Rotary has officially added a new cause (editorial)
- Mark Call
Rotary has adopted a new cause to add to the seven existing focused Rotary causes (including Ending Polio) making a total of eight.
The new cause is "Protecting the Environment". Rotarians demonstrate passion and dedicate resources and assets to these causes which represent how the rest of the World views Rotary. Until now and for the past 117 years, Rotary has focused those precious causes on problems where they can leverage Rotary resources and see nearly immediate effects take place as a result of their involvement.
The current causes are:
- "Promoting Peace"
- "Fighting Disease"
- "Providing Clean Water, Sanitation and Hygiene"
- "Saving Mothers and Children"
- "Supporting Education"
- "Growing Local Economy"
- "Ending Polio"
- and now "Protecting the Environment"
Many member requests over the last two years and public pressure aimed at the organization has urged the Rotary Board to add Rotary's resources at "Protecting the Environment" as an official cause for which Rotary will now bear responsibility. Some small environmental projects are inexpensive and easy and many clubs are already executing environmental projects as part of improving their community.
Now with eight official causes on the stack, Rotary must insure the original causes aren't over shadowed by the Climate Change behemoth and lose focus of the things for which Rotary is known and already does well. And, as always, Rotary needs to be very careful so as not to be seen acting in any political direction, when dealing with initiatives labeled Climate Change.
You can read more about what Rotarians are doing to fight Climate Change on the Rotary site.