sábado, 10 de outubro de 2009

PRESERVE OUR PLANET






Our Fellowship has continued to promote «Preserve Planet Earth» and engaged in worthwhile environmental activities, facilitating and furthering friendships, in addition to enhance the experience in Rotary for so many, and so attracting new good Rotarians to Rotary, as well as retaining some because of their environmental interests and eager desire to advance towards the object of Rotary amid world understanding and peace in an optimal environment.
The Environment Fellowship unites very many Rotarians, their spouses, and Rotaractors, all with a passion for the Environment, for «Preserve Planet Earth», and for Sustainable Development, who, thinking globally and acting locally, in good Rotarian fellowship, share their very best environmental projects with other Rotary Clubs which wish to implement them wherever the need is greatest.
In the early years of Rotary Paul Harris himself gave us the example in improving the environment by personally planting trees in very many places that he visited. Then, 20 years ago, in March 1989, Warren Hill, a National Parks specialist, founded this Fellowship which is now celebrating its 20 years of existence, together with «Preserve Planet Earth». Yes, as also shared in our communications throughout the year, we have been noticing a healthy growing interest in Preserve Planet Earth which had confirmed Rotary’s dedication to the environment and had been launched under the RI Presidency of Paulo Viriato C. Costa. http://www.paulovccosta.com.br/
The Environment Fellowship of Rotarians invites you to visit, register, and participate, also leaving your environmental messages on our bulletin board http://bubo.environment-rotary-fellowship.org/ , and please visit also http://environment-rotary-fellowship.org/ .We greet two dedicated Rotarians: our wbmaster Simone Carot Collins in Australia, and Herwig Niggemann in Germany whom we thank for facilitating these two sites for us.
Our stand 1051 at the RI 100th Convention in Birmingham/UK attracted very much interest and offered unique opportunities for environmentally-minded members of the family of Rotary to meet, talk together and propose common projects between each-other's Rotary Clubs. We are happy to report strong global interest in our EFR by Rotarians and their spouses, as well as by Rotaractors, in particular also in Africa and other regions where Rotary Clubs are still very few.
At the Convention we also hosted a meeting on «E-Mentoring for Rotarians and Rotaractors worldwide contributes to a better global Environment» presented by Matteo Perchiazzi. Rotary E-Mentoring, started by Massimo Massoni of Italy, a project of the Rotary E-Club of Latin-American of District 4200, has been launched at this 100th RI Convention and is now already proactive with Rotarian Mentors and Rotaractors as Pupils, participating from all continents. Please visit and inform yourself at http://www.rotaryementoring.org/ . Yes, as Rotarian, you are most welcome as Mentor, and as Rotaractor as Pupil! Among the participants are many Rotarians active preserving Planet Earth. We are most grateful to Frank Devlyn who did indeed come to present his ideas and comments on The Rotarian Action Group on Conservation and Environmental Protection which he had suggested. Thank you Amigo Frank!
After the 2nd World War many Rotarians were significantly involved in the creation of the United Nations, and recently many of us have been actively following developments at the United Nations. At our 100th RI Convention, on a surprise visit, we were addressed by the Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon himself. His coming was of very special interest for advancing towards the best-possible global environmental protection for Mankind! It made us realize that Rotary's cooperation with the United Nations grows and has a huge, yet untapped potential, especially also regarding the environment and sustainable development! These opportunities are in our hands! It really looks like Rotary stands at the beginning of a most promising future for rotary finding more meaningful fruitful avenues to work closer with the best parts of the UN, so achieving still much more for humankind where the need is greatest, fully in harmony with the object of Rotary. We support also all efforts regarding climate change of which we realize that the global impact is going to be unequal, inequitable, as well as severe, and thus requires especially also an ethical approach in harmony with our 4-WayTest. We're aware that, instead of competing for limited resources, growth must be towards a world of nations/peoples in «unity in diversity», building the best-possible sustainable, just and peaceful environment for all. Rotarians for the environment of our Rotary Fellowship have again attended