Editor's Message - “Diversity in Rotary"

 
Rotary takes pride and remains relevant to society by its diversity of culture, gender, religion & politics.  Rotary is poised for greatness by such diversity and now also places emphasis on younger generations. Having identified the need to emphasize new generations, we now have EarlyAct ethics and character education programs for elementary students, Interact for middle and high school students, and Rotaract for the college-aged generation and young professionals.   In recent years Rotary has coined the term  “New Generations”. 
 
New Generations refers to the youngest generation in the family of Rotary. Many are participants in Rotary’s youth and young adult programs: Interact, Rotaract, Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA), and Rotary Youth Exchange. Others are service- minded young people involved in Rotary club and district activities.
 
Past RI President Luis Vicente Giay coined the term New Generations when he shared his belief that the future of Rotary relied on involving young people in the organization’s programs and activities. At the 1996 RI Convention in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, he said: “Our vision for the future, now more than ever, is the difference between success and failure. The New Generations are our investment in the future. Let us begin to build that future today.” New Generations Service became Rotary’s fifth Avenue of Service in 2010. It is defined in article 5 of the Standard Rotary Club Constitution:
New Generations Service recognizes the positive change implemented by youth and young adults through leadership development activities, involvement in community and international service projects, and exchange programs that enrich and foster world peace and cultural understanding. Rotary clubs should be committed to involving youth and young adults in their vocational, community, and international service projects, and to providing programs and resources that support them.
 
How is diversity of generations best managed? How is generational diversity related to creativity and innovation, and what might be the problems created by the management of diversity? Diversity is a recognizable source of creativity and innovation that can provide a basis for competitive advantage. On the other hand, diversity may, at times,  cause some misunderstandings, suspicions and conflicts that can potentially result in loss of membership, poor quality relationships, low morale and loss of competitiveness.
 
Organizations seeking a competitive advantage face a paradoxical situation. If they embrace diversity, they risk conflict, and if they avoid diversity, they risk loss of competitiveness. The advantages and disadvantages associated with diversity puts organizations in a position of managing a paradoxical situation. As Rotary grows in relevance in the world of the 21st Century our leadership must take “the Future of Rotary” into their hands to struggle with inclusion and diversity practices, especially as we mentor the younger generations into the greatest service organization in the world.
 
 
For those who have seen the Earth from space, and for the hundreds and perhaps thousands more who will, the experience most certainly change your perspective. The things that we share in our world are far more valuable than those which divide us. -Donald Williams
 
Editor -
PDG Ed Charlesworth