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News R O T A R Y
Aasivik Fire and Ice Ceremony 2009
July 17, 18th and 19th, 2009
Kangerlussuaq, Greenland
The world will
witness an epoch making event at the ice caps 40 kilometers from Kangerlussuaq,
Greenland from July 17th to July 19th, 2009. There is no place where evidence
of climate change is more visible than at this site where water is gushing
through the ice caps forming lakes on top. People will arrive on the land
or will be connecting from their living rooms or communally across the
globe via the internet to join Aasivik Fire and Ice 2009.
This event will provide a forum for:
Fulfilling of a Prophecy
Hearing the Indigenous Voice
Addressing the Melting of the Ice
Weaving together Spirit and Science
Uniting Elders of the Four Directions, top Scientists and World Leaders
The outcome of the event will be:
A call to action for the world to address the one of the biggest challenges
facing humankind using both science and spirit. A call to humanity to
use their knowledge wisely.
Educational modules from dialogue between Elders, scientists, world leaders,
environmentalists.
A permanent site for study and ceremony at Kangerlussuaq, Greenland.
A documentary film.
Contact:
Hosts: Elders Federation of Greenland
Organization: Ancient Wisdom for Earth (AWE)
Honorary Chair: Angaangaq www.icewisdom.com
Chair: Alice Miller, fireandice2009@gmail.com, 001-705-754-1389
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Aasivik Fire and Ice Ceremony 2009
Event Overview
The world will witness an epoch making event at the ice caps 40 kilometers
from Kangerlussuaq, Greenland from July 17th to July 19th, 2009. There
is no place where evidence of climate change is more visible than at this
site where water is gushing through the ice caps forming lakes on top.
People will arrive on the land or will be connecting from their living
rooms or communally across the globe via the internet to join Aasivik
Fire and Ice 2009.
Aasivik Fire and Ice 2009 is a three day ceremony that will unite the
aboriginal people of Greenland with their relatives from North America
and around the globe, along with top scientists on climate change, spiritual
and world leaders and interested people from around the world. The gathering
will fulfill a Sacred Prophecy, create a forum for aboriginal voices to
lend their voices to the most pressing problem mankind is currently facing,
climate change, and create a call to action to the world.
This event will be hosted by the Elders Federation of Greenland, a legal
organization with elected representation, and Ancient Wisdom for the Earth
(AWE), a not-for-profit organization created for this event. Angaangaq,
the Man Who Looks Like His Uncle, is both the runner for the Elders Federation
of Greenland and the honorary chair for AWE. www.icewisdom.com
The Prophecy
Ancient Voices, from all over the world, have spoken of a time when the
way we know the calendar will come to an end. What does it mean? Angaangaq’s
Grandmom, Aanakasaa, said, “We now have Spring, Summer, Fall and
Winter but one day they will be no more.”
Angaangaq says that the old ones told us that long ago, so long that no
one knows the time, trees were standing tall at the top of the world.
A time of cold came and out of that the big ice was created covering the
land. As the ice grew, the people moved, crossing great distances on that
beach of ice. Millenniums passed. Gradually, the ice retreated. When the
ancestors came back home, their land, once covered with trees was no more.
The trees, the source of the sacred fire were extinguished and the people
had to rely on animal fat to build their fires. Since that time, Elders
have said that one day, when the people need it most, the sacred fire
will return home to the North.
A Hopi prophecy says that one day the hoops of many hoops will become
one. As the tribal nations came together the hoops got bigger and bigger.
The only tribe missing from the hoop is the people from the Far North.
They are the last ones to enter the great hoop and when they go in, the
hoops of many hoops will become real. This is the time. The Return of
the Sacred Fire to Greenland is a moment long awaited. Over the coming
year, Elders of North America will be collecting ashes from their sacred
fires. These ashes will be ceremoniously carried by Native people from
the Americas to the people on the top of the world. The Elders of Greenland
will lay them into a fire pit and out of the ashes of many Sacred fires,
a fire will be lit with the trees now growing in Greenland.
Logistics
The event will be held 40km from Kangerlussuaq. The site improvements
to be constructed for the event will include the ceremonial fire pit,
four stone sweat lodges, dining hall, Inukshuk and a tipi village.
