taiwan. Taiwan’s de facto embassies are referred to as "Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Offices" and the equivalent of consulates are called "Taipei Economic and Cultural Offices"
  
  The Main Reasons The United Nations Should Support Taiwan Membership are:
  
  l UN Principle of Universal Participation－without Taiwan the UN does not represent the whole world and all humankind.
  l Fundamental Human Rights－Taiwan should have their voice heard by the world community and would enhance the peace and security of the Asian Pacific.
  l Share the "Taiwan Experience" with other member-states: not only economic development but the development of the universal values of democracy, freedom, and human rights.
  l Taiwan would actively contribute financially and otherwise to the UN.
  
  What Steps Should Be Taken?
  
  l Member-states must support the discussion of Taiwan on the merits not on what the PRC demands.
  l Acceptance of "One China and One Taiwan Policy".
  l Government of Taiwan needs to push for membership under Article 4, in addition to support of Allies.
  l Inform the world community that excluding Taiwan from the UN is a grave injustice.
  l Collective responsibility and collective decision of member-states to act on this issue.
  l Recognize the political reality of recent decades that China and Taiwan are two independent states.
  
  At the conclusion of the meeting, Dr. Jaw-Ling Joanne Chang from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Washington D.C. noted that some short term progress is being made with Taiwan participation with the World Health Organization (WHO) regarding Asian and global health concerns.
  YIR, tm
  
  Reposted by Rotary Club of New York, International Service Division, Saturday, May 6, 2006.

Tom McConnon

Enhancing Women's Global Leadership Through Information Technology

The Rotary Club of New York was a Cornerstone Business Co-sponsor of the two day Conference at the United Nations on March 8th and 9th titled:
“Enhancing Women’s Global Leadership Through Information Technology: Strengthening the Business Environment for Women; & Increasing the Participation of Women in Political Decision Making.
The overall goal was to explore the use of Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) in creating an environment for the advancement of women.
The main points covered included:
-Trends in Women’s Employment
-Remedies for Gender Imbalance at the Top
-Overcoming Challenges of Gender Inequality
-Best Practice Examples from IT Leaders
In 1947, the Economic and Social Council established the Commission on the Status of Women to promote the political, economic, civil, social, and educational advancement of women. http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/csw/index.html
The Millennium Declaration adopted in 2000 highlighted the importance of Information and Communication technologies be made available to all. The first phase was held in Geneva at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in December 2003 to have all member states endorse this principle and develop a plan of action. The second phase will focus on the monitoring of progress of feasible actions, presenting "good practices" and "lessons learned". At the Geneva conference Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, stated “There is a gender [digital] divide with women and girls enjoying less access to information technology than men and boys. This can be true of rich and poor countries alike”.

The conference was organized by AIT Global, the Global Association of Management and IT Executives, http://www.aitglobal.com/ and sponsored by IBM, AMD, InfoWorld Media Group IDG Publishing, AFCEA, and others.

YIR, tm

What was Rotary in 1918?

What is Rotary?
From the New York Times Historical Data Base
A Full Page Advertisement from May 22, 1918
A Rotary Club is an organization of business men bound together by the understanding to better the life and conditions in the community. Primarily the idea was to stimulate interchange of business among members, but this proved provincial and has long been discontinued. Today Rotary stands for the highest ideals in the business and social life, with benefit to all, and favoritism to none.
There are 888 clubs in as many cities of the United States, Canada, Great Britain, and Cuba. The movement stated in 1905, and today there are 86,806 Rotarians each pledged to an unselfish duty. The Rotary Club of New York has 412 members, each representing a different line of business or profession. By virtue of its membership principles , Rotary cannot be dominated in a single selfish direction, but must serve the greatest number fearlessly and trustily. These leaders of industry offer this page to the public as an expression of sincerely in business and community betterment.
Rotarians are in business to serve. If you go to one of these advertisers on this page, or purchase his merchandise, you are assured of full value, courtesy and no misrepresentation.

