Comunicado de Prensa

For immediate release

Contact: Gabriela Simionato Klein, 1-847-866-3239, Gabriela.klein@rotary.org

Más de 100.000 personas de 171 países han publicado sus fotos como apoyo a la iniciativa para Poner Fin a la Polio

EVANSTON, IL (EE.UU.). (30 de mayo de 2014) — A efectos de captar fondos y sensibilizar al público respecto a la campaña mundial para erradicar la polio, Rotary ha conseguido más de 100.000 mensajes de apoyo por parte de celebridades, líderes mundiales y gente de todo tipo, que han aceptado agregar su nombre y fotografía para “El comercial más grande del mundo” enorme anuncio de servicio público en el sitio de Pongamos Fin a la Polio.

El comercial más grande del mundo entró en el Libro Guinness de los records como la mayor campaña de sensibilización fotográfica. Se tuvo en cuenta la participación de 177 celebridades, tres veces mayor que el récord anterior.

Entre los embajadores de Rotary para la erradicación de la polio se cuentan el filántropo Bill Gates; el actor Jackie Chan, la actriz Archie Panjabi; el golfista Jack Nicklaus; el premio Nobel Desmond Tutu, y los cantantes Ziggy Marley, Angelique Kidjo y Psy. En una serie de anuncios impresos y en video, cada embajador hace el signo de “Solo esto” con el pulgar y el índice, como referencia al mensaje “Nos falta solo esto para poner fin a la polio”.

Como se esperaba, el respaldo de personajes de tal calibre motivó a miles de estudiantes, docentes, emprendedores y numerosos simpatizantes a añadir su foto haciendo el situado gesto, lo cual contribuyó a realzar el creciente video compuesto de fotos y un excelente complemento musical. El comercial ahora alcanza una duración de tres horas y media. Rotary esperaba contar con 100.000 participantes a más tardar el 30 de junio, pero como dicha meta ya está cumplida, la organización ahora aspira a incrementar la cantidad de imágenes hasta que concluya el plazo.

“Obtener el apoyo de gente de tantos países y orígenes para la lucha contra esta enfermedad incapacitante, incurable pero prevenible pone de relieve que la erradicación es una causa internacional”, afirma Carol Pandak, directora del programa PolioPlus de Rotary, emprendido en 1985. “La organización ha realizado eventos en línea para sensibilizar al público sobre la importancia de nuestra campaña y motivarlos a tomar acción”.

Pandak indica que el masivo apoyo obtenido respalda la labor de incidencia política de Rotary para alentar a los gobiernos nacionales a proporcionar los fondos y recursos necesarios para vacunar contra la polio a la población infantil y prevenir así la propagación de la enfermedad. Los participantes en el comercial también pueden contribuir directamente al programa  PolioPlus de Rotary ingresando en www.endpolio.org/es.

A finales de los 70 era necesario demostrar que erradicar la polio era factible y Rotary lo demostró con sus campañas de vacunación masiva. En 1988 la organización se convirtió en una de las principales entidades colaboradoras de la Iniciativa Mundial para la Erradicación de la Polio junto con la Organización Mundial de la Salud, el UNICEF, los Centros para el Control y Prevención de Enfermedades de EE.UU., y más adelante, la Fundación Bill y Melinda Gates. Desde entonces, el número de casos de poliomielitis ha disminuido en más de 99%, desde 350.000 al año a solo 416 en 2013.

Las responsabilidades principales de Rotary en el marco de la iniciativa se centran en la captación de fondos, la incidencia política y la movilización social. Por otra parte, hasta 2018, la Fundación Bill y Melinda Gates aportará un dólar por cada dólar que Rotary destine a la erradicación de la polio, por un máximo de US$ 35 millones al año.

Rotary

Somos una red mundial de voluntarios dedicados a abordar los problemas humanitarios más acuciantes. Mediante actividades que abarcan desde la ayuda a familias desfavorecidas hasta la lucha contra la polio, nuestros socios generan cambios positivos en sus comunidades y en el mundo. Para más información, visita Rotary.org o endpolio.org.

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Pressemitteilung

For immediate release

Contact: Gabriela Simionato Klein, 1-847-866-3239, Gabriela.klein@rotary.org

Über 100.000 Teilnehmer aus 171 Ländern machten mit

EVANSTON, Ill., USA (30 May 2014) — Über 100.000 Teilnehmer aus aller Welt haben ihr Foto einem mittlerweile dreieinhalbstündigen Video-Spot beigefügt, mit dem die gemeinnützige Organisation Rotary auf den globalen Kampf zur Ausrottung der Kinderlähmung aufmerksam machen will. Menschen aus 171 Ländern luden bei der Aktion ein Selbstportrait zu der Website End Polio Now hoch, wobei sie mit Daumen und Zeigefinger die Geste „So nah dran“ machen, um aufzuzeigen, wie nahe dran wir sind, das Poliomyelitis verursachende Virus, besser bekannt als Kinderlähmung auszurotten.
 

