This is the R.I. Theme for 2010-2011
‘Building Communities – Bridging Continents’
After taking the stage to the tune of California, Here I Come, Rotary International President-Elect Ray Klinginsmith announced the 2010 - 2011 R.I. Theme – Building Communities – Bridging Continents – during the opening plenary session of the 2010 International Assembly which was held in San Diego, California, USA, from January 18 to 24.
Ray said he arrived at the Theme after reviewing the Themes of years past and noticing that only a few of them spoke to non-Rotarians.
“As a result, I decided to search for a briefly stated Theme that would fulfil two objectives: first, to explain Rotary to non-Rotarians, and second, to validate our work for Rotarians.
“The words I have selected to describe Rotary’s current mission and to highlight our achievements are what we do best: Building Communities – Bridging Continents.”
The President-Elect described how his 50 years of Rotary experience had contributed to his focus on communities at home and abroad.
For example, as a Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholar Ray had studied for a year in South Africa, becoming the first student from his small town of Unionville, Missouri, USA, to study abroad.
The timing of the Theme announcement, which took place in the evening, was a break in tradition from past Assemblies and a reflection of Ray’s willingness to embrace change.
He encouraged District Governors-Elect (DGEs) to re-examine traditional procedures that were no longer best practices and to begin new traditions where appropriate.
He also paid homage to Rotarians of the past who had helped raise Rotary to a place of prominence on the world stage. He urged the DGEs to meet the Past R.I. Presidents and other former officers attending the Assembly to deepen their connection to Rotary’s past.
“I love it,” said DGE Robert Martin of District 5020 (British Columbia, Canada; Washington, USA). “I’m going to be promoting Rotary pride in our District next year and Building Communities – Bridging Continents is something we can all be proud of.”
Is the end of polio within sight?
You’re almost there! This was the message that reporter Penny LeGate gave to District Governors-Elect during the 2010 International Assembly in an update on Rotary’s efforts to eradicate polio.
LeGate, a news anchor and reporter for KIRO-TV in Seattle, Washington, USA, has travelled with Rotarians to countries such as Ethiopia and India to participate in and report on National Immunization Days (NIDs).
“At this time in history, you’re in the home stretch, you’re walking the last mile, but it’s not proving to be easy,” she said during the fourth plenary session of the Assembly.
Since 1985, when Rotary launched PolioPlus, the volunteer arm of the global partnership to eradicate polio, the number of polio-endemic countries has declined from 125 to 4 – Afghanistan, India, Nigeria and Pakistan
– and the number of new polio cases each year has been reduced from 350,000 to 2,000.
Security problems, political instability and poor infrastructure and sanitation continue to pose challenges to eradicating the disease, said LeGate.
But political negotiations and new technology have helped Rotarians rise to meet these challenges. In Pakistan, medical teams send text messages to people in remote villages to notify them of upcoming NIDs. In Afghanistan, “Days of Tranquillity” have been declared so that vaccine can be delivered at less risk to health workers and recipients.
She also emphasised the importance of Rotary’s international reputation and its ability to gain the confidence of philanthropic organisations such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation which has given Rotary two challenge grants totalling $355 million.