A documentary film memorializing the creation and the event will be produced.
Film footage of the event will be created and used for a film documentary,
archival footage for generations and learning modules for an online classroom.
The site and online classroom will be used for the study of ecology, environment
and native wisdoms. Satellite will televise the event worldwide. Merchandising
and licensing will be implemented.
Organization
Ancient Wisdom for the Earth, AWE, was established as an Ohio 501 (c)3
not-for-profit to execute and administer the Event known as Aasivik Fire
and Ice 2009 and the assets developed as a result of the deliverables:
film, educational modules for an online classroom as well as the ceremonial
and study site. Revenues in excess of expenses incurred in the development,
execution and management of the Event and its assets will be used to establish
a trust fund for the benefit of the Elders Federation of Greenland to
manage their ownership of the archival film footage, ceremonial and study
site, as well as online classroom content of Elders Wisdom for the benefit
of Youth.
Summary
In addition to fulfilling the Sacred Prophecy and the spiritual union
of the Indigenous peoples, The Ceremony of Fire & Ice 2009 will provide
an opportunity for cross cultural union among peoples of the earth. Leading
main stream citizens including civic leaders, celebrities, educators,
scientists, ecologists, ecological advocates will be invited to participate.
The ceremony will serve as an important function in bringing attention
the impact of global climate change as well as new recognition and respect
for indigenous peoples and their perspectives. The ceremony will add the
traditional indigenous voice to the dialogue on global climate change
and care of the earth in general, providing a dimension that has been
missing and desperately needed.
The ancients tell us that one day the great sea eagle will descend from
the mountain of ice wafting a fresh scent of wisdom. In the words of Aanaa
Aanaqqii, “Only by melting the ice in the heart of man will man
have a chance to change and begin to use his knowledge wisely.”
That time is now, the Fire and Ice Ceremony, fulfilling the sacred prophecy
in Greenland July 17th-19th, 2009. On the Top of the World, the Ancient
Voices will speak and if we are wise, we will listen.
Updates…
American Indian will be sending delegates.
Athabasca Artic Circle will be sending delegates.
Dr. Phil Lane Jr will be attending.
Dr. Jane Goodall has sent a letter of support and will be attending the
event.
Gloria Steinem has sent a letter of support and will be attending the
event.
Matthew Myers has committed to being the Producer for the film –
his latest production, Then She Found Me, has just been released.
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Aasivik Fire and Ice Ceremony
July 17th - Fulfillment of a sacred prophecy
A sacred prophecy says that one day trees will stand again in Greenland
and the Sacred Fire will be returned home. Over the next year, ashes from
the sacred fires of native people from across North America will be collected
in a large pot and brought home to the North. A ceremony will be conducted
to unite the people from the Far North with the aboriginal people from
North America and to celebrate the return of the Sacred Fire.
At the crack of dawn, which is midnight, grandmothers will start walking
in silence from the campsite to cut wood. They will carry the wood back
to the fire pit in the old traditional way bound to their head. Late on
this day everyone will be invited into the circle, the Greenlandic Elders
entering last, fueling the fire with a seal lamp. The ancient prophecy
of the coming home of the fire will be told; ceremonies will be held,
followed by celebrations and a feast.
July 18th – Fire and Ice Ceremony
From the campsite, the conference participants will walk to the ice cap
where water is spilling out of the ice. Twenty years ago, the Elders of
Greenland were first alerted that water was coming from the ice cap. After
investigating, the elders decided to send a runner, Angaangaq, to warn
the world what was happening. After meeting with world leaders and speaking
at world forums, Angaangaq returned and told his elders that no one was
listening. They told him to go out and find another way to spread the
message. The participants and people from around the world will be seeing
the melting ice caps for themselves.
Everyone will be assembled at the edge of the Ice Cap to witness the Fire
& Ice Ceremony. In the shadow of the Big Ice, science, political and
spiritual leaders will join together to light the flame for all peoples
of the world to come together to begin addressing climate change from
the four directions and in unison of both science and spirit.
July 19th – Wisdom from Ancient Voices
The Elders of Greenland will speak to those gathered and to the rest of
the world about the spiritual significance of climate change. There will
be a call to action to bring science and spirit together to assist humanity
to make the shift to address the biggest challenge facing humanity and
the planet.
