[D9640general] [eFlash_Rotary] Digest Number 794

[Garry D Krischock]

 Messages In This Digest (3 Messages) 
  1. 1502: Peace is possible From: Sunil K Zachariah 

  2. Florida GSE Team in Hundred Islands From: Henry 

  3. 1504:  Pursuing a better vision of eye health in India From: Sunil K Zachariah 

Messages 
  1. 1502: Peace is possible 
Thu May 8, 2008 5:14 pm (PDT) 
Peace is possible
By Wayne Hearn 

The 2007-08 Rotary peace train engineered by RI President Wilfrid J. 
Wilkinson made its last stop 24-27 April in the border city of 
Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Earlier stops on the peace tour included 
conferences in Bulgaria, France, Kenya, and Turkey, but the Windsor 
forum was special because it was Wilkinson's last major meeting in 
his homeland as RI president. 

Aboard was keynote speaker Robert F. Kennedy Jr., named one of Time 
magazine's "Heroes for the Planet," who reminded those at the year's 
final Rotary Presidential Peace Forum: "We must protect our 
environmental infrastructure in order to achieve peace and justice. 
The value systems that unite humanity are rooted in nature." 

Kennedy accepted two Paul Harris Fellow recognitions - one for 
himself and one for his father, U.S. Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, 
assassinated in 1968 - from Past RI Director Michael McCullough, who 
said, "Mr. Kennedy, you are one of us." 

Fittingly, the conference was open to the public, drawing hundreds of 
area residents from both sides of the Detroit River. "We've flung the 
doors wide open and invited the community to be involved as well," 
said Jennifer Jones, conference host and governor of binational 
District 6400, prior to a parade of about 150 national flags 
celebrating the diversity of the Windsor-Detroit area. 

"This very conference, held along the world's longest, undefended 
border, is a testimony to peace," said Wilkinson, who throughout the 
weekend emphasized that world peace is the ultimate goal of all of 
Rotary's humanitarian and educational efforts. 

"These are the real issues that drive war and peace," he said. "And 
when we work on these daily issues, we have a direct impact on the 
peace and stability of the world." 

But the obstacles to lasting peace are many and difficult. "We say 
that peace is possible, but it is also very daunting," cautioned 
Honorary Chair Allan Rock, Canada's former ambassador to the United 
Nations, who led a panel that included Jordan's U.S. Ambassador 
Prince Zeid Ra'ad and former Canadian Foreign Affairs Minster Lloyd 
Axworthy. The three discussed a list of threats that include nuclear 
proliferation, Middle East instability, terrorism, global warming, 
uninspired national leadership, and the myriad social, economic, and 
political problems facing many African nations. 

Fortunately, Rotary is helping prepare the next generation of leaders 
to confront such challenges through its two peace studies 
initiatives: the Rotary Centers for International Studies and the 
Rotary Peace and Conflict Studies program. In a session led by Eddie 
Blender, chair of the Rotary Centers Major Gifts Initiative, four 
Rotary peace studies alumni described their experiences. "There is 
nothing like the Peace Centers program going on in the world today," 
said Lee-Anne Mulholland, an attorney from Belfast, Northern Ireland, 
and a 2006 graduate of the Rotary Center program at the University of 
California-Berkeley. She now practices human rights litigation for a 
major international law firm.

As the peace forum concluded with a lively interfaith service of 
music and song, followed by Kennedy's keynote, Wilkinson waited for 
the applause to settle before offering: "I've got an idea -- Let's 
just move all of this down to Los Angeles for the Convention and 
share the message!" 

Source: Rotary International News
Courtesy: eFlash_Rotary


  2. Florida GSE Team in Hundred Islands 
Thu May 8, 2008 5:14 pm (PDT) 

Alaminos City,Pangasinan April 26, 2008. The Rotary Club of Hundred
Islands became the host club for the Group Study Exchange delegates
from District 6980 in Florida, United States of America. Accompanied
by their respective host families, the delegates arrived at the Lucap
Wharf for a visit to the Hundred Islands National Park, Alaminos City,
Pangasinan, Philippines early the following day.

The team members started to arrive at four o'clock in the afternoon.
PDG Alvin Gonzales of Rotary Club of Downtown Dagupan brought Team
Leader Chris Stubbs, President Liza Codilla of Rotary Club of San
Fabian escorted Team member Sultana F. Ali, Rotarian Annie Penney of
the Rotary Club of Lingayen came with Team member Melanie Teel,
Incoming President Thelma Arenas of the Rotary Club of Central
Pangasinan brought Team members Sara Nixon and Justin de Leon. Team
member Sarah Andriacchio was brought to the Hundred Islands by host
Rtn David Molina and his family of the Rotary Club of Bayambang.

After the turn-over of the GSE team to RCHi represented by Incoming
President Henry Onia, President Elect Antero Magno and Rtn Zaldy
Palecpec, the team was shown to their respective rooms at the Maxine
by the Sea Hotel and Restaurant. Then the club took the team to Lucap
Wharf, the take-off point to the Hundred Islands National Park for a
stroll. 

While at the Lucap Wharf, the team met by chance former President
Fidel V. Ramos and his family and Mayor Nani Braganza and his
department heads. After the club introduced the GSE team to the
former President and to the City Mayor, the latter treated the team
and the club to a dinner at the wharf. The team also had their
pictures taken with President Ramos and the City Mayor. Before they
parted ways, the former President gave a personalized cigar to the 
GSE Team while the latter gifted the former with a Rotary pin.

