Rotary Guiding Principle

The first “guiding principle” of Rotary is “to develop friendships as an opportunity for service.” When we welcome new men to membership in the Rotary Club of Manila, our World Famous Chorale greets them by singing “Welcome Baby Rotarians.” We sing, “We are here for fellowship, and service is our game,” meaning that we gather together to become better friends, knowing each other more and more personally and professionally, so that we can do more, serving ever better. Our statement of purpose reads “…to bring together business and professional leaders in order to provide humanitarian services, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and to advance goodwill and peace around the world.”

As you know, our primary motto as Rotarians is “Service above Self,” and our less-frequently used secondary motto is “One profits most who serves best.” That is not limited to what we do together in Rotary. You might be surprised to learn that our Rotary International “Manual of Procedure” states that “It is the duty of all Rotarians, outside their clubs, to be active as individuals in as many legally constituted groups and organizations as possible to promote, not only in words but through exemplary dedication, awareness of the dignity of all people and the respect of the consequent human rights of the individual.” In essence, Rotary not only approves, but encourages our engagement in the community as much as possible. Such involvement also helps us learn of or better understand problems as opportunities for Rotarian service in our challenging environments.

Rotary International has selected six categories of causes that are supported by our charitable arm, The Rotary Foundation. Many Rotarians might recognize those six areas of focus on a list, but might not be able to recite them from memory, or really do not know how they relate to the stated purpose of Rotary. The six areas are illustrated in the graphic. These six areas were selected to build international relationships, improve lives, and create a better world to support our peace efforts and end polio forever.

Peace and Conflict Resolution is the first of these areas of focus, and for good reason. Armed conflict, violence and persecution has currently displaced more than sixty-five millions of people, as we continue to see in countries such as Syria. Half of those killed in these conflicts are children, and ninety percent are civilians. Rotary and Rotarians refuse to accept conflict as a way of life. Rotary projects provide training that fosters understanding and provides communities with the skills to resolve conflicts. Rotary initiates and supports service projects, peace fellowships and scholarships, and our members take action to address the underlying causes of conflict, including poverty, inequality, ethnic tension, lack of access to education, and distribution of resources that leaves a great many people without adequate access to healthcare and nutrition.

Rotary members founded the People for People Foundation, which has helped tens of thousands of families afford food, clothing, rent, utilities, medications, and other necessities. Each year we fund 100 peace fellowships at six centers around the world, which now have more than 1,000 graduates using their Rotary sponsored learning to make our world a better place for all. The Peace Centers Certificate Program (three months) is at the prestigious Chulalongcorn University in Thailand, and the masterdegree programs are at Duke Univ., Bradford Univ., U. Queensland and Uppsala Univ.

We should be proud that Rotary International's public web pages cite Philippine Rotaract Clubs initiative in designing and conducting anti-bullying campaigns in schools to teach children how to handle conflict peacefully from an early age. The Rotarian Action Group for Peace gives Rotary members resources and support to advance world peace and turn ambitious ideas into life-changing realities.

We have one former Manila news broadcaster who is now working in Beijing, who has asked us to help with a Global Grant to help him go to Cambridge University, where he has already been accepted in the Master of Peace and Conflict Management program. With luck and some international club help, it is his desire to return and work here for an NGO or organization such as ADB. If you have an idea for a potential project, please discuss it with me.

Thanks for reading. Next week, update on “Save a Life, Save the Little Hearts.”