First the women of the Greenlandic Elders will enter the sweat lodge to
hold council on what needs to be said to the world. Then the men of the
Elders will enter the sweat lodge and hold council on how to bring the
message to the world. The Elders will speak to the world about the spiritual
implications of global climate change.
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Proposed RESOLUTION, RI Council on Legislation,
2009
WHEREAS: Rotary has taken on, with its emphasis on hunger and malnutrition,
PolioPlus, and its ongoing efforts aimed at a peaceful world, the huge
challenge of assuring clean water for humankind; and,
WHEREAS: The world's leading scientists point to the changing climate
as a huge variable that humankind is increasingly dealing with as it struggles
to supply water to its peoples; and,
WHEREAS: Too few of Rotary's leaders and indeed, of the world's leaders,
generally, have the needed sophistication about the science surrounding
climate change; and since ignorance can be suicidal and truth frees, Rotary
should be about shedding light upon these subject matters; therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED: That Rotarians worldwide are urged to seek out the best,
peer-reviewed scientists and scientific sources about the climate crisis
-- and then go about the systematic education of their respective communities,
both as to the stark challenges involved and the exciting entrepreneurial
opportunities presented, in time.
Rotary Clubs prepare Climate Change resolutios
for the Council of Legislation of 2010
The above has recently been decided by the Rotary
Club Rancho Bernardo, and the following by the one of Del Mar:
PROPOSED RESOLUTION
To request the RI Board to consider
encouraging clubs to support projects for community energy independence
Proposed by the Del Mar, California Rotary
Club
WHEREAS, Rotary seeks to improve the well
being of all people, through health care, supporting education, alleviating
poverty and otherwise;
WHEREAS, access to energy is vital to the
well being of all people, for cooking, heating, health care, lighting,
work, communications and transportation;
WHEREAS, reliance upon fossil fuels for energy heightens the risk of significant
adverse climate change, pollutes the environment, shifts wealth unfavorably,
increases political instabilities, and otherwise diminishes quality of
life;
IT IS RESOLVED for the good of all people,
that Rotary International supports a goal of community energy independence
through support of sustainable clean energy projects.
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The
Fellowship Advancer
A Quarterly Publication of the Rotary
International Fellowship Commitee
Issue #1 Sept. 2008
Environment Fellowship of Rotarians
Annual Report 2007-2008
Summary: Environment Fellowship of Rotarians
Summary of Activities
The Environment Fellowship of Rotarians continues:
1. facilitating fellowship among Rotarians,
2. promoting Rotary projects for a better environment and sustainable
development, and
3. encouraging, facilitating and supporting the formation of Rotarian
Action Groups (RAG) in various areas of the environment.
Besides participating in District Conferences, the Rotary Day at the United
Nations, we have again been active with an environmental booth at the
RI Convention in Los Angeles, and have started preparations for our participation
and booth at the 2009 RI Convention in Birmingham UK.
Forming Rotarian Action Groups
As suggested by the RI Board, having supported the formation of the RAG
on Water and Sanitation, we are promoting the formation of more environmental
Rotarian Action Groups.
Yes, we do now look for Rotarians interested to take the initiative- or
participate in forming of Rotarian Action Groups in the specific area
of the environment and sustainable development they are most interested
in.
We welcome Rotarians keen to help forming Rotarian Action Groups and invite
them to email to the Environment Fellowship's Chair, Marco Kappenberger,
at kappenberger@gmail.com
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Indeed, the Rotary year was concluded with
a unique, successful, and quite innovative participation with our booth
visited by so many in the RI 2008 Convention in LA , and our annual meeting
open to all participating. In addition to all helpers, we are particularly
grateful to Joyce Lockard and her husband Ray, as well as to Felix Toran
and his wife Silvia.
Yes, our information booth at the RI Convention in LA was coordinated
by Mrs Joyce Lockard of the Rotary Club of Beaverton, with the help of
Ray, Felix Toran with Silvia, Paul Alley, and many other Rotarians. Their
support in good rotarian fellowship is immensely appreciated. Our booth
displayed in particular the Fuel Briquettes project, as well as the one
on used books for Uganda's schools, and a number of others from around
the world wtih their photos.