Mit der Aktion erreichte Rotary einen offiziellen Guiness-Weltrekord für die größte „Photo Awareness Campaign“. Die Guiness-Prüfer bewerteten besonders die Tatsache, dass Rotary mit 177 Stars und Prominenten mehr als dreimal so viele Star-Teilnehmer gewinnen konnte wie der bisherige Rekordhalter. Zu den Unterstützern gehören unter anderem Bill Gates, der Schauspieler Jackie Chan, Moderator Cherno Jabatey, Golfgröße Jack Nicklaus, Nobelpreisträger Bischof Desmond Tutu, Schauspielerin Archie Panjabi, Musikstars Ziggy Marley, Angelique Kidjo, Psy, der ehemalige Skirennfahrer Berhard Russi und viele weitere.

“Dass so viele Leute aus allen Schichten und aus so vielen Ländern mitgemacht haben, um uns in unserem Kampf gegen diese tückische und unheilbare, aber vermeidbare Krankheit zu unterstützen, zeigt, wie global unser Anliegen wirklich ist”, betonte Dr. Carol Pandak, Direktorin des seit 1985 existierenden PolioPlus Programms von Rotary. “Die Menschen verstehen, um was es geht, und sie wollen etwas tun. In vielen Ländern hat unsere Online-Kampagne Menschen dazu animiert, ihre eigenen Aufklärungsinitiativen zu starten.”

Pandak sagte weiter, dass die Welle der Unterstützung Rotary bei dessen Lobbyarbeit stärke – Rotary appelliert an Regierungen, den Kampf gegen Polio finanziell zu unterstützen. Deutschland hat bisher $471.51 Millionen, die Europäische Kommission $229.75 Millionen, die Schweiz $3.67 Millionen und Österreich $3.28 Millionen zur Global Polio Eradication Initiative beigetragen.

Hinweis an die Redaktion:

Über Rotary und Polio
Die Ausrottung der Kinderlähmung ist seit den 80er Jahren eine Handlungspriorität für Rotary. Rotary Clubs in aller Welt haben seitdem über 1,2 Milliarden USD gespendet und zahllose Einsätze geleistet, um durch massive Impfkampagnen die Zahl der Polio-Erkrankungen seit 1988 um 99 Prozent zu reduzieren (von rund 350.000 Fällen pro Jahr auf nur 416 im Jahr 2013). Zur Global Polio Eradication Initiative gehören neben Rotary, der WHO und UNICEF auch die US-Gesundheitsbehörden CDC sowie die Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, die derzeit Spenden von Rotariern bis zu 35 Millionen USD pro Jahr im Verhältnis 1:2 bezuschusst.

Über Rotary
Rotary ist eine weltweite Vereinigung engagierter Männer und Frauen, die sich in den drängenden humanitären Problemen der Welt von heute engagieren. Die 1,2 Millionen Mitglieder sind in 34.000 Clubs in 200 Ländern der Erde organisiert. Weitere Informationen finden Sie bei rotary.org.

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News Release

For immediate release

CONTACTS:
Jason Morrison - jason@flagship-communications.com, Mobile: 0412 663 957, Phone: 1300 963796
Vivian Fiore - Vivian.fiore@rotary.org,  Phone: +1 (847) 866-3234 (US)

Half of all ticket sales will support Rotary's efforts to end polio

Sydney, Australia (30 May 2014) – More than 300 members of Rotary and their friends will climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge to raise funds for the humanitarian service organisation's top philanthropic goal of eradicating polio worldwide. This event forms a significant part of the Rotary International Convention held in Sydney on 1-4 June 2014.

Rotary is working with BridgeClimb Sydney, which will donate 50 percent of all ticket sales from the climb to End Polio Now - Make History Today, Rotary's fundraising campaign with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, in which the latter will match 2 for 1 every new dollar Rotary commits to polio eradication up to AUD 38 million (USD 35 million) per year through 2018.   

BridgeClimb CEO Todd Coates said we are honoured to share the iconic experience of climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge with Rotary International Convention visitors, and to make a significant contribution to the global Rotary effort to end polio forever. "The unceasing dedication by Rotary's 1.2 million members over almost three decades is a testament to a commitment and determination to achieve excellence in positive outcomes, two qualities that BridgeClimb has fostered from the moment of its own inception."

The climb is expected to generate enough funds to protect more than 240,000 children against the potentially disabling yet preventable disease.

