Rotary Day at the United Nations - November 7th
Rotary International helped draft the United Nations Charter in the 1940s and the organization has had a close partnership with the UN throughout its history. It is considered to have “the highest consultative status offered to a non-governmental organization by the UN’s Economic and Social Council,” according to the Rotary website. A day is set aside each year for Rotarians to tour UN headquarters in New York City and to lead panel discussions on topics of high priority to the organization. This year, Rotary Day at the United Nations will take place on November 7, 2015.
This unique opportunity offers both a visit to the United Nations Headquarters in New York City as well as participation in panel discussions featuring leaders and officials from the Rotary International, the United Nations and its affiliated Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs).
Rotary Day at the United Nations also includes a special program for youth interested in humanitarian service. Youth have the opportunity to hear about some projects that Interact Clubs are working on, an overview of the UN and much more. The keynote address for youth will be "Overview of Gender Equality." The youth program will also hear addresses from RI President Ravi and General Secretary John Hewko.
This year, human trafficking will be a primary subject on that day. Georgia Rotarian Dave McCleary will moderate a panel on the topic of human trafficking when he takes part in the annual Rotary Day at the UN on Nov. 7, and on Wednesday talked on that topic as guest speaker at the Marianna Rotary Club’s monthly meeting. McCleary offered local Rotarians some sobering statistics. One in six runaways are trafficked, he said, with the numbers in America translating to about 1.6 million. Within three days of running away, one in three will have been approached by a potential trafficker. Rotary has decided to take the problem on in a big way. It’s a priority of the international leadership, and the club is already distributing materials to local chapters for the education of their members. “Chosen” is a DVD chronicling the various ways in which young women have been lured into the trap of human trafficking. Girls who have escaped the cycle tell their stories.
Deb Walters, a member of the Rotary Club of Unity who is on a solo kayak expedition from Maine to Guatemala to raise awareness for Safe Passage, was chosen as one of six Rotary Global Women of Action. She will be recognized on Nov. 7, World Rotary Day, at the United Nations in New York for her service to the people of Guatemala and her efforts to help break the cycle of multi-generational poverty. Additional Rotarian women being honored include Kerstin Jeska-thorwart from Nuremberg, Germany of the Rotary Club of Nurnberg-Sigena; Dr. Hashrat Begum from Bangladesh, Rotary Club of Dhaka North West; Razia Jan from Wellesley, MA and the Rotary Club of Duxbury (an Afghan native); Stella Dongo from Zimbabwa and the Rotary Club of Highlands; and Lucy Hobgood-Brown from Australia and the Rotary e-club of Greater Sydney.
On the morning of November 7th, be sure to watch the Today Show live from Rockefeller Center in New York City. Rotarians will be wearing "End Polio Now" aprons or shirts.
It will be a full day of activities and more than 1,500 partcipants.