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It is important to note that we are still in ‘low’ season in Asia but the overall situation is very encouraging. Rotary International PolioPlus Chair and RI Past Vice President Mike McGovern said at our Coordinators’ Zoom meeting last week he is ‘quite excited’ by the current situation.

‘We have never been this close to eradicating polio. There have been NO new cases in Pakistan for 16 weeks and we need to let people know the good news,’ he said.

Mike pointed to the fact there were no positive WPV samples from 68 testing sites across Pakistan and two in Afghanistan in the last period as proof of the improving situation. Of course nothing is certain whilst the conflict continues along the Pakistan/Afghanistan border but all the signs are positive.

COVID-19 remains a challenge to our ongoing campaign but the Global Polio Eradication Initiative remains focused with 440 million children immunised in 2020, compared with 419 million in 2019.

There have been no issues with the successful introduction of the Oral Polio vaccine to the vaccine-derived campaign.

Mike McGovern emphasised that whilst we are not at the finish line yet, we’re getting closer every day. He said there will be a new EPN strategic plan announced at the beginning of the virtual Rotary International Convention.

Through the MPC, 200 indigenous gardens will be created by harnessing the power of community and those who want to see positive change. Using mainly nature strips, the MPC will help bring back our devastated understory where most of our native insects live. Caring for Country, the project will return 18,000 indigenous plants to this land while also bringing community together, increasing habitat for our native wildlife, concentrating the focus on our incredible native pollinators and insects and creating joy, inspiration and beauty in the area. Designed alongside scientists and specialists and within government constraints, the MPC will be a safe haven for native bees, other flower-visiting insects and all other critters that come along with them. This project creates desperately needed connected habitat that will increase indigenous biodiversity, create more movement for species and stronger genetic diversity and health within our indigenous flora and fauna.

Ten Rotary clubs located within the MPC boundaries have been identified and club representatives are being sought to take up a street garden project in their geographical area, either individually or collaboratively with other clubs. A field visit is planned on 18 July 2021 and these Rotary clubs will be invited to attend to experience the outcome of Emma’s work and access resources to assist with their project.

If you would like to know more, please contact Peter Berg, District 9800 Environmental Sustainability Committee in collaboration with Rotarians for Bees at pberg8@bigpond.net.au

As Chair of Community Service this year (and again next year), Sue has worked with DG Philip on the G’Day Program. “The program involves inviting non-Rotarians into a safe and welcoming club environment for a chat and a cuppa,” Sue advised. “COVID however has meant we had to change that invitation to an online offering, which led to the development of the Rotary in Harmony concerts in 2020.” 

There are wide ranging and important programs in District 9800 Club Service, some being short-term to help people in need with emergency supplies, and others longer term District supported projects such as recycled sound, recycled playgrounds (in collaboration with International Service), Rotarians for Bees and other environmental initiatives. Partnerships, such as the Pinchapoo program, which involves a number of clubs, have long-term potential.

Sue believes partnerships are incredibly important and are really the only way forward for Rotary. “Rotarians try to do everything themselves, which is time consuming and may lead to burnout,” she says. “Partners bring people-power and funding and with the exposure to what we are doing, there is a much better chance they will become further involved,” she adds. The Community Enterprise Foundation collaboration during bushfire recovery together is an example of how we can achieve real success.

“Importantly, collaboration can avoid duplication of effort within our Rotary network,” Sue feels.

“Many clusters of clubs have improved their cooperation and are achieving more than individual clubs have the resources to achieve.”

The new Rotary year looms with huge potential. Asked what clubs should do in the Community Service next year, Sue’s response was that she sees four ways to ensure clubs maximise the value of their Community Service mission:  appoint a Community Chair so each club has one person to inform the board and members of opportunities and be the conduit for important communications from District; identify individuals, business leaders and community groups in club networks who would be valuable partners and invite them to meetings or online forums, introduce them to members, familiarise them with key club projects and invite them to get involved; there is considerable knowledge and experience already within Rotary, and Community Service Chairs should get to know each other and find areas where they might cooperate; and, finally, as District Community Services Chair, Sue wants to be closer to clubs and Community Service representatives in 2021/22 to ensure District is providing support, imparting knowledge and contributing to the success of every club’s Rotary year.

“Working in harmony with each other, and with external groups and individuals, will improve our impact and help Rotary survive and prosper into the future,” advises Sue.