"We are so grateful to have BridgeClimb join us in the fight to eradicate polio," said Rotary International President Ron D. Burton.  "We are at a critical time as the eradication initiative focuses on stopping polio in the three final countries where the virus remains endemic: Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan."

While they're at it, the climbers will attempt to break two world-records for the most different flags flown simultaneously, currently 143 set on 27 July 2010; and Oprah Winfrey's record for the most people on the Sydney Harbour Bridge at the same time, currently 316 set on 20 January 2011. The majority of the 300 climbers will hold flags representing the 200 countries and territories of Rotary.    

Most of the climbers will be among the more than 18,000 Rotary members from over 150 countries expected to attend Rotary International's 105th annual convention at Sydney Olympic Park on 1-4 June 2014, which is estimated to inject AUD 60.5 million into the local economy.

Rotary and Polio Eradication
Rotary launched its polio immunization program PolioPlus in 1985 at the instigation of Sir Clem Renouf, from Queensland, who was then president of Rotary International. In 1988, Rotary became a spearheading partner in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative with the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Rotary members have since contributed more than AUD 1.3 billion (USD 1.2 billion) and countless volunteer hours to protect more than two billion children in 122 countries from polio. Australia's 32,243 Rotary members have donated AUD 21.2 million (USD 19.5 million) toward ending polio.  Since the initiative launched in 1988, the incidence of polio has plummeted by more than 99 percent, from about 350,000 cases a year to 416 confirmed so far in 2013.

About Rotary
Rotary brings together a global network of volunteer leaders dedicated to tackling the world's most pressing humanitarian challenges. Rotary connects 1.2 million members of more than 34,000 Rotary clubs in over 200 countries and geographical areas. Their work improves lives at both the local and international levels, from helping families in need in their own communities to working toward a polio-free world. For more information, visit Rotary.org.

About BridgeClimb
BridgeClimb, the dream of Chairman & Founder Paul Cave, is considered a ‘must-do' tourist attraction in Sydney, with more than 3 million people, from more than 137 countries, having climbed the Bridge since it opened in 1998. Climbers can climb to the summit of this world famous icon on The Bridge Climb, The Discovery Climb, The Express Climb and BridgeClimb's newest climb; The Mandarin Climb. Launched in response to the growing Chinese market in Australia, The Mandarin Climb features local Mandarin speaking guides. BridgeClimb has won numerous awards including the 2012 ‘Best Guided Tour in Australia' Australian Traveller Reader's Choice Award.

Editor's note:
Video will be sent to all networks ahead of the deadlines for evening news.

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News Release

For immediate release

CONTACTS:
Jason Morrison - jason@flagship-communications.com, Mobile: 0412 663 957, Phone: 1300 963796
Vivian Fiore - Vivian.fiore@rotary.org, Phone: +1 (847) 866-3234 (US)

World Water Summit in Sydney will draw international experts in the field

Sydney, Australia (30  May 2014) –  With the United Nations estimating that 783 million people worldwide still do not have access to improved drinking water, and 2.5 billion people currently lack access to sanitation, members of the humanitarian service organization Rotary are collaborating with other groups to help provide safe water and sanitation to communities wherever there is need.

Rotary's Water & Sanitation Rotarian Action Group is hosting its sixth annual World Water Summit in Sydney – 30 May, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. at SMC Conference & function Center, 66 Goulburn St.  The summit will showcase the latest advances in water and sanitation technology and will feature speakers Vanessa Tobin, sanitation and hygiene program manager for Catholic Relief Services; Greg Koch, Coca-Cola in Atlanta, Ga., USA; Jenny Da Rin, assistant secretary, Health and Environmental Safeguards Branch, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Canberra, Australia; and Juliet Willetts, University of Technology in Sydney.  For more information on the summit, visit: www.startwithwater.org.

The goal of the summit is to match industry expert knowledge with Rotary-led water and sanitation projects. "We realize that the challenge of meeting the Millennium Development Goals is something that no organization can achieve on its own; not even Rotary with its 34,000 clubs and over 1.2 million members," said Ron Denham, a Canadian Rotary member. "To be successful we need leverage, the leverage that comes from collaboration with others who share our goals."

A centerpiece of Rotary's emphasis on water and sanitation issues is the International H2O Collaboration, an alliance between Rotary International and USAID (U.S. Agency for International Development). Launched in 2009, it works to implement long-term, sustainable water, sanitation, and hygiene projects in the developing world. The first phase of the partnership focused on three countries: Ghana, the Philippines, and the Dominican Republic.

In 2011, Rotary, through its foundation, established a strategic partnership with UNESCO-IHE a United Nations institute in The Netherlands that is the world's largest postgraduate water education facility. The Rotary Foundation provides grants to Rotary clubs and districts to select and sponsor eight students each year for scholarships leading to master's degrees in specified program areas.

