DG Dean's Welcome Message for 2007-2008

District Leadership » Past District 5040 Governors » Dean Rohrs
2007-2008

Dean Rohrs
2007-2008

 
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Wilf Wilkinson's theme of "Rotary Shares" has really struck a cord for me. As I grew up in Africa, I have seen the indignity of global poverty in the poorest communities of the world. I know the cost of abject poverty. The suffering and loss of potential human dignity is something we can and will address. It really only takes a small amount of resources by global standards and more importantly it takes real and sustained commitment. Ending absolute poverty is possible and attainable, and it is happening in some parts of the world. Here in British Columbia we are blessed with an economic lifestyle that many can only dream of. We take for granted things like education, health services, employment, clean water, political stability and peace, and have a freedom of choice. We all have the ability to do something - but will we?

In the preface to The End of Poverty, Bono of the band U2 writes:
"We can be the generation that no longer accepts that an accident of latitude determines whether a child lives or dies-but will we be that generation? Will we in the West realize our potential or will we sleep in the comfort of our affluence with apathy and indifference murmuring softly in our ears? Fifteen thousand people dying needlessly every day from AIDS, TB, and malaria. This is Africa's crisis. That it's not on the nightly news, that we do not treat this as an emergency-that's our crisis."

Bono hits the nail on the head: the gap between "can do" and "will do". In my view that is the greatest and most critical gap in our world. It is greater than the generational gap, the digital divide, or even the gap between the rich and the poor. The most important gap in our world, is the gap between what we now have the ability, the potential, the medical means, the technology, the financial resources to do, i.e. what we can do, and what we actually accomplish or bring about - what we will do.

We need look no further than our own doorsteps to find a need. Small intimate projects and large global ones - too many to count or for which we and our Rotary Clubs have the resources to address . but, if we take them one at a time and stay committed to the cause - then we can make it happen. We are 4 countries away from eradicating Polio - a task that was initially thought to be impossible - but we did it. Rotary did it. Never alone, and never in isolation - but always as the leaders in Service to Humanity.

I hope that in the 2007-2008 Rotary year all of us in District 5040 will have the energy and passion to move from being Rotarians that can do - to Rotarians that will do.

Yours in Rotary Service
Dean and Rhino Rohrs
District Governor 2007 - 2008
Rotary International district 5040