Dr. Felix Toran from France, PE and Director in the Rotary E-Club of Latinoamérica
of District 4200, reports from the Annual Meeting:
The Environment Fellowship of Rotarians (EFR) annual meeting was held
on Sunday 15th of June 2008, 10h-11h, in Los Angeles Convention Center,
room 301AB. The annual meeting was chaired by Dr. Felix Toran (PE of the
Rotary E-Club of Latinoamérica, EFR active member, and proposed
RAG-TEC's Chair) on behalf of Marco Kappenberger (PP and Secretary of
the Rotary E-Club of Latinoamérica, Chair of the EFR and Vice-Chair
of RAG-TEC) After the introduction, participants introduced themselves,
and the meeting moved to the keynote address by Dr. Felix Toran, on "Education,
New Technologies and Environment".
Dr. Toran introduced RAG-TEC as a proposed Rotarian Action Group on Education
based on new technologies which is being prepared. He stressed the many
clear synergies between RAG-TEC and the Environment Fellowship of Rotarians,
and mentioned the proposed environmental RAGs. The presentation served
as a starting point to set-up the best possible cooperation with environmental
RAGs, and, in particular, with the proposed Rotarian Action Group on Environmental
Education (RAG4E2) which is just being now created, and the one on Conservation
and Environmental Protection, as called for by our PRIP Frank Devlyn.
The example of one of the first project that RAG-TEC intends to perform
was presented. It consists on motivating the development of Open Source
for "green laptops" and notebooks devoted to Education. In the
case of the green laptops, there is not educational software inside (they
only contain the basic software, with an Open Source operating system),
and RAG-TEC can fill the gap by motivating the Open Source community to
create educational software. Environmental Education is one of the domains
to cover, and in this context, the cooperation with the EFR and the environmental
RAGs is considered essential, and will result in the best-possible rotarian
projects where the need is greatest.
Attendants participated very actively in all the discussions, making the
session really fruitful, and the relevant slides and additional information
can be found on
http://www.environment-rotary-fellowship.org
All year long, once again, also this year, our Environment Fellowship
of Rotarians has continued to offer Rotarians, their spouses, and Rotaractors
so many opportunities to enjoy true rotarian fellowship while promoting
the vision and action towards a better environment through 'Preserve Planet
Earth' stressing sustainable development, which, ultimately, facilitates
greatly the attainment of the Object of Rotary. While we in the Environment
Fellowship of Rotarians much enjoy our personal friendships/fellowship,
we keep available and are always ready to share our experience and expertise
with all Rotary Clubs and Districts interested to make more successful
all kinds of rotarian environmental projects wherever the need is greatest.
Moreover, we again invite all interested Rotarians to take the initiative
or participate in forming the environmental Rotarian Action Group (RAG)
of their choice. We do facilitate this by helping all those Rotarians
who wish to take this initiative in their preferred field of expertise.
Thus, all who have an interest and/or expertise in any specific environmental
field and wish to be active in the exciting new projects, like Rotarian
Action Groups make it possible, are welcome to join all others with similar
interests and, together, propose their Rotarian Action Group to the Board
of Directors of Rotary International for recognition.
Such proposed RAGs are tentatively planned in Conservation and Environmental
Protection, as well as in the following fields:
- RAG Agriculture ( Organic Gardening, Food Production, Composting, etc.)
- RAG Built Environment ( Bio-architecture, Feng-Shui, Materials Indoor,
Green Builders using also Straw Bales, Materials Indoor, etc.)
- RAG Education ( Environmental-, Consulting, etc.)
- RAG Energy (Alternative-, Renewable Energies, etc.)
- RAG Forestry ( Reforestation, Deforestation, Fighting desertification,
etc.)
- RAG Health ( Nutrition-, Community-, etc.)
- RAG Pollution ( -control, , Industrial-, Pulp-Paper, etc.)
- RAG Climate Change (Global warming awareness, etc.)
- RAG Waste (Recycling, Waste -management, -treatment, -recycling,, -culture,
Promoting Zero Waste, etc.)
- RAG Wildlife ( Bird-, Conservation, Marine Environment, etc.)