McConnon

United Nations Encouraging More Partnerships With Civil Society And NGO's

1. Ms. Isolda Oca, (second from right) Deputy Chief of the NGO Section of the United Nations Department of Pubic Information (UNDPI), along with the Executive Director of the World Federalist Movement, William Pace (left) and Vice Chair of CONGO, Jackie Shapiro, (third from right) met with Rotarians at the International Service Division’s Monthly Breakfast Meeting to outline the role of civil society and non-governmental organizations at the UN. The meeting was moderated by New York Rotarian, Professor Mikio Tajima (second from left). Jay Joshi (right) our newest New York Rotarian also participated.

Ms. Oca is the liaison officer to the approximately three thousand NGO’s that maintain consultative status with the UN. Originally from the Philippines, where her father and brother were Rotarians, and her family hosted two Rotary exchange students in Manila, Isolda is very familiar with Rotary. She outlined how Rotarians were essential in the creation of the United Nations and that one of the reasons that the unsuccessful predecessor of the UN, the League of Nations, failed was because civil society was not incorporated into the organizational structure. It was a wise decision of U.S. Presidents Franklyn Roosevelt and Harry Truman to insist that Rotarians be involved in the creation of the United Nations. She noted that Article 71 of the UN Charter encouraged NGO cooperation which the UN and that Rotary’s successful Polio-Plus Program could not have been possible without this provision.

Article 71 in Chapter X of the United Nation Charter states:
“The Economic and Social Council may make suitable arrangements for consultation with Non-government organizations which are concerned with matters within its competence. Such arrangements may be made with international organizations and, where appropriate, With national organizations after consultation with the Member of the United Nations concerned.”

Ms. Oca noted that there is a growing force of civil society at the United Nations, and the UNDPI wants to provide assistance. While the United Nations is not an organization of civil society, but of member states, civil society can, and does, have a voice in the process. “Today, the United Nations stands for a world where people of different nations and cultures can look at each other, not with fear and suspicion, but as potential partners to exchange good and ideas for their mutual benefit, and civil society is a vital partner in this endeavor.”

In the last few years, commitment to civil society involment has become evident by the realignment of the UN outreach programs to engage and assist civil society.

They include:

1. Recent conference titled “Our Challenge: Voices for Peace Partnership and Renewal”. (Rotary was represented at this conference as well as 700 other organizations. The next conference is scheduled for September, 2006);
2. “NGO Briefings” are held every Thursday from 10am to 12pm. UNDPI provides the perspectives of member states, the UN, and that of civil society, on issues pending at the UN;
3. Communication and Information-exchange workshops to enhance NGO’s dissemination of information;
4. UNDPI library has transformed from a library of book collection to that of people connection;
5. Orientation programs for new NGO’s;
6. Commission of the Cordoza Report by the Secretary General in 2003 that recommends future and enhanced UN interaction with Civil Society;
7. Establishment of NGO “Focal Points” at most UN agencies and Departments;
8. Establishment of “Special Advisor for NGO Relations” to the President of the General Assembly;
9. Significant NGO input in the 2005 Outcome Document as examplified by “No development without security, no security without development, and no security without human rights”.
   
   
   Bill Pace, the Executive Director of the World Federalist Movement, and considered by many as one of the leading experts in NGO and UN partnerships, pointed out that the United States contributes approximately $4 billions a year in to the UN system or about $13 per capita; Norway contributes approximately $125, Netherlands $45, France $18 and Canada with $8 per capita. Compared to all-level government spending at the national, state, and local levels where total government spending in the United States is approximately $20,000 per person, relatively very little spending is done at the international, or global, level. As such, with increasing responsibilities and challenges including, poverty eradication, environmental degradation, terrorism, peace keeping, etc., the UN needs to tap the resources and the expertise available from NGO’s and Civil Society.
   
   The World Federalist Movement, once headed by Sir Peter Ustinov, is an international citizen's movement working for justice, peace, and sustainable prosperity. They lobby for an end to the rule of force, through a world governed by law, based on strengthened and democratized world institutions. World federalists support the creation of democratic global structures accountable to the citizens of the world and call for the division of international authority among separate-agencies.
   
