AS PRESENTED BY
ROTR. CHIMEZIE UDECHUKWU AT THE JOINT MEETING OF THE ROTARY CLUB OF AMUWO AND
THE ROTARACT CLUB OF AMUWO MAIN MARKING THE 2013 WORLD ROTARACT WEEK HELD AT
THE GOLDEN TULIP AMUWO ON MONDAY 11TH MARCH 2013.
PROTOCOLS
THE NEED FOR
PEACE….
Perhaps the most talked about social phenomenon
currently topping the agenda of major discourse globally is Peace! And why not? Our world today is
fraught with so many incidences of war, clashes, bombings, deprivations, abuse
of human rights and various kinds of injustices. It said that the currency for
development in any environment is peace and this can seen in the various Service initiatives carried out by
service organizations, corporate organizations and individuals to complement
governments efforts.
Peace is generally defined as the absence of war,
fear, conflict, anxiety, suffering and violence, and about peaceful
coexistence. It is chiefly concerned with creating and maintaining a just order
in society and the resolution of conflict by non-violent means, thus promoting
freedom.
See why we must aspire for peace?
THE LANGUAGE OF
PEACE…
So many have argued that for peace to thrive the
parties to such peaceful ventures must speak the language of peace. While some
say the language of peace is the absence of war, justice and development;
others say it has to be respect and tolerance between people.
Cultur it has been argued is the totality of man’s way
of life. The preservation of culture therefore is through socialization, i.e. the
transfer from one generation to another the norms of the society in question.
In Rotary, for over 108 years the one way through which it has communicated its
ideals of a peaceful world is through service, nay! Service Above Self!
In our world today, the most spoken language of peace is service! But sadly, many do know
this. The above mentioned (tolerance,
respect, justice etc) we can refer to as various dialects with regards to how peace can be spoken and understood.
This is because the remote cause of conflict is relative deprivations with
regards to the equitable distribution of resources {lack of this accounts for
the relative-deprivation,
frustration-aggression theories of social scientists when trying to explain the
causes of conflicts or violence in the society}.
ENTER ROTARY /
ROTARACT: THE PACT OF SERVICE…
Since 13th March 1968 when the first
Rotaract Club was chartered [63 years after Rotary was formed] that is, The
Rotaract Club of the University of North Charlotte, North Carolina District
7680, USA; there has been an added boost in the services of Rotary to the world. Today, we continue to see the dream of past
RI President Luther H. Hodges 1967/1968 Rotary Year when he charged us to Make Our Rotary Membership Effective in
the complementary role of young people in building peace through service.
Currently there are 219, 397 Rotaractors
in 9, 539 Clubs in over 168 countries. These youths continue to engage
Rotary all over the world by reaching within, building peace in communities,
bridging continents, embracing humanity; thus doing what they believe in and
believing in what they thereby changing lives through a sustained culture of
service. This is Rotary in Action!
For over 108 years and still counting, Rotary
continues to bring peace by addressing the needs that cause conflict: the need
for clean water, for nutrition, sanitation and health care, community and
economic development, education.
Here in District 9110 Nigeria, there are about 80
Rotary and 50 Rotaract Clubs. Though some Rotary clubs are reneging on their
duties as sponsoring clubs, some Rotaract clubs still struggle to remain “in good standing with the Rotaract
District” this calls for a strengthening of the bond of fellowship that
connects us as twin partners in service.
Between RC Amuwo and Rota Amuwo Main, we enjoy a rich
relationship spiced with friendship and understanding- the core of any
partnership deed. This is further demonstrated in our gathering today. Kudos
must be given to the leaders of the Great RC Amuwo for believing in the New
Generations and also trusting that through their Chartering of a Rotaract Club,
Rotary can be further put to action.
FINAL WORDS...
Service builds peace and connects borders rather than
destroy them. According to RI President Sakuji Tanaka “when we serve, the
impact is not limited to our community, or the community we are helping… when we
serve; we are helping all of humanity…”
When we put service above ourselves, we welcome,
accommodate, tolerate and strive towards other people’s needs rather than dwell
on our desires. Peace comes through sharing. When we serve, we share and when
we share, we build peace through our acts of service and thus, we make the
world a peaceful place to dwell.
Let me end with words of President Tanaka’s words
during the unveiling of the theme for 2012/2013 at the International Assembly
held in San Diego in January 2012. In Rotary, our business is not profit. Our
business is peace. our reward is not financial, but the happiness and
satisfaction of seeing a better, more peaceful world, one that we have achieved
through our [collective] efforts.
Pax Tecum!
I thank you for your attention!
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