Certificate from Holger Knaack with Dylan Daniel-Marsh (Belconnen) and DG Michael Moore
A great deal has been printed over the past few months about respect. One of the great strengths of Rotary is that it is held in high esteem within the community. The flip side is that Rotary Clubs need to take care that they also ensure respectful relationships within the club, within Rotary generally and within the community.
In District 9705 we are not only celebrating 100 years of Rotary in Australia but also celebrating local milestones. These include the 50th year of the Rotary Clubs of Coolamon, Belconnen and Bathurst East and these celebrations are cause to pause and reflect about how things have changed and improved. The 50th birthday of the Rotaract Club of Canberra makes it the oldest continuing Rotaract Club in our region and one of the oldest in the world.
Whilst continuity and change go hand in hand, Rotary will be able to continue to reach out and “do good in the world”.
This is one of the reasons that Rotary International President, Holger Knaack, has asked Rotarians for commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. The committee that has been established by the International President builds on the work of the Rotary International Board that adopted a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Statement (DEI) in 2019.
Holger Knaack called for these issues to be discussed by all Rotarians and argued “there is no place within Rotary for racism, homophobia, transphobia, sexism, classism or ageism”. In the establishing his DEI committee he added, “as we begin this work, Rotary’s leadership is united in stating that Rotary does not tolerate speech or behaviour that promotes bias, discrimination, prejudice, or hatred because of age, ethnicity, race, colour, abilities, religion, socioeconomic status, culture, sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity”.
The issue of how we improve our clubs will be a key part of the Club Development program in Young and Broulee and there will be the opportunity to discuss the most effective way to build our understanding and implementation of diversity, equity and inclusion. Additionally, there is assistance in the Learning Centre in My Rotary.
More information on the DEI Statement is available in My Rotary