On the following day, April 27, 2008, Sunday, the host club and the
team had breakfast together before sailing to the Hundred Islands on
board a motorized banca. The first stop of the group was at the 
Governor's Island where they ascended to the view deck and had a
perfect scene of the picturesque islands. Then they went to the Big
Brother's House before going back to their boat. Instead of going to
the Quezon Island for lunch as originally planned, the group proceeded
to the nearby Papaya now Lopez Island since Quezon Island was teeming
with tourists. 

All of the team members are good swimmers. Team member Sultana swam
over to the Quezon Island and back to the Papaya Island which is
approximately a kilometer away. While waiting for the lunch to be
cooked by PE Roy Magno, Rotaractor Cliff Magno and the boatmen at the
Quezon Islands, the team stayed at the Papaya Island with Incoming
President Henry Onia and spouse Jo serving the team with the
binonguey, the bibingka and the puto for merienda. For lack of a
shade in Papaya Island, lunch was served on board the motorized banca.
After a sumptuous lunch of inihaw na porl ribs, tilapia, cesar's
salad, pinakbet and chopsuey, the group proceeded to the Marcos Island
where Sultana, Melanie, Sarah, Justin and Clifford took a daring 
dive at the vertical hole of Imelda's Cave. Next stop was at the
Giant Clam area near the Quezon Island where Justin, Melanie and
Sultana swam some five hundred meters to view the clams. Final
stop-over was Martha's Island behind the Children's Island where a
couple would enjoy solitude.

Back to Maxine's, the team took a shower to rinse off the salt water,
changed clothes, and packed their luggage. Then Incoming President
Henry Onia and PE Roy Magno escorted the team back to their respective
family hosts at Jollibee Restaurant in Lucao District in Dagupan City,
some kilometers away from Alaminos City, Pangasinan

Before arriving in the country last April 7, 2008, the 6980 GSE Team
was able to meet their counterpart before leaving Orlando, Florida. 
Aside from meeting the RCHi in Alaminos City, the team visited the
Rotary Clubs in Zambales, Pampanga, Bataan, Baguio, La Union and
Dagupan City. Before leaving the country on May 5, 2008, they will
visit the Rotary Clubs in Tarlac and Angeles.

After the team arrived in Pangasinan, an Inter-Cluster meeting was
called by Assistant Governor and Coordinator Mariette Sorio for
Pangasinan Area at the Blue Jam Restaurant in Malued District, Dagupan
City last April 25, 2008, to give a chance for Rotary Clubs in Area 2
to have a closer interaction with GSE Team. It was during the meeting
that RCHi was requested by AG Mariette to tour the GSE team to the
world renowned Hundred Islands National Park in Alaminos City,
Pangasinan.

The Group Study Exchange is a Rotary International project with the
purpose of sending non-Rotarian delegates abroad to learn the way of
life of the people in a foreign country. Rotary Districts agree to
send and receive the said Group Study Exchange delegates in their
respective countries during the District Governor Elect Training Seminar.

A GSE Team is usually headed by a Team Leader who is a Rotarian with
wide and extensive experience in Rotary life. The other members of
the team are non-rotarians who are either professionals, employees
or businessmen.

Henry Onia
Incoming President
RC Hundred Islands
D3790, Philippines
http://rotary.alaminoscity.info


  3. 1504:  Pursuing a better vision of eye health in India 
Thu May 8, 2008 5:17 pm (PDT) 
Pursuing a better vision of eye health in India 

The Rotary Club of Coimbatore Central, Tamil Nadu, India, has 
sponsored numerous projects to prevent blindness among thousands of 
Indians. Photo courtesy of Rotary News/Rotary Samachar. The Rotary 
Club of Coimbatore Central, Tamil Nadu, India, is at the center of an 
international effort that has helped prevent avoidable blindness 
throughout the country for nearly 20 years. 

According to the Blind Foundation for India, about 80 percent of the 
approximately 15 million cases of blindness among Indians are curable 
or preventable. Cataracts, corneal disease, and diabetic retinopathy 
are among the conditions that account for the scourge. 

Concerned about this situation, the Coimbatore Central club partnered 
in 1990 with the Sankara Eye Foundation, an organization that is 
dedicated to preventing avoidable blindness and has several 
facilities throughout India. The club coordinated a US$167,000 
Health, Hunger and Humanity Grant from The Rotary Foundation with 
support from Indian and U.S. districts that served a population of 
1.85 million and funded nearly 10,000 eye surgeries over five years 
at the Sankara Eye Centre in Coimbatore. 

Since then, the work of the Coimbatore Central Rotarians has only 
gained momentum. The club has headed up six Matching Grant projects, 
including an effort in 2007 that involved six districts from India 
and U.S. joining forces with a group of international charities to 
support a program that screens rural citizens over age 40 for 
diabetic retinopathy using state-of-the-art mobile equipment. Through 
5,613 screening events, this Gift of Vision outreach program served a 
five-state area with more than 32 million people and provided over 
362,000 free eye surgeries.

Clubs from several other countries have also worked with the 
Coimbatore Central club through district-level service projects not 
funded by the Foundation. A collaboration with the Rotary Club of 
Bremen-Hansa, Germany, for example, led to a multidistrict project 
that paid for about 1,500 curative eye surgeries. When Rotaractors in 
the Netherlands heard about the Sankara Eye Centre effort, they 
collected $23,000 to help operation rooms.

Adapted from a story by Varsha Makhija in the February 2008 issue of 
Rotary News/Rotary Samachar, the regional magazine serving districts 
in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.

Source: Rotary International News 
Courtesy: eFlash_Rotary

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