About Rotary
Rotary brings together a global network of volunteer leaders dedicated to tackling the world's most pressing humanitarian challenges. Rotary connects 1.2 million members of more than 34,000 Rotary clubs in over 200 countries and geographical areas. Their work improves lives at both the local and international levels, from helping families in need in their own communities to working toward a polio-free world.

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Accredited journalists are invited to cover Rotary's convention events (1-4 June). Media passes are required to gain access to convention plenary speeches (Sydney Showground – Allphones Arena) and the project exhibits (Sydney Showground – The Dome and Exhibition Halls 2, 3, and 4). Media passes can be obtained at the Rotary Press Center at Sydney Showground – Southee 6.

News Release

For immediate release

CONTACTS:
Jason Morrison - jason@flagship-communications.com, Mobile: 0412 663 957, Phone: 1300 963796
Vivian Fiore - Vivian.fiore@rotary.org,  Phone: +1 (847) 866-3234 (US)

Sydney, Australia (28 May 2014)

What is the Rotary International Convention?
Sydney will host Rotary International's 105th annual convention 1-4 June 2014, which is expected to attract more than 18,000 Rotary club members from over 150 countries.  Often described as a "mini-United Nations" because of its global scope and cultural diversity, the always-colorful Rotary convention will transform the Sydney Olympic Park into a kaleidoscope of energy, color and excitement as Rotary brings together its global network of volunteer leaders – men and women from all walks of life dedicated to tackling the world's most pressing humanitarian challenges – to engage in a full agenda of plenary sessions, workshops and a lineup of world class keynote speakers.

Will Rotary members be out and about in Sydney?
Organized by Rotary International in conjunction with the Sydney Host Organizing Committee of local Rotary leaders, with significant support from the New South Wales Government, the convention also will provide registrants with ample opportunities to savor Sydney's myriad attractions, including an Australian Rules football match, a restaurant night and fireworks display, an authentic Aussie BBQ, and a performance by  the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

What countries have the highest number Rotary convention registrants?
Australia, United States, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Canada, India, New Zealand, Philippines and Bangladesh

Can the general public participate?
While the convention is not open to the general public, Sydneysiders are encouraged to join Rotary members in a number of activities and events, including the Labyrinth of Literacy book drive in support of Australian literacy programs, End Polio Now-Make History Today 3K Walk, a world record-breaking Sydney Harbour Bridge climb attempt, an illumination inspired by Rotary's efforts to eradicate polio at the VIVID Light Festival on the façade of the Baroque Restaurant (George Street and Hickson Road), and an End Polio Now banner-raising aboard one of the Sydney Tall Ships on 30 May.

What is Rotary's top philanthropic goal?
A major portion of the convention will be devoted to Rotary's top priority, the global eradication of the crippling disease polio, and many area residents will remember seeing the exterior of the iconic Sydney Opera House illuminated with Rotary's End Polio Now message in February 2009. The convention will include an update on Rotary's funding campaign with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, in which the latter will match 2 for 1 every new dollar Rotary commits to polio eradication up to AUD 38 million (USD 35 million) per year through 2018.

Rotary launched its polio eradication program in 1985, and in 1988 helped launch the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. Rotary members have since contributed more than AUD 1.3 billion (USD 1.2 billion) and countless volunteer hours to protect more than two billion children in 122 countries from polio. Australia's 32,243 Rotary members have donated AUD 21.2 million (USD 19.5 million) toward ending polio.  Since the initiative launched in 1988, the incidence of polio has plummeted by more than 99 percent, from about 350,000 cases a year to 416 confirmed so far in 2013.
What will the convention program entail?
Rotary's convention in Sydney will feature keynote speeches by  experts, celebrities, athletes, and other notables whose humanitarian work is closely aligned with that of Rotary's mission, including peace-building and polio eradication. They include:

• Dr. Bruce Aylward, assistant director-general for polio, emergencies and country collaboration for the World Health Organization (WHO).  Since 1998, he has been responsible for the oversight and coordination of all polio eradication activities across WHO's Regional Offices and the GPEI partnership, of which Rotary is a spearheading partner.
• Brett Lee, Australian cricket star and founder of Mewsic, a foundation which supports music centers for disadvantaged children in India.
• Ade Adepitan Paralympic Medalist, award-winning television broadcaster, motivational speaker and polio survivor.
• Jack Sim, founder of the World Toilet Organization and the World Toilet College.
• Martin Silink, professor of paediatric endocrinology at the University of Sydney and senior staff physician at Children's Hospital, Westmead, Sydney. Dr. Silink served as president of the International Diabetes Federation from 2006-09.

