Rotary International President Elect 2024-25 Stephanie Urchick on Sunday said the organization working on humanitarian service across the globe had two clear visions of enhancing its membership growth and scaling up its peace pole project to heal the divided world facing climate crisis, economic turmoil and conflicts.
Addressing a media meet-up with senior journalists, Rotary International President Elect 2024-25 Stephanie Urchick and her Aide Thomas Gump accompanied by senior Rotary Pakistan leaders, Faiz Kidwai (Rotary International Director), Masrur Scheik (District Governor of Rotary District 3272) and Imran Ghaznavi (ARPIC) briefed the participants on the organization’s achievements in the country.
Stephanie Urchick said there was a need to augment the existing number of members by simply changing the existing culture of the clubs into simply irresistible by following the four priorities of the action plan that make it more meaningful, purposeful and dedicated association for serving humanity with a purpose and hope. “We want to line up people behind us who would take over the leadership from us and will carry forward the vision,” she said.
She added that the Rotary has numerous clubs or working cohorts that are eco-clubs, cooperation clubs, and satellite clubs that all operate in their communities under clear action plans and goals that were all meant to engage the masses to serve humanity with hope.
The Rotary President Elect underlined that the theme for this year was creating hope in the world which would commence from June 1, 2024. She lauded the efforts of the Rotary clubs in Pakistan, adding, “People are creating hope in Pakistan through community development and resilience initiatives in the distressed populations.”
Commenting on the other priority areas, Urchick said, “My second priority is healing a divided world through Positive Peace. There are several ways to get involved. If everyone would live The Four-Way Test instead of just reciting it, we would have a more peaceful world. I hope clubs will rally around The Four-Way Test and use it in creative ways. And there is the peace pole project: Clubs can have peace poles erected in their local park, town square, or college campus.
The message of peace on the poles is a visible sign to the community that Rotary is a peacebuilding organization. Additionally, Rotary has a Positive Peace Academy, which is an online activity. Any Rotary member or non-Rotary member can take the time to go through that. And our Rotary Peace Centers are powerful activators in changing lives. We’re opening a new peace center in the Middle East, in Istanbul. In February 2025, we will have a peace conference at that location,” she added.
“We have rotary peace building centers and some 1,800 individuals have graduated from it who learnt conflict management and peace building and are serving in different organizations of the world,” she added. She also underscored that the Rotary had a strong action group, and also the young professionals who were organizing clubs that were cause-based whereas there was plenty of work to do in this realm.
“We have a framework to assess that rotary membership based on regional adaptability as every community will look to those messages according to their ground realities,” she said.
Stephanie Urchick lauded the humanitarian efforts of Rotary Pakistan in multiple areas of service, particularly Smart Villages, and how it encompasses all 7 areas of humanitarian focus of Rotary International. She expressed particular admiration for the efforts of front-line polio workers in Pakistan.
“Polio will be gone in Pakistan because of the commitment of polio workers,” she commented. She spoke about how Rotary International has changed and adapted to the changing times, and how there is a place in Rotary for those with the heart and hands for service.
“There is a place for you in Rotary if you have the heart and the hands for service,” she said. Tom Gump similarly spoke about his admiration for service efforts by Rotary Pakistan, especially regarding sanitation, water treatment plants, and mobile libraries. “A healthy Pakistan helped by a healthy Rotary in this region” Rotary International Aide Tom Gump said.
Faiz Kidwai spoke about the humanitarian aims of Rotary International, and how the groundbreaking Rotary Pakistan Smart Villages project is engaged at the grassroots level in Pakistan to transform the poorest of communities, bring development to small towns and villages, and empower their residents.
The Rotary Pakistan Smart Villages project is not only providing essentials such as homes and shelters but has long-term and far-reaching goals, such as infrastructure, education and health. Water treatment plants, kitchen gardens, and solar-generated electricity have already been brought to these villages.
Moreover, trainings to provide vocational and financial management skills are also provided at the Smart Villages to foster entrepreneurship and move towards de-urbanization in Pakistan. 20 of these Rotary Pakistan Smart Villages are to be completed by June 2024, after which this project will be expanded all over Pakistan based on the needs of the most deserving communities.
Rotary Pakistan leaders also emphasized the importance of youth in Pakistan and how Rotary Pakistan is working to generate leadership and nation-building among youth in Pakistan. 20 villages to be completed by June 2024 and will be expanded all over Pakistan based on the needs of the most deserving communities.
