Northern Beaches Rotarians headed to Melbourne last week for the Rotary International Conference.
It is a time for members of Rotary to get together, make new friends from around the world, liaise on projects and see what Rotary is doing on a global scale.
Speakers included Hugh Evans and Michael Sheldrick from Global Citizen, which Rotary partners with, 2011 Nobel Prize Laureate and Founder/President of Gbowee Peace Foundation Africa Leymah Gbowee, co-founder and CEO of mPharma Gregory Rockson and many more.
A highlight of the conference was a spoken word performance by 10-yer old Nakeeyat Dramani Sam, poet and Climate Vulnerable Forum Youth Ambassador.
Dr Shahzad Asif Baig, the national coordinator of the Pakistan Polio eradication program, spoke about the incredible efforts already made in his country. Still, the perseverance needed to abolish it entirely. Pakistan and Afghanistan are the two remaining countries with Wild Polio Virus. There is real hope that this disease will soon be eradicated for good. Rotarians feel a special connection with End Polio as it was started by Australian Rotarian Sir Clem Renouf, and Northern Beaches Clubs have helped fund the program over several decades.
End Polio walk
An End Polio walk was held before the conference to confirm Rotarians’ intention to make every effort to end this disease which has had devastating effects on so many lives.
While the global nature of the conference was expected, that does not mean it lacked local involvement.
Mel Lewis, environment champion
The Northern Beaches Rotary Environment Director Melanie Lewis presented a segment on “End Plastic Soup”. This Amsterdam-started project is expected to ramp up, and local clubs have shown interest in helping expand it. End Plastic Soup concentrates on the task of minimising single-use plastics, is fact and evidence-based and provides ideas for changes people can make and ways individuals and groups can help.
This initiative will help engage young people in a project which will have an ongoing impact in helping to improve the land and marine environment.
Rotarians are changemakers, problem solvers and community builders who aim high and take action needed to make significant changes in the world.
For more information, contact Liz at 0419 267 960 or email rotarynorthernbeaches@gmail.com