A photographic competition titled ‘At Work with Trucks’ was launched in October with sponsored prizes that attracted 54 photographs from as far away as Queensland and South Australia. A panel of judges had great delight in assessing a wide range of photographs submitted by small trucking families, big tracking companies, farmers, student employees, and even a worker on the Monash Freeway works.

To engage online trucking enthusiasts, the top 28 ranked photographs were publicised via a video clip on the Club’s Facebook page with a link to a People’s Choice vote on Survey Monkey to determine the winner. A sponsor was obtained to print a calendar designed by local artist, Geoff Hocking, to feature the competition photographs (the competition entry fee covered the cost of the calendar with extra printed for additional fundraising). With general information about the Truck Show and the 2021 and 2022 dates, the calendar has proven excellent marketing.

The Club Truck Show Committee also pursued a program of online speakers through Zoom, which was simultaneously broadcasted with Facebook Live – it was a great hit with fans. On 29 November, ‘At Work with Trucks’ was streamed continuously for two hours and a local resident provided a behind-the-scenes insight into heavy vehicle research. Rotarians came online to announce the winners of the raffle and photographic competition and there was an interview with South Australian author, Lorraine Day, about her recently published book, The High & Mighty, the story of Noel Buntine’s iconic trucking business in the top end.

The news that restrictions were easing and that the Club could also conduct a small ‘Truckies Breakfast and Convoy’ on 29 November was met with great celebration and locals came out in force.

Overall, the event attracted 11,500 Facebook views, raised $9000 and was awarded Community Event of the Year at the Mount Alexander Shire Australia Day Awards.

why did we choose to ignore the words, ideas, organisations and ideologies in plain sight that espoused hatred, typecaste or criminalised minorities and amplified extremism?

Thinking about the words we use doesn’t mean that the harsh truths of society have to be reduced to flowery language and unrepresentative images of the world we live in. Nor does it mean being biased towards one different political party or another. What it means is to acknowledge the responsibility that people in power have with their words. That the very nature of holding authority inherently means that people will listen, and words can and will become calls to action. Every word, we could say, has an equal and opposite reaction.

I realise the irony of talking about the use of our language in a public speaking competition. It is, in a sense, rather fitting. In Australia, a politician's speech is protected by parliamentary privilege, an important right, which is used so that parliamentary proceedings can not lead to defamation suits. Whilst this is a fundamental part of our democracy, it establishes a system where politicians can say basically anything without consequences. The examples are broad and numerous, but none perhaps quite as blatant and obvious as the seeds sown before the Christchurch massacre.

George Christansen, a sitting member of parliament, attended far right rallies promoting white nationalism and the harm of Muslims. He spoke at Q society of Australia, a far right hate group which is deeply Islamophobic and homophobic. At the event speakers said things such as: “If Muslims are in the same street as me, I start shaking. I can’t stand Muslims.” He never condemned the comments, instead standing by them. Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull confronted him about this and a number of allegations of corruption to which he said, “Remember two words: parliamentary privilege; and two more years of it." He is still a sitting member of parliament. Tony Abbott, our former Prime Minister, said “Islamophobia never killed anyone”. Peter Dutton, our Immigration Minister, called Lebanese immigration a “mistake”. And of course, former Senator Fraser Anning called for the final solution when speaking about Muslim immigrants. The final solution was a phrase used by the Nazis to call for the slaughter of Jewish people.

These people saying these things are our elected officials: people who are supposed to hold the best interests at heart for the whole country, people who are supposed to represent everyone as citizens. When politicians undermine goodwill and fairness and spread these views, these begin to seep into our societal conscience and consciousness. And whilst politicians would never go out and commit murder, their words and actions can be linked to those who do.

The Christchurch shooter, an Australian citizen, became obsessed with supposed Islamic extremism, which was and still is a highly amplified talking point to justify racist immigration laws. He would have recognised these justifications from politicians and internalised them alongside the voices from his own extremist networks. Politicians are the people who speak words and the entire nation listens. They are supposed to speak truth, create policies, which are beneficial to all Australians, and strive for fairness. Instead some are choosing to spread a sentiment of hatred and one that divides the very heart of our society.