Rotarians interested in any of these are welcome to indicate it to kappenberger@gmail.com
and we'll put them in contact with other Rotarians who are supporting
the same RAG.
Indeeed, these RAGs will plan and implement rotarian service project globally,
whenever possible through Rotary Clubs. They will be consistent with the
Rotary areas of emphasis and with the Millennium Goals of the United Nations
(UN), which will give to Rotary's relationship with the UN the opportunity
to gradually really fully fulfill best its potential for humankind, and
grow in harmony with the spirit of Rotary, while giving Rotary new opportunities
to always better and most meaningfully helping alleviating humankind's
greatest suffering and needs.
Yes, besides promoting and enjoying fellowship with friends in Rotary
at the RI Convention in Los Angeles, the Environment Fellowship of Rotarians
has been present in particular at many Rotary District conferences and
events. This gave us the opportunity to meet personally and enjoy great
fellowship with many hundreds of like-minded members of the global family
of Rotary. There we have had our annual face to face meetings, and did
participate in the official gatherings of the Rotary Fellowships and of
the Rotarian Action Groups. Moreover, throughout the year there has been
lots of enjoyable and quite fruitful fellowship and personal meetings,
including at the United Nations in New York, while all were regularly
actively united by frequent email and telephone contact, making use of
the best available technology offered by the ever-improving telecommunications.
Our Rotary Fellowship does support Rotary's involvement with the United
Nations and in particular with its environment-related agencies which
can all achieve so much more in contact with local Rotarians and their
Rotary Clubs.
At all global events of Rotary, our Fellowship has allowed us to contribute
Preserving Planet Earth , the Environment, and Sustainable Development.
Just like Rotarians did it in Rotary's first years following Paul Harris'
example, we also planted trees, and we all have volunteered our efforts,
resources and time in true rotarian spirit, which has allowed us to function
without the need to have dues. There is thus no financial statement. News
have been circulated regularly by email and, as our Newsletter, all is
also available for all on our website www.environment-rotary-fellowship.org
The Environment Fellowship of Rotarians is supporting the formation of
all environmental Rotarian Action Groups that will be proposed, and it
is also looking forward to the Mission of The Rotary Foundation being
expanded to include Conservation and Environmental Protection, an initiative
of RI District 4250 which is also supported by RID José Alfredo
Sepúlveda.
Yes, with passion for the environment, Rotarians
everywhere are increasingly attracted to serving humankind through Rotary
and greatly enjoying their fellowship together.
The Environment Fellowship of Rotarians'
Annual Report 2006-7 is hereby respectfully submitted.
Sincerely,
Marco Kappenberger
Environment Fellowship of Rotarians, President,
www.environment-rotary-fellowship.org
Consulate-General of Switzerland
P.O. Box 247, Apia, Samoa
+685 42014 +685 42055 +685 7510999 (New Zealand / Hawaii day time)
kappenberger@gmail.com
Rotary E-Club of Latinoamérica, Secretary 2007-09, District 4200,
www.recl.org
It is now easier to MAKE UP Rotary meetings.
Go to www.recl.org and make-up Rotary meetings by visiting the website
of one of the Rotary e-Clubs.
Rotary e-Clubs welcome Rotarians who cannot participate sufficiently in
their Rotary Club.
A Leslie Classic on Tropical Forestry
Management
A durable paper by A. J. Leslie presented
in 1976 to the FAO Committee on Forest Development in the Tropics titled
“Economic implications of the management systems applied to tropical
moist forests” is still worth reading.
Part of his conclusion follows:
The implications for the natural management of moist tropical forests
that flow from a consideration of the economic aspects depend firstly
on what is meant by natural management.
Taking natural management to mean the utilization of moist tropical forests
for their wood and other products in such a way that the initial ecological
structure is perpetuated without drastic or permanent change, the implications
then depend on whether natural management is physically or ecologically
possible.
If it is not, then the economic implications are those that arise either
from the disappearance of moist tropical forests as they are utilized,
or from their reservation against utilization in order to prevent their
disappearance.
If, on the other hand, natural management is possible, then the economic
implications are those associated with deciding whether it is, or could
be made worthwhile enough for moist tropical forests to be managed under
natural systems.
