Polio - the final push!

Rotary’s Polio Promise

More than 25 years ago, Rotarians made a promise to protect all children from polio.  We are committed to achieving our goal of a world that is certified polio free.

Our History

Polio has crippled and killed children for thousands of years. Today, we can effectively prevent the disease through vaccination. Worldwide, the number of infections has declined by more than 99 percent. But polio persists in three countries:  Afghanistan, Nigeria, and Pakistan. More than US$9 billion has been invested in global polio eradication, but more is needed to reach children in these places and prevent it from returning to other countries. 

Visit endpolionow.org to find out how you can join us in fulfilling the promise of a polio-free world.

What Ending Polio Means to Me

• My children and grandchildren are healthy and safe.
• Thousands of kids who might have been paralyzed will be running and playing.
• I’m part of an effort to eradicate a disease that has killed and crippled children for thousands of years.
• A polio-free world could provide net benefits of at least $40-$50 billion if polio transmission is stopped within the next five years.

Resources here ...

World Peace Day

Let us show this video to Rotarians - place it on web sites - share on Facebook.
We have a great story to tell when it comes to Peace and the promotion of young people to advance peace in our troubled world.

21 September is International Day of Peace

EVANSTON, Ill., USA (September 13, 2012)  As the world observes the United Nations’ annual International Day of Peace on Sept. 21, more than 680 alumni of Rotary’s Peace Centers program are applying ‘lessons-learned’ in conflict prevention and resolution in key decision-making positions in governments and organizations around the world.  

Read more ...

If not - you should!!

Go to the official web site

Wherever you are in the world, there is till time to organise your fellow Rotarians into action on 30 September.

Take a look at the attached - a very simple concept where we can mobilize efforts of Rotarians and communities around the world and focus on one aspect of Rotary's 'good work' in the world.

If you are not involved in this project, you should be.

View the video

For more details search on Google "globalrun4water"

Why polio hasn't gone away yet.

Report from CNN - 30 July, 2012

Two little girls in matching gingham jumpers -- Pam is crouching and pulling on her sister Patricia's leg brace -- appeared in a poster for the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis in the early 1950s. They'd both recovered from polio.

"The story always went that she would loosen my braces, so we could play better, because my legs would be stiff ... I had it worse than she did," said Patricia O'Neil Dryer, now 65 years old and living in St. Cloud, Florida.

Read more ...

A Rotary engine

The Economist wrote an article about Rotary's work with Polio, touching upon our successes and the current challenges we face - a great read!

Can a businessmen’s club eradicate polio from the world? IT IS a year since the last case of polio was diagnosed in India. That is not enough to pronounce the country polio-free—three clear years are the conventional period required for that to happen. But it is a good start. And if India really is clear, then what was once a global scourge will now be endemic to a mere three countries: Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan. The number of people infected, meanwhile, has dropped from 350,000 in 1988 to 650 last year.   Read more ...

What others are saying about Rotary

“Rotary has the ability to organize campaigns to mobilize support for some of the worthiest causes that exist, and that makes Rotary a precious resource.”

– Kofi Annan, former UN Secretary-General

“Rotary’s PolioPlus program is a shining example of the achievements made possible by cooperation between the United Nations and nongovernmental organizations.”

– Kofi Annan, former UN secretary-general

 

 

“I admire the Rotary promise to solve problems that destroy lives and trample dreams and human potential.”

–Queen Noor al-Hussein of Jordan

“Through my contact with Rotary, I learned about the importance of community service. The Rotary motto of Service Above Self has left a deep impression and has guided me since. I would like to express my profound gratitude to The Rotary Foundation for having given me that unique opportunity and a solid foundation that eventually led me to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, a global service organization to protect those fleeing from armed conflict and persecution.”

– Sadako Ogata, Japanese prime minister’s special representative for assistance to Afghanistan

Infographics communicate

Click above to see the full 'infographic'

Sometimes a picture is better than a 1,000 words.

The use of 'info graphics' is growing and Rotary is picking up on how effective this can be.

Check this out

Media clips:

Reuters: http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/global-emergency-plan-launched-to-eradicate-polio (President Banerjee quoted)

Canadian Press: http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Health/20120524/paralytic-polio-eradication110524/ (Carol Pandak quoted)

A profile deserving promotion

Rotary has much to be proud of and the mission to remove Polio from our planet is almost a reality.  Do share.

The Swimarathon is happening again Feb 23 2013 - let's make this an even greater event to have fun, raise the profile of Rotary and our fight against polio and to gather more funds to contribute to the cause.

Increased profile needs action

Do you want your Rotary Clubs to increase their profile?  Is there a real drive to heighten the awareness of Rotary in your community?  Are Clubs keen to increase their membership?  Is there a desire to get serious about attracting new interest in our organisation?  

A solution.

Encourage your Club to adopt a high profile project - providing a fresh focus, new energy and public presence.

One such project is the GlobalRun4Water project which is going viral!

Be part of a global group of Rotarians raising funds for water projects by involving the community.  The web site contains practical advice as to the how to go about creating an event.

Lets make a big splash for Clean Water!

A basic human right??

Water is a basic human right, yet 900 million people lack access to safe water and over 2.5 billion have no safe sanitation. That’s why water & sanitation is a key focus area in the new Rotary, because where there is water there is peace, health, education, and economic development.  That’s why WASRAG, the Water and Sanitation Rotary Action Group, adopted the slogan “Start with water.”

We encourage every Rotarian to become familiar with the world water issues, both at home and in other parts of the world.  Every Rotary club should get involved in water and sanitation projects; and through multi-district and multi-club partnering we can together achieve so much more.

Money and expertise are keys to success, so are active Rotary clubs involved in raising funds and awareness. That’s why I endorse the RotaryGlobalRun4Water and encourage clubs around the world to embrace this simple but powerful formula.  It is an easy way for clubs to get involved with water in their local community and support meaningful grant projects. With broad participation in such a multi-district fundraiser we can foster partnerships, raise the exposure of Rotary, and most importantly make a significant difference in the cause for clean water.

Ron Denham

Chair, Wasrag

www.startwithwater.org

Our Foundation must address these concerns