Various media outlets have also shirked their responsibility to the public to present the truth fairly and with goodwill. Australia already has an issue with media accountability. In the year leading up to the Christchurch shooting the Murdoch Press published 3000 articles vilifying Muslims, 1800 of which were cover stories. Let's presume that all of these stories were 800 words long. That’s 2,400,000 words seeping in public conscience, changing neurological pathways word by word until a seed is planted in a mind. Until we become immune to racism and the ideas and language become normalised. Until the readers of these newspapers have planted the seeds in someone else's mind and that extremism is spread. Headlines like, “this means war,” openly incite the very violence they are claiming to condemn. Media consolidation laws passed by our government have essentially given one family, the Murdochs, a monopoly over our media and meant that they do not have to worry about being held accountable by the public, their power simply overshadows that of letter writing campaigns and advertisers pulling out. The Murdoch press has forgotten simple moral values. Never do they ask whether what they are reporting is true, nor whether it is fair to all concerned. Goodwill and bettering friendships are not values one could accuse the company of having, let alone being concerned about being beneficial to the world. Instead the Murdochs focus on two things: the power to shape public opinion and the revenue gained from controversial news stories.

It is time to start valuing truth, fairness, goodwill and the benefit of others, over hatred, division and conspiracy. This might sound hard, but there are some easy solutions. Politicians and certain elements of the media must return to their moral duty of serving the country. To do that we must hold them accountable for their actions and in particular their words. Words have power. Jacinda Ardern said in the wake of Christchurch, “not only do words carry the ability to harm, they also have the ability to carry love”. The words on everyone’s mind should be truth, fairness, goodwill and the benefit of others. It is the only way forward. Thank you.

Fast forward to now. Undoubtedly, Fitzroy is an inner city gem – certainly not a ‘trendies’ takeover. Generations have stayed in the family homes and rebuilds, conversions and updates have wedded them to the town. The commercial sector has responded too. Brunswick Street buzzes with cafes, bookshops, avant-garde clothing stores and even rooftop bars. At the Fitzroy Victoria Bowling Club there’s been summer barefoot bowling and Edinburgh Gardens is a festival and family mecca. But there’s always history to scratch … the football ground, ticket box and grandstand are preserved treasures and, if you persevere, you can still unearth track sections of the old Fitzroy-Melbourne cable car system (1886-1930).                                                                                   

The Rotary Club of Fitzroy was chartered in 1968 under sponsorship of the Rotary Club of Collingwood and the original club membership was made up of local businessmen who lived outside the area. Today, the roll call, including honorary members, presents a female majority. Sadly, Ern Waldron, the last stalwart member, passed away in 2019. As a smaller club with an older membership, Fitzroy has embodied the notion of hands-on’ by concentrating on links with existing organisations that help the homeless and others requiring aid. These include the MS Foundation, Footscape, which assists the disadvantaged with podiatry and provision of footwear, and Solar Smiles, an organisation that promotes dental education and also treatment for those in need.

Four times a year Fitzroy members marshal the barbeques for the community police-organised Champion Challenge at the Atherton Gardens Housing estate. Recently, the Club provided four computers to each of two Fitzroy primary schools and, with District assistance, two scholarships for students at Fitzroy High School.

The Club meets at the Fitzroy Victoria Bowling Club and a number of the Rotarians are also Bowling Club members. This dual membership has provided platforms for both groups, as the venue is able to combine and promote the various community projects and tap into a very willing and community-minded body of people – Fitzroy’s latest premiership team.

At that time, there were approximately 30 Rotarians from six or seven countries on the list that communicated with each other. The group began to discuss the idea of a group of Rotarians using the Internet for better communication for Rotarians all over the world; the goal was eventually to become a Rotary recreational fellowship with a few hundred members. Rotary International granted Fellowship status in 1996-97, by which time the group had 100 members.

In 1998, it had its first booth at the Indianapolis convention, and hundreds of new members signed up. It was at this time that ROTI influenced a major change in the Rotary world when future RI President Frank Devlyn spent time at the booth learning about the unlimited potential of the Internet and the value it could be to Rotary International in improved communications, as well as time and cost savings. When he became RI President in 2000-01, he called on ROTI members to assist him to create a major Internet presence in every club and District in the Rotary world, forever changing the way communications occurred between Rotary International, clubs and districts. In fact ROTI was a social network long before Facebook and Twitter!

Currently, ROTI has more than 2000 members in about 105 countries and territories. Its mission is to apply modern information technology to enhance Rotary service, fellowship and knowledge, and to use Internet communications to further world understanding and peace.

Membership is open to all current registered Rotarians and Rotaractors and is free.

For further information, visit: https://roti.org/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/RotariansOnTheInternet/