Eastern Hutt Rotary does some wonderful things in our local community. That hard work and money is helping kids who might otherwise miss out, or we do any of those other myriad supportive things we are known for, it somehow feels more connected or more personal and perhaps more relevant because it is local.
I just know that you, gentle reader, are waiting for the “but”. Well, here it is, or, more accurately, here they are.
FIRSTLY:
Consider the case of a starving child. I simply do not believe that any of us would pass by a child dying of starvation without intervening to help.
You (or I) see that child and their plight is obvious and “in your face”. You just have to help.
Now place that child 10,000 km away; does that make them any less deserving just because they are not “in your face”?
And that child on your doorstep lives in one of the wealthiest most caring nations in the world. Our country has the infrastructure to help. In that other place, 10,000 km away, the child would just die unless you put food in its mouth.
I do not believe that we should ignore either child.
SECONDLY:
“No nation is an island, entire of itself…” might be an alternative rendering of that famous poem by John Donne. We are now and need to be ever more interconnected because it discourages aggression and encourages prosperity. The more interconnected we are the more obviously aggression and penalizing is self-harm and that acts as a brake on prospective perpetrators.
THIRDLY:
International Service is one of the things we sign up to when we join Rotary. It’s in our logo – take a look!
The guiding principles of Rotary are simple and powerful. There are 3 parts: “The Object of Rotary”, “The Four-Way Test”, and “The Avenues of Service”.
Those guiding principles I believe, will ensure the survival of Rotary. They are perhaps just waiting to be discovered by younger generations.
There are 5 Avenues of Service – Club, Vocational, Community, International, and Youth Service.
Quoting from https://my.rotary.org/en/guiding-principles:-
“International Service exemplifies our global reach in promoting peace and understanding. We support this service avenue by sponsoring or volunteering on international projects, seeking partners abroad, and more”.
I rest my case…