   Jackie Shapiro, vice-chair of CONGO (The Conference of NGOs in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations), outline the work of her organization. For more than 50 years, Congo has been actively promoting the involvement of NGOs in working with United Nations, especially in developing countries and in achieving the UN’s Millennium Goals and currently represents more that 500 NGO's. http://www.ngocongo.org/
   As stated on their web site, CONGO assists a variety of nongovernmental organizations in consultative status to promote their common aim of supporting the United Nations Charter. It works on behalf of nongovernmental organizations in consultative status to develop that status and improve their relationship and cooperation with the United Nations and its various organs. It also provides a forum for nongovernmental organizations with common interests to come together to study, plan, support, and act in relation to the principles and programs of the United Nations
   
   
   As defined by the UNDPI, a non-governmental organization (NGO) is any non-profit, voluntary citizens' group which is organized on a local, national or international level. Task-oriented and driven by people with a common interest, NGOs perform a variety of services and humanitarian functions, bring citizens' concerns to Governments, monitor policies and encourage political participation at the community level. They provide analysis and expertise, serve as early warning mechanisms and help monitor and implement international agreements. Some are organized around specific issues, such as human rights, the environment or health. Their relationship with offices and agencies of the United Nations System differs depending on their goals, their venue and their mandate.
   
   Historically, NGO’s with consultative status are divided into three categories:

• Those organizations with a basic interest in most of the activities of the Council.
• Those organizations which have a special competence in, and are concerned specifically with, only a few of the Council’s fields of activity.
• Those organizations which have a significant contribution to make to the work of the Council which may be placed on a register for ad hoc consultations.
  
  NGOs applying for association with UNDPI should satisfy the following requirements:
• Must support and respect the principles of the Charter of the United Nations;
• Must be of recognized national or international standing;
• Should operate solely on a non-for-profit basis and have tax-exempt status;
• Must have the commitment and the means to conduct effective information programs with its constituents and to a broader audience about UN activities by publishing newsletters, bulletins and pamphlets; organizing conferences, seminars and round tables; or enlisting the attention of the media;
• Should have an established record of continuity of work for a minimum of three years and should show promise of sustained activity in the future;
• Should have a satisfactory record of collaboration with UN Information Centers/Services or other parts of the UN System prior to association;
• Should provide an audited annual financial statement, conducted by a qualified independent accountant;
• The NGO should have statutes/bylaws providing for a transparent process of taking decisions, elections of officers and members of the Board of Directors.
  
  
  

President of the 60th General Assembly, Jan Eliasson, Addresses Rotary - November 2005

Jan Eliasson, President of the 60th Session of United Nations’ General Assembly, who is the senior ranking officer of the United Nations, addressed the assembly. President Eliasson is the former Sweden Ambassador to the United States and Swedish Permanent Representative to the United Nations. Coincidently, President Eliasson is from the same town in Sweden as our own Rotary International President. President Eliasson stated that he was a recipient of the Rotary High School Exchange Program, and studied for one year in Indiana. During that time, he addressed more than 50 Rotary clubs and one unforgettable Indiana Ladies Church group.During his talk, he suggested that we must remember, “There is a world outside of Verona”, as written in Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”. To show that, “We must be engaged not only in our local and national scenes but also internationally”. We need to reach the moment in history when we all understand that good and effective international cooperation is indeed in our national interest. That we can say that we truly internationalist and that is why we love our country. ”We all need to show the world that we have international solutions for international problems. YIR, tm

RI Pesident Carl-Wilhelm Stenhammar Address Rotarians At United Nations - November 2005

President Carl-Wilhelm Stenhammar of Rotary International (second from Left)provided insight and inspiration to our organization of business and professional men and women. He stated that he is proud to be Rotarian because we work for peace and better understanding of people. He happily announced that at that morning’s Rotary International Board Meeting, new Rotary clubs in the Peoples Republic of China and Cuba were now being established. “We will now have Rotary Clubs in 170 countries”, and he hopes that in the “near future Rotary will have clubs in all the countries of the United Nations”.President Carl shared his view that it is the of youth programs of Rotary that are the best way for Rotary work for peace. “If we could have every seventeen year old be an exchange student, we would have no more wars”. He also noted that many poverty eradication programs are too big for one any one organization to solve. Therefore, Rotary’s “cooperation and continuity” the with the World Health Organization and UNICEF to eradicate polio has proven to be very effective. He encouraged Rotarians to continue to concentrate their respective efforts the Millennium Goals, especially water and literacy projects. “Water is a gift a nature and we cannot produce more, the water we drink today was here with the dinosaurs”. He also asked Rotarians to encourage the political leadership of the world to support the achievement of the United Nations Millennium Goals.

