Newsletter of the Environment Fellowship of Rotarians
The Environment Fellowship of Rotarians has its already very active facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/environmentfellowship with about 2000 persons connected. It is increasingly used, primarily to share the best environmental projects, to ask for information about successful projects and answer to them, as well as to share technologies and other sites or articles related to relevant environmental concerns. Our gratitude for also creating this page on facebook goes to our Webmaster, Rotarian Simone Carot Collins of Perth/Australia, the founder and chair of the Rotarians on Social Networks Fellowship: www.rosnf.net
Besides our global activities throughout the year, the highlight of the year has been our participation with a booth the RI Convention in New Orleans, where, under the coordination of PDG Elaine Lytle, with the help of PP Joyce Lockard, and supported by others from around the world, our booth has been seen by thousands of Rotary convention-goers, and we have been in face to face conversation with hundreds of Rotarians, their spouses and guests, as well as with Rotaractors.
We immediately registered to attend the RI 2012 Convention in Bangkok and have reserved our stand/booth there. We invite all with an interest in and a passion for the Environment who will be at our RI Convention in Bangkok on May 5th to 9th 2012 to please confirm their participation by contacting us by writing me at kappenberger@gmail.com
Every year, a substantial number of us participates in the annual RI - UN day at the United Nations' Headquarters in New York City, a unique opportunity for the family of Rotary to show its support for the best of the UN, the best organization humankind's leaders have been able to create. The UN had seen its birth in San Francisco after the second world war, especially also thanks to the work, support and proactive participation of some 50 key Rotarians leading delegations representing the world's nations. Given Rotary International's high consultative status with the UN and Rotary's global organization and membership, including Rotarians worldwide, Rotary has now a most unique opportunity to increasingly contribute significantly more towards attracting much sooner the unavoidable lasting world peace and better environment for all everywhere, especially through the participation and the skills of our quality Rotarians everywhere! Yes, Rotary has the excellent global organization and quality membership with the unique, ideal potential to contribute very significantly more towards the success of the best of the United Nations' efforts for humankind, for a so much better environment for all. We thus call on RI to now dare to make the best of this opportunity, daring to make a significantly better use of the huge potential Rotary has for proactively participating in forging the best-possible future for humankind!
In contact with Rotary Clubs in every continent, we have proactively shared information and promoted rotarian Environmental projects globally. We naturally also promote alternative energies and we are in active contact with other RI Fellowships and Rotarian Action Groups as well as with organizations such as 'Sun Oven' , 'The Sustainability Trust' (uniting Rotarians for sustainability and carbon reduction), and many others with which we have also corresponded and/or cooperated. We feel that our fellowship's activity successfully results in increasingly enhancing Rotarians' experience in Rotary and further improving Rotary's service to humankind, especially strengthening clubs, increasing enthusiasm and dedication for humanitarian service, and significantly improving the people's image of Rotary worldwide.
We observe that the EFR facilitates members of the family of Rotary to enjoy quality fellowship and inspires their Rotary clubs to initiate and participate in projects for a better environment for everyone on our planet earth. The resulting exponentially-increasing number of examples of Rotary Fellowship and Friendships among Rotarians from different clubs, countries, or continents tends to lead to increased enthusiasm and participation in Rotary, resulting in more active Rotarians and so many stronger Rotary clubs in all continents.
As the Board of RI encouraged us, our Environment Fellowship of Rotarians remains a fellowship which, among its goals, does promote and facilitates Environmental Rotarian Action Groups. We are happy that the first one we successfully supported was Wasrag, the now very active RAG on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene. New ones are being considered in the fields of reforestation, environmental education, waste management and recycling in particular, eco-tourism, as well as the creation of parks and gardens.
We actively also support climate change awareness, and are happy to report that the 'top to top' expedition lead by Rotarian Dario Schwörer, Climatologist and Swiss Alpine Guide, now on the way from Mt. Everest to the Mountains of the Moon, is at present navigating in the Indian Ocean in order to participate and contribute to the global climate-change conference in Durban/SouthAfrica towards the end of November 2011, and will thereafter be ready to support the Rotarians for Fighting AIDS' Rotarian Action Group's international fundraising event, the climb on the Mountains of the Moon in Kenya in the occasion of World AIDS Day 2011 which benefits the millions of AIDS' orphans of Africa in particular.
Aware that an always better environment drastically reduces the possibility of disasters happening, we also are devoted towards continuing to support Rotary's efforts in disaster prevention and relief, an area for which Rotary is particularly well-positioned from all points of view, starting from its global quality membership everywhere and its exemplary organization. As we advance and gradually tap into Rotary's unique potential in this area, we're aware that there's so very much that remains to be done, and welcome the support from all interested Rotarians.
Many Rotary Clubs have a significant EFR membership, but in District 2450, in the Middle East, on the island of Cyprus, the RC of Nicosia-Salamis was the first Rotary Club of which the membership is composed entirely of members of our EFR. It's important to note that RI District 2450 is one of the largest, as it reaches from there all the way to Armenia and Georgia, Egypt and Sudan, as well as the UAR and Bahrain, a region where a robust growth of Rotary will be so very beneficial for humankind, worldwide understanding and peace, the object of Rotary.
Ceaselessly we're promoting 'Preserve Planet Earth' and appreciate the opportunities this gives to us for new friendships, sharing our know-how for good rotarian projects, also so attracting new good potential Rotarians, retaining them, as we advance towards the object of Rotary in an always better environment. We advance and develop friendships, often thanks to good environmental projects, often made possible through environmental Matching Grants with TRF of RI.
Now that each RI District can form up to two Rotary E-Clubs, we have been in contact with most, and have EFR members in them. We are communicating with them through the best of the new technologies which are available to Rotary globally, which is particularly easy and fruitful. In fact, it is our experience that, by using them, all Rotary Clubs are improving the quality of their fellowship and service to the community, attracting further the object of Rotary.
Yes, our Environment Fellowship of Rotarians is proactive for our planet earth' environment, sustainable development, and peace. There are so many more global good news, which we'd like you to enjoy from Good News Agency published by Rotarian Sergio Tripi s.tripi@tiscali.it and that you will find regularly on www.goodnewsagency.org
Let's support our RI President by Reaching Within to Embrace Humanity!
We do welcome all comments and questions!
With best greetings and wishes I'm yours in Rotary service,
Marco Kappenberger
Chair, Environment Fellowship of Rotarians