About Rotary
Rotary brings together a global network of volunteer leaders dedicated to tackling the world's most pressing humanitarian challenges. Rotary connects 1.2 million members of more than 34,000 Rotary clubs in over 200 countries and geographical areas. Their work improves lives at both the local and international levels, from helping families in need in their own communities to working toward a polio-free world. For more information, visit Rotary.org.

About Rotary in Australia
The Rotary Club of Sydney and was the first Rotary club in New South Wales, chartered in 1921, followed shortly by Rotary Club of Melbourne.  There are now 1,136 Rotary clubs with 32,243 members in Australia. In its 93 years, the Rotary Club of Sydney has raised millions of dollars for local charities and has established organizations that have evolved into prominent enterprises.  In particular, the Rotary Club of Sydney founded the Northcott Society; the Police & Citizens Youth Clubs in New South Wales; the Mt Eliza Executive Education School, now within the University of Melbourne Business School; and established International House, a residential college for university students.

Registration: www.riconvention.org
Rotary: www.rotary.org

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Accredited journalists are invited to cover Rotary's convention events (1-4 June). Media passes are required to gain access to convention plenary speeches (Sydney Showground – Allphones Arena) and the project exhibits (Sydney Showground – The Dome and Exhibition Halls 2, 3, and 4). Media passes can be obtained at the Rotary Press Center at Sydney Showground – Southee 6.

News Release

For immediate release

CONTACTS:
Jason Morrison - jason@flagship-communications.com, Mobile: 0412 663 957, Phone: 1300 963796
Vivian Fiore - Vivian.fiore@rotary.org,  Phone: +1 (847) 866-3234 (US)

Volunteer leaders from around the globe to convene 1-4 June 2014

Sydney, Australia (28 May 2014) – Sydney will host Rotary International's 105th annual convention 1-4 June 2014, which is expected to attract more than 18,000 Rotary club members from over 150 countries while injecting an estimated AUD 60.5 million into the local economy.

"Sydney is a vibrant international hub as well as a gateway between East and West," said 2013-14 Rotary International President Ron D. Burton.  "It is the perfect venue for our convention as we celebrate and share the many ways our members have found to use the resources of Rotary to improve the lives of families worldwide."

Organized by Rotary International in conjunction with the Sydney Host Organizing Committee of local Rotary leaders, with significant support from the New South Wales Government, the convention also will provide registrants with ample opportunities to savor Sydney's myriad attractions, including an Australian Rules football match, a restaurant night and fireworks display, an authentic Aussie BBQ, and a performance by  the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

NSW Premier Mike Baird said Rotary clubs and volunteers around the world provide outstanding service to the community and Sydney is proud to host the 2014 Rotary International Convention. "Sydney is the major events capital of the Asia Pacific and this event provides us with another fantastic opportunity to showcase our harbour city to the thousands of Rotary delegates travelling here from around the world," Baird said. "This event will inject an estimated $60.5 million into the NSW economy, which is great news for local businesses and workers in the tourism and hospitality sectors. "I encourage all of the Rotary delegates attending the conference to take the opportunity to explore Sydney and regional NSW during their visit."

About Rotary
Rotary brings together a global network of volunteer leaders dedicated to tackling the world's most pressing humanitarian challenges. Rotary connects 1.2 million members of more than 34,000 Rotary clubs in over 200 countries and geographical areas. Their work improves lives at both the local and international levels, from helping families in need in their own communities to working toward a polio-free world. For more information, visit Rotary.org.

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Accredited journalists are invited to cover Rotary's convention events (1-4 June). Media passes are required to gain access to convention plenary speeches (Sydney Showground – Allphones Arena) and the project exhibits (Sydney Showground – The Dome and Exhibition Halls 2, 3, and 4). Media passes can be obtained at the Rotary Press Center at Sydney Showground – Southee 6.

News Release

For immediate release

CONTACT: Peace Corps Press Office, +1-202-692-2230; Rotary International, +1-847-866-3247

Initial pilot in the Philippines, Thailand and Togo

WASHINGTON, D.C., USA, (5 May 2014) – Peace Corps Acting Director Carrie Hessler-Radelet and Rotary International General Secretary John Hewko today signed a letter of collaboration strengthening the organizations’ cooperation in the United States and abroad to promote global development and volunteer service.

“The missions of our two organizations reflect and reinforce each other,” Hessler-Radelet said. “In our increasingly interconnected world, bringing the Peace Corps and Rotary together in common cause provides more opportunity than ever to leave a greater impact.”

At Rotary International World Headquarters in Evanston, Ill., the two organizations committed to explore initial collaboration in the Philippines, Thailand and Togo. Across these three countries, Peace Corps and Rotary volunteers will be encouraged to share resources and expertise, and Peace Corps volunteers and Rotary clubs in the U.S. can connect to boost the impact of development projects. Through the Peace Corps Partnership Program, Rotary clubs can provide small grants to support volunteers and their communities.