3 Days After Historic Snow Fall - Most Is Melted In Spring-like Weather - Feb 2006

Visiting Rotarian Exchanges Banner- February 2006

Ms. Isolda Oca, one of February's guest speakers at the International Division's monthly breakfast meeting, participates in a club banner exchange with a visiting Rotarian, Ken Robertshaw, form Halifax England. Also included in photo are (left to right) are NYR Paul Caruso, NYR John German, NYR Mikio Tajina, Visiting Rotarian, and RCNY Director, Giorgio Balestrieri

Nepal Conflict Prevention with Maoist - January 2006

Mikio Tajima, the Executive Director of Conflict Prevention NGO 'Reconciliation 21' spoke briefly about his recent mission in Nepal. The king dismissed the country's government on February 1 of 2005 because he was dissatisfied with the government's results in battling the Maoist insurgents. He held consultations with a number of potential actors in the conflict. The situation is still unsettled. Mikio outlined how the international community might assist, if and when national consensus might evolve one day in favor of holding peace talks outside Nepal. In this connection, the Japanese government has been urged to offer a site for possible peace talks, preferably in Okinawa.

Iraqi Ambassador Thanks Rotarians For Children's Heart Surgery - Jan 2006

The Permanent Representative of Iraq to the United Nations, Ambassador Samir Shakir Mahmood Sumaida’ie (3rd from left) visited the Rotary Club of New York’s Monthly Breakfast Meeting at the United Nation to thank Rotarians for arranging and financing high- risk heart surgery at a New York hospital for six Iraqi children. Rotary’s Gift of Life has arranged this surgical procedure for more than 9,000 children over the last twenty years, but these are the first children from Iraq. The children, all boys, range in age from 6 years to 14 years and were accompanied by their fathers and have been in New York for about two weeks. They have all fully recovered, and are now expected to live a long and healthy life.


The Ambassador emphasized that this Rotary service project was indeed a Gift of Life, but it was also a “Gift of Good-Will”. Their families and friends will remember the generosity and humanity of Americans for years to come.

He outlined another recent situation of a young mother who needed extensive eye reconstruction from a terrorist inflicted injury. A prominent Iraqi surgeon, practicing in New York, donated the surgery and hospital costs, and the Ambassador arranged for housing and transportation.

Ambassador Sumaida’ie noted that obviously there is a great need for this type of humanitarian work and there are many cases that need to be done. These acts of humanity are also important because they resonate in people’s memories. People witness, first-hand, the humanity of Americans, as well as all the nationalities that are part of the Rotary Club of New York. “We must all feel we are one human family and this is where the hope for the future lies.” he concluded.

YIR, tm

Israel and United Nations Reform - June 2005

At the June 19, 2005 meeting of the Rotary Club of New York’s Breakfast meeting, Ambassador Daniel Carmon, Deputy Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations (3rd From left) spoke about UN Reform and Israel. Ambassador Carmon was born in Tel Aviv and attend schools in Jerusalem and Paris and serviced as a Paratrooper in the Israeli Defense Force. He was awarded a B.A. in International Affairs from Hebrew University in 1973. He started his career with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and served in Washington and Argentina. 1996-2000 dept of Public Affairs Director and now Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations for Israel. He noted that he has had many contacts with Rotary over the years.

There was high hope when the State of Israel was established after World War II and entered the newly established UN. Membership in the UN promised democracy, equal representation and equality of rights for all members. However once the organization entered adolescence , the UN mechanism was being misused and Israel was being treated differently than other member states. He pointed out that “inside politics” allowed Israel to be denied its basic rights as a member of the organization.

