Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
campaign. the structure of the organisation and the quality of its membership have
played a significant role in allowing this to be the case.
The first official Rotary club began in chicago in 1905. In 1910 rotary moved
outside the U.S. with a club in winnipeg, and became rotary International. by 1922
the concept of the community service club had spread across six continents. the
rotary Foundation was established in 1917 to build upon the enthusiasm of these
community leaders to provide 'service above self' and do good in the world. the
foundation's initial project was to encourage cultural exchanges through graduate
fellowships. today it promotes a multitude of humanitarian programmes, ranging
from Preserve Planet earth, a programme that since 1990 has addressed illiteracy,
drug abuse, and the needs of both an aging population and the increasing number of
children at risk.
Rotary has a strong affinity with the United nations. there were 49 rotary
members serving in 29 delegations to the Un at the charter conference in 1945
(rotary International 2008b). throughout the years the organisation has consistently
maintained its support for the UN in sending observers conferences, staffing a new
York office at the UN and in Geneva, and promoting the Un by having representatives
on 14 different Un agencies including the world bank. this history of international
experience is an important piece of rotary International's ability to interact with
other global actors and mobilise its local clubs to act on global issues.
From the bottom-up perspective, rotary's organisation is set up to encourage
the local clubs to take initiative. this permits the international nGo to be light
and flexible while still maintaining a large base of members that can be activated
to take on a global campaign. In having a network of independent local clubs,
rotary International encourages experienced business and professional leaders to
drive projects that are relevant and meaningful to the membership. because the
membership of a local club consists of various professions, the skill set, expertise,
and influence available in each group provide a very effective team to take on a
numerous set of challenges. additionally, the rotary Foundation, which matches
grants, allows an individual club to expand a project with support from the larger
organisation should it meet set criteria.
Rotary Next Steps
the primary focus of rotary International remains the achieving of polio eradication
across the world. the success of such a lofty goal is incredibly close but requires
continued dedication to assist in the management of the campaign as well as
continue its advocacy and community mobilisation. the achievements to date and
the extensive contributions in time and money cannot slip away. none of the world
is secure until the interruption of the transmission of the wild polio virus is certified.
Until then, polio remains just an airplane ride away from any place in the world.
by the organisation's centennial in 2005, at the 20-year mark of the campaign
to eradicate polio, rotary International had experienced some fatigue. beating a