“It makes perfect sense to leverage the strengths of both organizations to achieve maximum impact, efficiency and sustainability in the projects we carry out,” Hewko said. “Together we will work to improve lives and build stronger communities, and – in doing so – address many of the root causes of violence and conflict, such as poverty, illiteracy, disease, and lack of access to clean water and sanitation.”

The Peace Corps and Rotary will also work together to recruit more Americans into Peace Corps service and share their knowledge and understanding of the world with fellow Americans. Both organizations have rich histories of promoting peace and friendship between cultures and undertaking sustainable development activities to help communities in need throughout the world. They also have networks of volunteers and members dedicated to making the world a better place.

Peace Corps and Rotary programs overlap in more than 60 countries, and many returned Peace Corps volunteers join Rotary clubs. The organizations have previously partnered on projects in literacy, water sanitation, and health, and Rotary funds have helped to purchase everything from construction materials to library books.

About the Peace Corps: As the preeminent international service organization of the United States, the Peace Corps sends Americans abroad to tackle the most pressing needs of people around the world. Peace Corps volunteers work at the grassroots level with local governments, schools, communities, small businesses and entrepreneurs to develop sustainable solutions that address challenges in education, health, economic development, agriculture, environment and youth development. When they return home, volunteers bring their knowledge and experiences – and a global outlook – back to the United States that enriches the lives of those around them. President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps in 1961 to foster a better understanding among Americans and people of other countries. Since then, more than 215,000 Americans of all ages have served in 139 countries worldwide. Visit www.peacecorps.gov to learn more.

About Rotary: Rotary brings together a global network of volunteer leaders dedicated to tackling the world’s most pressing humanitarian challenges. Rotary connects 1.2 million members of more than 34,000 Rotary clubs in over 200 countries and geographical areas. Their work improves lives at both the local and international levels, from helping families in need in their own communities to working toward a polio-free world. For more information, visit Rotary.org.

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DELFT, The Netherlands (24 April 2014) — The first class of five Rotary sponsored scholars has graduated with Master of Science degrees in water education from the UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education. The graduates now will apply their education to water and sanitation projects in their home countries of Argentina, Uganda, Nigeria, Ethiopia and Ghana.

Established in 2011, the partnership between Rotary and UNESCO-IHE -- the world’s largest graduate water education facility -- addresses the global water and sanitation crisis by increasing the ranks of trained professionals critically needed to devise, plan and implement solutions in countries where communities lack access to clean water and safe sanitation.  Rotary provides scholarship grants that enable local Rotary clubs and districts to select and sponsor eligible students to the program. Rotary members mentor the students throughout the program, building positive relationships that continue after graduation.

“We’re proud of the Rotary and UNESCO-IHE partnership and especially proud of our first class of Rotary water scholars, who will now use their expertise to develop sustainable water and sanitation solutions in their home countries,” said Rotary Foundation Trustee Stephen R. Brown. “The mentoring of the students by Rotary clubs and Rotary members – during their studies at UNESCO-IHE, as well as after they return home – is essential to the success of the scholarship program. These relationships and networks will enable students to effectively implement their skills in their own local communities. Their work to improve water and sanitation conditions will have a positive, lasting impact around the world.”

His sentiments are echoed by UNESCO-IHE Rector András Szöllösi-Nagy. “I am confident that as these young professionals return home, they will continue to play a vital role in managing our water systems in a sustainable way for future generations,” he said.  “As alumni, they will remain part of the largest network of water professionals and become part of an extensive network of fellow Rotary scholarship recipients and Rotarians worldwide.”

For example, graduate Bernice Asamoah, of Ghana, plans a hygiene project that will use solar power to disinfect water for communal toilet facilities. Graduate Kenechukwu “Kaycee” Okoli, of Nigeria, knows the value of public education, especially to empower children to become change agents. “The objective is to visit schools and to teach children and adolescents basic sanitation habits,” he said.

Another graduate, Temesgen Adamu, of Ethiopia, points to the World Health Organization’s statistics indicating that about 2.5 billion people worldwide do not have access to improved sanitation, and over 783 million people lack access to clean drinking water. “In my home country, the water quality is poor, safe water and sanitation facilities are inaccessible and water based diseases widespread,” Adamu said.

Graduate Gonzalo Duró, of Argentina, said he learned the critical importance of “cooperation between partners, institutions and professionals” in developing solutions to water and sanitation issues, while Uganda’s Godfrey Baguma appreciated the practical nature of the studies. “I am now able to address water and sanitation issues in a more integrated and technical manner,” Baguma said, adding that his interactions with Rotary members helped make Delft “a home away from home.”