He detailed some of the shortfalls of the current model. For example, the UN Charter gives every member the right to membership of the Security Council and membership is decided according to geographic distribution and council members are selected from the 5 geographical groupings. Geographically, Israel should belong to the Asian group. However, because of political differences with its neighbors, Israel was not accepted into the Asian Group. Therefore it had to be given indefinite, temporary, membership the Western Europe and Others Group (WEOG). As a result, for many years Israel could not be considered a candidate or nominated for any position.
He also pointed out the long list of UN resolutions concerning Israel every year. The current system allows voting-blocks to pass or reject any resolution, no mater how one-sided. He noted that there is no connection between the resolutions and diplomatic advances made. Every year the same 19 or so one-sided resolutions are introduced.
He also noted that, Emergency Special Sessions were primarily held on Israeli issues. It was also pointed out that over 25 percent condemnations issued by the Commission on Human Rights referred to Israel.
The Ambassador that he is only talking about the Middle-East. He is sure that the same inside politics is going on in the other regions. For example, in such recent genocides such as Rwanda, the Balkans, and the current situation in Sudan the UN has paralyzed itself and was unable to take any action.
There are, however, hopeful and symbolic events taking place. Dan Gillerman, the Permanent Representative of Israel to the UN was elected as the Vice President of the 60th UN General Assembly. The last Israeli elected to this post was Abba Eban in 1952. While Ambassador Gillerman is only one of twenty-one vice presidents, it was considered an historic and significant event in Israel. In addition, Israel is being considered for a position on the Security Council in 2018. Again, he emphasized, it is symbolic that we can be even been considered. Just a few years back, Israel would not have been able even to be proposed as a candidate. The Ambassador credits these advances with the help of its many friends in the UN such as many countries in Europe, the United States Canada and Australia.
Ambassador Carmon is very interested in reading the upcoming recommendations of the United States Congressional Committee on UN reform. Hopefully its recommendations will make the UN more effective in providing equal rights and representation to all its members.

YIR, tm

Over 500 Rotarians Meet At The United Nations - Nov 2005

Professor Jeffrey Sachs Thanks Rotarians For Helping UN to Acheive Millenium Development Goals- Nov 2005

Professor Jeffrey Sachs, Special Advisor to the Secretary General and Director of the United Nations Millennium Project is also the Director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University and was listed as one of the one-hundred most influential leaders in the world by Time magazine. Also pictured are (from left) are Frank C. Collins Jr., President Carl-Wilhelm Stenhammar, Professor Jeffrey Sachs, Isolda Oca, and David Linett


He thanked Rotarians for their work and their one hundred years of service. “Rotarians stand for what all citizens need to be”, and when I gives speeches around the world, I always points out to other organizations Rotary’s Polio-Plus campaign as a model of public-private partnerships, he noted. Rotary International was the first of all organizations to understand the global mission that we have one world.

The Millennium Developmental Goals of 2000 are the world’s shared hopes and goals. Unfortunately, they are not on track. The MDG’s are the life and death struggle for the world. Twenty to thirty thousand men, women, and especially children die every day of extreme poverty. A $7.00 anti-malaria treated bed-net will last for 5 years and protect 2 children, yet 3 million will die from malaria “The goals are sensible and achievable yet they are still bold commitments. We still have a decade to put in the practical steps in even the poorest and the most seemingly hopeless parts of the planet. In the Polio-Plus program, “Rotarians did not say we are going to implement our life saving project in only parts of the planet and that some of the other countries are too poor, or hopeless, or too poorly governed to get the job done”. Needless to say, if the MDG are not achieved on schedule, it will be an embarrassment for all and “we will be a world without shared goals.”
He also emphasized that we need all of the goals to be achieved since poverty has to be defined in its entirety of income, hunger, gender equality, disease control, safe child birth, access to water and sanitation, and environmental sustainability.
The world leaders got it so right when they set the goals in 2000. “The definition of poverty is not one dollar a day; if there is no clinic, no roads, and no girls going to school what good is one dollar a day”.


Millennium Goal Villages require assistance to eliminate extreme poverty:
· Donated seed and fertilizer
· Treadle pumps for water
· Schools available for male and female children,
· School meals in the schools as an incentive to send their daughters as well as their sons to the schools
· Local clinic that is stocked with oral dehydration solutions, basic antibiotics for acute respiratory in