Rotary Partners

[Kristin K]

Rotary International is a very large and powerful organization, with members working to bring Peace through Service.  Under the new Future Vision program, there are a variety of grants available to use towards service projects.  Some of these grants allow Rotarians to work with Rotary's partner organizations to make an even bigger difference in worldwide humanitarian work.  

Some of the partnerships that Rotary has in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative are the World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control, and UNICEF, though probably the partner most well known to us is the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.  Huge achievements have been made in the global fight against polio since 1988, when the World Health Assembly resolved to eradicate the disease.  Since 1988, more than 2.5 billion children have been immunized against polio thanks to the unprecedented cooperation of more than 200 countries and 20 million volunteers, backed by an international investment of over US$ 8 billion.The number of polio cases worldwide has decreased by more than 99%, from 350,000 in 1988 to less than 2,000 cases in 2009. The number of endemic countries has decreased from over 125 in 1988 to just four – Afghanistan, India, Nigeria and Pakistan – by the end of 2006.  Currently, there are polio case in six countries - three endemic countries (Afghanistan, Nigeria, and Pakistan), and three countries which were previously polio free (Chad, Angola, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo), per the Global Polio Eradication website. 

Under the Future Vision Plan, The Rotary Foundation Trustees have formed partnerships to offer service opportunities to Rotarians through packaged global grants.  These strategic partners include Aga Khan University (educating medical professionals), Mercy Ships (a floating hospital docked in Eastern Africa to provide medical surgeries and services), Oikocredit International (a group investing in the world's poor by providing microcredit loans for business), and UNESCO - Institute for Water Education.  Please look online to read more about these strategic partners.

Another organizations that provides a number of great opportunities for Rotarians to serve worldwide is Shelterbox.  In District 7890, we are blessed to have Peter and PDG Sue Klock, who have both spent considerable time and energy being involved with Shelterbox.  This is an organization that I too, really enjoy, because it provides the basic necessities to people all over the world, who have been struck by disaster.  I have seen the tents in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, in Haiti after the Earthquake, and have read about deployments all over the world after mudslides, floods, tsunamis, etc.

And lastly, one other type of partnership with The Rotary Foundation are the universities around the world that offer fellowships leading to degrees or certificates in Conflict Prevention and Resolution.  These are distinguished as Rotary Peace Centers.  There are currently seven programs available at the schools below.  Though most are full degree programs, the one at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand is a 3 month certificate program open to Rotarians and non-Rotarians.  The students that are accepted into these Peace Centers are bright, in peace-related fields, and often get involved in careers with Governments, Diplomacy, at the World Bank, within branches of the United Nations, or with other NGO's (non-governmental organizations).  

• Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand (professional development center)
• Duke University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA
• International Christian University, Tokyo, Japan
• Universidad del Salvador, Buenos Aires, Argentina
• University of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England
• University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia 
• Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden

So, of the information provided, what are some of the partnerships that you were unaware of? Were there any of these partner organizations that you would consider helping with personally, or suggesting involvement and support by your own club?  Thanks for reading.  The information for this program was provided from the Rotary.org website, as well as the links to a few of the partner sites directly.