Why support The Rotary Foundation?
My fellow Rotarians and guests,
I will start today with a sincere expression of gratitude to you all, for your friendship, your devotion to service, and for your many expressions of affection for me.
My dear friends,
This year our Foundation is celebrating its first century of service.
It provides us with resources, communications, information, and inspiration. Perhaps even more important, our Foundation grants us with access to a worldwide network of dear friends, committed to improve the human condition of our fellow human beings, regardless of their race, religion, or political affiliation.
Every Rotarian faces a familiar dilemma. To paraphrase Shakespeare’s Prince Hamlet:
To be or not to be a supporter of our cherished Foundation? That is the question.
Our choice is clear: only through international solidarity and strong links of fraternal cooperation we will be in a position to effectively build a better world, a world yearning for peace.
As we progress in our global quest, by the end of this year’s fantastic journey, under the leadership of President John Germ we will be closer to seeing the end of illiteracy and hunger, we will move closer to a better, brighter and more peaceful future and we will be closer to achieving the global eradication of polio.
We are just this close, from finally reaching Rotary’s finest hour, the end of Polio, which has been our top priority since 1984.
As of July first, 2013, The Foundation’s Future Vision Program offers a new potential of service. We now offer two types of grants:
– District Grants
– Global Grants, aimed at six areas of clear global priority .
But these wonderful humanitarian and educational programs of The Rotary Foundation depend upon one essential factor: the financial resources made available.
For this purpose:
In 2016 -17 the Board of Trustees has set a goal of US $ 150 million for the Annual Fund as we are asking every Rotarian to contribute a minimum of US $100 every year. My dear friends, with contributions amounting to less than US $9 a month, every Rotarian should be in a position to easily do his/her bit.
Together with this effort, we strongly aspire to strengthen the Foundation’s Endowment Fund.
The joy of giving to The Foundation should become a sacred habit, a routine for each one of us, a life-time commitment, lasting through the years to come, because we know that there is more joy in giving, than in receiving.
My fellow Rotarians we know that the world we inhabit is unfair, unstable, and non-sustainable. This is a world, where terrible contradictions and shocking disparities continue to affect adversely the lives of millions of human beings, who are isolated and abandoned in their dark nights of sorrow.
Under the heavy winds of change that we are now facing, are we really able, eager and willing, to make a difference?
If we, the volunteers of peace, champions of friendship, agents of change, Rotarians of the world, do not take action: Who will? Who, my friends?
Each of us has the responsibility, to shape and carry forward our common future because in the path of selfless service, we welcome dreamers, but we also need doers.
There is no room for doubt: The world needs enthusiastic, motivated, inspired and hardworking Rotarians.
We seek volunteers, with generosity in their hearts, eager in harmonic unity, to nurture hope, volunteers who with clear convictions and tenacity who are never tired of serving and giving.
We seek men and women of passionate love and missionary fervour to serve others in need.
We seek Rotarians, prepared in our multicultural and multipolar world, to maintain their promises and commitments.
The great Mahatma Gandhi stated it in clear, immortal words:
The best way to find yourself, is to lose yourself, in the service of others.
We face the possibility of sinking into a chaotic world, characterized by irrational fanaticism, international terrorism, mindless violence, human trafficking, fear and intolerance which displays deep disdain for human life and indiscriminately reaps innocent victims.
But, we shall not use these difficult circumstances to excuse our inaction or succumb to a self-centred lifestyle.
In Rotary there is no room for cowardice, sterile pessimism or selfishness as we strongly reject the temptation of sowing pessimism.
Through exemplary leadership, eager and sensitive to the needs of others, we shall spread, with reckless abandon, our ideals, our core values and our love for humanity, symbolized in our dharma, our ultimate aim: Service Above Self.
It is up to each one of us, with infectious spirit of camaraderies, to improve our course of action, to improve our philanthropic action to reach peace, peace founded on a reconciliation of hearts.
Thus, our personal involvement and reliable financial support to The Rotary Foundation becomes an element of critical importance to enhance the lives of those less fortunate.
As Rotarians who share values and beliefs, we are all familiar with the saying: “The best time to give is when the gift is needed”.
And every time we make a donation, inspired by the fire of love, we state: “I am a proud donor. This is my Foundation, and also my personal responsibility”
My fellow Rotarians, builders of love and peace, harmony and international understanding: we do need more Paul Harris Fellows!
We want to hear from additional members of the Paul Harris Society, in which, as you know, every participant pledges to contribute $ 1,000, every year.
We aspire to hear from new Major Donors, we dream of more Benefactors and more Bequest Society members and also from new members of the Arch C. Klumph Society, who will all, contribute to reach an Endowment Fund, of 2025 Million US dollar in net assets and expectancies, when We are in the year 2025.
We all recognize that it is impossible to sow new seeds of love, with closed fists. By opening our hands, with generosity and liberality, we shall conquer a new future, future which belongs to us all, in our continuous and shared quest for peace.
The time for excuses or the can’t do, won’t do, or won’t even try, is over. It is over, my friends!
We need to proceed to action. The time to act is now, right now or even a hundred years from now.
Let’s all give, flying on restless wings, our time and our crucial contributions, as much as we can, which will certainly allow, many people in despair, to become, through their fullest self-fulfilment, artisans of their own destiny.
Let’s take advantage, with increase intensity, of today’s new technology to boost our public image, thus making Rotary more visible, enhancing public awareness of our mission in our pursuit of common good in truth and love.