Building on the success of the first class, the second class of students - 16 in total - began graduate studies in October 2013 and will graduate in 2015. Applications for the scholarship program can be found here: http://www.unesco-ihe.org/node/15630

The UNESCO-IHE graduates become part of a vast network of Rotary Foundation alumni, consisting of 120,000 leaders and change agents around the world. Since 1947, more than 43,000 students and fellows have received Rotary scholarships supporting studies in a variety of disciplines representing a total investment of more than US$557 million.

About UNESCO-IHE

UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education is the largest international graduate water education facility in the world and is based in Delft, the Netherlands. The Institute confers fully accredited MSc degrees, and PhD degrees in collaboration with partners in the Netherlands. Since 1957 the Institute has provided graduate education to more than 14,500 water professionals from over 160 countries, the vast majority from the developing world. A unique combination of applied, scientific and participatory research in water engineering is offered combined with natural sciences and management sciences. More information: www.unesco-ihe.org.

About Rotary

Rotary brings together a global network of volunteer leaders dedicated to tackling the world’s most pressing humanitarian challenges.Rotary connects 1.2 million members of more than 34,000 Rotary clubs in over 200 countries and geographical areas. Their work improves lives at both the local and international levels, from helping families in need in their own communities to working toward a polio-free world. For more information, visit www.rotary.org.   For images, visit Rotary’s Media Center.

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Note to editors:

First class:

• Temesgen Adamu (Ethiopia), thesis: “Impact of Climate change, land use changes and water resource management on the hydrology of Rib-Gumera Catchment, Ethiopia”,  
• Godfrey Peterson Baguma (Uganda), thesis: “Pathogen removal in a low-coast Anammox Dwonflow Hanging Sponge reactor”,
• Kenechukwu “Kaycee” Okoli (Nigeria), thesis: “Hydraulic Modelling: Uncertainty Estimation and Comparison”,
• Bernice Asamoah (Ghana), thesis: “Disinfection of greywater from communal toilets using UVA enhanced with TiO2 after pre-treatment with slow sand filter” and
• Gonzalo Duró (Argentina), thesis: “Bar formation in channels with varying width: numerical analysis and practical engineering implications”.

The graduation ceremony will begin at 15:00, 24 April, at the “Oude Kerk”, Heilige Geestkerkhof 25, Delft.

Speakers include:

• Professor András Szöllösi-Nagy, Rector of UNESCO-IHE
• Dr. Fritz Holzwarth, Chairman of the Governing Board of UNESCO-IHE
• Paul Knyff, Rotary International Director 2011-2013
• UNESCO-IHE Honorary Fellow 2014, Em. Professor Brian Moss, University of Liverpool

Contacts: Rotary: Stéphanie Tobler, +41 387 71 16, stephanie.tobler@rotary.org; UNESCO-IHE: Alida Pham, +31 15 21 51 722, a.pham@unesco-ihe.org

News Release

For immediate release

Rotary clubs of South Africa, Swaziland, Lesotho, Nigeria, Uganda, and Ghana team up with NGOs, businesses and governments for Rotary Family Health Days

EVANSTON, Ill. (March 28, 2014) — Rotary Family Health Days – an innovative international campaign providing free health-care services to underserved families -- launches its fourth edition in April 2014, aiming to reach 350,000 people in Uganda, Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Swaziland and Lesotho.

Rotary Family Health Days (RFHD) promotes healthy living and disease prevention by providing free, comprehensive health-care services to tens of thousands of people in underprivileged communities. The program, led by Rotary’s mobilizing arm - Rotarians for Family Health & AIDS Prevention - addresses Africa’s most pressing health challenges, including HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and reproductive health, as well as conditions such as diabetes and hypertension. An important component is immunizing children against polio, measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases.

The Rotary-led program is sponsored by The Coca-Cola Africa Foundation, the South Africa Department of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC, USAID, the SABC and Caxton as primary media partners as well as YFM, Media 24 news and Independent Newspapers in the Western Cape.

RFHD launched in 2011 at 160 sites in Uganda and Kenya and immediately exceeded organizers’ expectations by drawing 38,000 people to the one-day event. In 2012, Nigeria signed on and the program expanded to three days.  By 2013, RFHD operated 368 sites in Uganda, Nigeria and South Africa, reaching over 275,000 people. More than 5,500 Rotary members from 362 clubs participated.  

“We believe we have achieved ‘proof of concept’ and identified the power of our health campaign,” said Marion Bunch, director and managing partner of RFHD and a Rotary club member from Georgia, USA, who became active in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Africa after losing a son to the disease, and has since expanded the scope of her efforts to address other health issues. “We have learned that when a campaign delivers several interventions at once, the benefits rise exponentially for families and communities.”