the Rotary Day at the United Nations in New York City, in addition to also participating in very many District Conferences, and making the best of every other opportunity to get together. There are many Rotarians very interested and active in our Rotary Fellowship for the environment who are members of Rotary E-Clubs because they live in areas without Rotary presence, thus bringing further the spirit and the action of Rotary's «Preserve Planet Earth»! Yes Rotary E-Clubs invite into their membership Rotarians who live in areas where there is no Rotary club, or who cannot participate sufficiently in their local Rotary Club. Thanks to the Rotary E-Clubs, it is now also so much easier to make up Rotary meetings: just go to http://www.recl.org/ and make-up Rotary meetings by visiting there the website of one of the Rotary e-Clubs, and so learn about their environmental activities. For the Rotary E-Clubs to continue also serving the environment and sustainable development in the spirit of «Preserve Planet Earth», we now call the attention of each District's Representative in the RI Council on Legislation of 2010, asking him/her to please be sure to consider voting in favor of the Rotary E-Clubs: so that they can stay permanently incorporated into Rotary, as specifically so requested by the enactment submitted by the Board of Directors of Rotary International for the Cool to vote on and accept the Rotary E-Clubs. We count on everybody's support on this in each of our districts.
While we're very active as Rotary Fellowship, our Environment Fellowship of Rotarians has quite close, constructive and friendly ties with the Disaster Relief - Rotarian Action Group (DRRAG) http://www.drrag.org/. We recognize the fact that, the more humankind cares for the environment, the fewer and smaller will be the disasters! To always be ready to serve best when disaster strikes, the DRRAG is building up a network of Rotarians in each Rotary Club and each RI District. For this, our DRRAG now does seek volunteers and you may contact the «Disaster Relief - Rotarian Action Group» through its website http://www.drrag.org/. For the sake of «Preserve Planet Earth» and to protect humankind and its environment best from disasters, we encourage you to consider joining now the DRRAG. Do please visit this website for more information.
At the same time when the Board of Rotary International (RI) accepted the first application of and environmental RAG, the Water and Sanitation Rotarian Action Group (RAG), the President & Directors of RI suggested that our EFR be facilitating the formation of different environmental Rotarian Action Groups. Our EFR has since then been ready and active in supporting Rotarians who wish to form specific RAGs dedicated to the environment and sustainable development also in the following areas: Agriculture, Building, Conservation, Eco-Tourism, Education, Energy, Global Warming, Health, Pollution, Reforestation, Wildlife, etc.
Regarding Waste, the RAG Rotarian Action Group on Waste and Recycling «Reduce, Reuse, Recycle & Waste Reduction» is being prepared and we invite you to write to Rampur Viswanath at rampur_s_viswanath@rl.gov if you're interested and would consider joining. Rampur will be best able to explain it to you. In 2010 the Board of RI will again consider applications for RAGs. Once approved, with care and prudence, these RAGs will be able to plan and implement Rotarian projects where the need is greatest on the planet.
Among the Rotary Fellowships our EFR, now 20 years young, is one of the senior and globally-present Rotary Fellowships. We do have very close relations with members of so many other Rotary Fellowships, starting from the oldest of them all, the quite environmentally-active «Esperanto World Fellowship of Rotarians». Indeed, our 100th RI Convention in Birmingham has really offered us a unique and unforgettable opportunity to meet and enjoy fellowship with so very many new friends!
In addition to our constant contact and Rotarian fellowship throughout the year, we now look forward very much to all meet at our booth/stand of our Environment Fellowship of Rotarians at the House of Friendship of the Rotary International Convention in Montreal/Canada, June 19-23 2010 for which we're registering and reserving our accommodation through http://www.rotary.org/.
As we started this new Rotary year very aware that The Future of Rotary is In Our Hands, let's all do our best to unite for the object of Rotary, and do so with still greater spirit of service to Mankind!

Marco Kappenberger
Chair, Environment Fellowship of Rotarians
Honorary Consul General
Consulate General of Switzerland
kappenberger@gmail.com

September 22 nd, 2009
Vídeo Planet Earth Asks Help, de Rodrigo A. Ferreira
PHOTOS: Brazilian Amazonia,

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