The spread, with youthful and dynamic spirit, not only of our core values but also the awareness of our mission are certain ways to generate new and increased giving to The Rotary Foundation.
Life, in an information-driven society, provides us all, with innovative new approaches, with the potential of yielding excellent results.
Fund raising, for example, can be done through the social media, including Facebook and Twitter.
Are you all aware that The Foundation received near US $9 million in 2013-14 through on-line donations?
Rotary’s new on-line tools allow us to send forth, clearly and broadly, waves of hope that will reach way beyond us, as Rotary’s voice around the world becomes louder and more powerful.
There should be no room for doubt: the enthusiasm and hard work of the Rotary Foundation Coordinators and the Endowment/Major Gift Advisors will lead to increases in the number and the volume of contributions year after year, much like a river that receives new waters which may fertilize new fields and allow for new, much needed, of bountiful crops.
My friends, if we aspire to look beyond ourselves; if we wish to lead using heads, hearts and hands; if we are committed to build the future with action and vision ; if we wish to be the gift to the world : We must gather the courage to encourage change, and we must refuse to sink into what I call “leprosy of the soul”, the condition where the desire to do good, sadly, fades away.
If each one of us contributes with a bit of caring, hope, sharing and dreaming, we will make a positive and lasting difference in the world, as each one of us will effectively touch somebody else’s life.
This is, my friends, the function of love, this is the attainment true awakening.
We cannot ignore the distressful realities of today’s world.
My fellow Rotarians, we cannot wait in silence through the night of despair, we cannot turn deaf ears to the plea of the outcasts, who lack the recognition of their dignity.
We could not stand idle, turning a blind eye to the plight of the victims of hopelessness and loneliness.
How long should our commitment last? Have not a single doubt. This is a life-long commitment, a life-lasting journey!
Let’s take a new look and act with consistency, credibility and continuity!
This is the time for everyone, to roll up our sleeves guided by the light of love, to seek the well being of our brothers and sisters around our planet Earth.
Let’s march forward! Let’s start right now, under a star-filled sky as, in the joy of giving, we shall also enjoy the blessing of receiving!
Bishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa, the recipient of the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1984, wrote: “Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.”
As leaders with a global perspective, let’s all set our personal example, doing our little good every day.
Let’s awaken to the joy of serving others in their turn, sharing a great stream of joy, many will follow our steps.
Let’s ask ourselves: are we a bit tired and pessimistic?
Where is our vigour? Where is our thirst for doing good in the world?
Acting with vigour, determination and vision, we shall leave behind petty limitations and narrow perspectives.
We will rise above selfish interests, as we aspire to live by Gandhi’s ideal, when we will declare: “My life is my message”.
Let’s proceed, with passion and loving generosity, to selfless action and effective deeds, discovering, in the process, new worlds of service.
Tears help, but little, as life is not a treadmill, it is a moving walkway.
We will be sharing this world with others, for only a brief period of time. Nobody knows for sure, how much longer, we have left.
We are certain, however, that one of the best ways to make this a better world is serving mankind through our dear Rotary Foundation, the beating heart of Rotary.
My fellow Rotarians, the time to put the Mission of Rotary into practice is right now. This is the time to advance world understanding, goodwill and international peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty, not only for the food they need for their survival but also for allowing them to recover their supreme dignity.
It is my profound hope that each one of you, the leaders of Rotary’s will persevere with a heart full of faith, in our mission of doing good in the world, supporting our beloved Foundation.
I invite you all to act, with audacity and burning passion, to make our dreams a reality, allowing our Foundation grants to achieve the biggest impact possible on the vulnerable and needy communities of the world.
After all, don’t forget, that mankind is our business!
We keep in mind Martin Luther King Jr.’s often quoted statement: “Everyone can be great because everyone can serve” and it is Pope Francis taught us: “Serving is real power, because service is love in action.”
This, my fellow Rotarians, is our wake-up call to action that we cannot ignore at all.
Let’s allow service, our love in action, to Light our path in support of the progress of humanity.
At times, we may find ourselves tired, with leaden limbs and weary souls, sadly tempted to appeal to excuses.
But, we shall always persevere as we will never flinch, nor we will never give up in despair, because we always proclaim to believe in what we do and do what we believe in, in our pilgrim and missionary way, in our mission on behalf of peace and human dignity.
As we successfully progress, whirling all over the globe, generously and courageously, with missionary fervour in our quest of samaritan service, we know that by the end of this year’s fantastic journey, under the leadership of our dear President , we will be closer to achieving the eradication of polio, the end of illiteracy and conflict, and will have moved closer, step by step, by the generous dedication of 1.250.000 Rotarians to a better, brighter and more rewarding future.
Let’s touch, with affection and devotion, the lives of as many human beings as we can, showing that we are capable of holding high the almost 100 candles of our Foundation history.
Let’s kindle the fire, spreading Rotary’s light up and over, because
The light of our Foundation
Means freedom from hunger and want;
Means victory over disease and pain;
Means triumph from ignorance;
Means dignity, peace & better human beings.
Let each of you be the light, keeping hope alive.
Let the Rotary Foundation brightly shine around the world forever.
My fellow Rotarians, may peace be with you, it is with deep gratitude and admiration, for your selfless service and generosity, that I conclude my remarks.
11 March 2017