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), every year millions of Africans die from diseases that are preventable and treatable. The region faces many challenges including weak and fragmented health systems, inadequate resources for delivering proven interventions, limited access to health-services and extreme poverty. Rotary Family Health Days addresses these challenges by bringing life-saving health services into the communities most at risk.

Rotary Family Health Days 2014

• South Africa, Swaziland, Lesotho: April 2-4 (160 sites)
• Ghana: April 10-12 (30 sites)
• Uganda: April 10-12 (120 sites)
• Nigeria: April 24-26 (150 sites)

About Rotary

Rotary brings together a global network of volunteer leaders dedicated to tackling the world’s most pressing humanitarian challenges.Rotary connects 1.2 million members of more than 34,000 Rotary clubs in over 200 countries and geographical areas. Their work improves lives at both the local and international levels, from helping families in need in their own communities to working toward a polio-free world. For more information, visit Rotary.org.

Note to journalists:

Video and still images will be available on the Rotary Media Center.

SABC will air a 24-minute documentary about Rotary Family Health Days on Sunday, 30 March 2014. To view the trailer, click here.

Contacts:

Rotary: Stéphanie Tobler, +41 44 387 714 16, stephanie.tobler@rotary.org

S. Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland: Annemarie Mostert, 0824574558, annemarie@rfha.org

Uganda: Fred Massade, 0753 670020, fmasadde@moreuganda.com

Ghana: Willie Keteku (Accra), 020 201 2348, williekay@gmail.com

Nigeria: Olugbemiga Olowu (Ikeja), 234-802-323-8561, lutaynigeria@yahoo.com

News Release

For immediate release

Film will air on SABC ahead of Rotary Family Health Days 2014; a project that brings free health services into underserved communities in six countries over three days

EVANSTON, Ill. (March 28, 2014) — The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) will air a 24-minute documentary about a project that brings free health care to African families on Sunday, March 30, 2014 at 9 a.m. (SABC3) and 12.30 p.m. (SABC1) in South Africa. It will be rebroadcast in April on affiliate stations throughout Africa.

The film, produced by Rotary International, documents the tremendous burden HIV/AIDS has had on African families and communities, and covers the journeys of two women: South African grandmother Me Maria, who is raising her two grandsons after their parents died of AIDS; and Marion Bunch, an American woman who drew strength from personal tragedy after losing her son to AIDS to become a global advocate and the inspiration behind the creation of Rotary Family Health Days. The project, now in its fourth year and supported by Rotary clubs throughout Africa, delivers free basic health care – including HIV/AIDS screening and other preventive services -- to families in underserved communities.

The documentary captures an emotional meeting between Bunch and Me Maria as the women reflect on how the disease has impacted their lives and families and the steps they are taking to fight it.

“The tremendous burden on the families of those infected by HIV/AIDS – particularly for older people caring for their terminally ill children and raising their grandchildren, and for children orphaned by this disease is incalculable,” said Bunch. “This is a story of people coming together to help fight this global killer and other preventable diseases.”

The film will air ahead of Rotary Family Health Days 2014, which will take place in Uganda, Ghana, South Africa, Swaziland, Lesotho and Nigeria throughout the month of April. To view the trailer, click here.

In addition to airing the documentary, SABC will broadcast messages and information across Africa on SABC television channels and radio stations in eleven languages to promote participation in Rotary Family Health Days in April 2014.

About Rotary Family Health Days 2014

Rotary Family Health Days – an innovative international campaign providing free health care to underserved families -- launches its fourth edition in April 2014, aiming to reach 350,000 people in Uganda, Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Swaziland and Lesotho. The program addresses Africa’s most pressing health challenges, including HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and reproductive health, as well as diabetes and hypertension. An important component is immunizing children against polio, measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases.

• South Africa, Swaziland, Lesotho: April 2-4 (160 sites)
• Ghana: April 10-12 (30 sites)
• Uganda: April 10-12 (120 sites)
• Nigeria: April 24-26 (150 sites)

About Rotary

Rotary brings together a global network of volunteer leaders dedicated to tackling the world’s most pressing humanitarian challenges.Rotary connects 1.2 million members of more than 34,000 Rotary clubs in over 200 countries and geographical areas. Their work improves lives at both the local and international levels, from helping families in need in their own communities to working toward a polio-free world. For more information, visit Rotary.org.

Note to journalists:

Video and still images on upcoming Rotary Family Health Days will be available on the Rotary Media Center.

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Contacts: 

Rotary: Stéphanie Tobler, +41 44 387 714 16, stephanie.tobler@rotary.org

Rotary (Johannesburg): Sue Paget, 083-456-3923 spaget@rffa.org

SABC: Leo Manne, leo@sabc1.co.za