If natural management is, in general, ecologically impossible, as some
ecologists now suspect, or so difficult as to be not worth the attempt,
as many tropical foresters apparently now fuel, then the moist tropical
forest will surely continue to disappear.
Under present conditions, their reservation on a large scale without commercial
utilization or conversion to agriculture, simply to preserve them as a
major ecosystem is hardly a serious option. For it to be so, the economic
prospects for the great majority of the people in the countries of their
main occurrence would have to improve much more dramatically and quickly
than present indications suggest is likely. And for
that to happen there would have to be an almost inconceivable change of
attitude to international income redistribution.
The lack of information which inhibits action to preserve the moist tropical
forests if they are a non-renewable resource, handicaps even more action
to justify their management as natural forests if they are actually renewable.
Right at the start it is far from certain how to re-establish naturally
most types of moist tropical forests after or in conjunction with harvesting.
Even if that were not so, then the lack of knowledge of stand dynamics
in managed or
unmanaged natural tropical forests virtually reduces silvicultural treatments
aimed at maintaining productivity, let alone increasing it, to an act
of sheer faith. Yet it is only through increased produc tivity that moist
tropical forests in general can compete with the alternatives under the
intensifying pressures for land and resources.
Fortunately the road to increased productivity is not confined to solutions
to the biological problems of moist tropical forest management.
Increased utilization of secondary species would give an automatic and
substantial increase in output from both the present and future stands.
Adjustments that raised the standing timber prices or the presently preferred
and easily marketed species relative
to the less preferred and difficult to market species, could give a substantial
lift to the value of output.
Such economic measures possibly offer more scope for achieving an increase
in value productivity than the biological approaches presently being pursued,
and they would do it with much less uncertainty and at considerably lower
investment cost. Equally significant is that they do not involve waiting
on solutions to the problems of the biology of stand development. But
they do involve an understanding of markets and marketing, particularly
in foreign countries, and a facility in business affairs and behavior
quite often beyond the expertise of tropical foresters in general.
There is no doubt that some overall improvement in the economic performance
of natural management of moist tropical forest is possible. But it is
hard to see that the most which it seems possible in silviculture or marketing
will effect a big enough improvement in the performance of natural management
relative to what other forms of land use could do with the same resources
for it to become a responsible alternative. There is, however, one very
important qualification to that observation. It holds only so long as
the performances are judged in terms of commercial output valued
from the point of view of the organization responsible for the forests.
But that way of evaluating alternatives can be misleading if not completely
erroneous. It tends, for instance, to leave too many things out, and to
take too narrow a view of effects and their significance.
Once however an attempt is made to extend the economic implications of
natural management to a social level, the inadequacies of data on the
wood production side are compounded enormously by the inadequacies of
data on the environmental and social side. An evaluation that was somewhat
speculative but at least fairly clear cut could be replaced by one much
more speculative and anything but clear cut. At the extreme, a social
evaluation of natural management of moist tropical forests could show
it to be or not to be a viable alternative to agriculture or plantations
according to the answer that was wanted.
In such circumstances, financial analysis may be a wrong guide to decision
but social analysis could be no guide. It is hard to say which is worse.
In part the difficulties can be traced to the data; they are clearly not
good enough to provide definitive benefit-cost relationships.
But a large part of the trouble also lies with the decision analysis techniques.
They are either too narrow in the range of interest that they consider,
or too arbitrary in their valuation procedures, or too narrow in the range
of objectives they include in their criteria to provide definitive benefit-cost
relationships.
But the major problem lies in uncertainty about the future. No analysis
based on what is known now of the future can ever be definitive. Tropical
foresters, like foresters almost everywhere, are forced to look too far
into the future for them to be so sure
about their assumptions that they can be dogmatic about their decisions.
Some of the strongest arguments for the natural management of tropical
forests lie therefore in the conceptual weaknesses of the case against
it. But they are not yet the sort of arguments that would carry much weight
in practice.
The best reasons for not completely abandoning natural management of moist
tropical forests lie therefore in insurance it provides against the distinct
possibility that decisions based on it being an uneconomic proposition
could be mistaken.v
--- oOo ---
"Rotary Clean
Water Summit - Haiti 2007"
The RAG Water
and Sanitation announces:
The Rotary Club of Petion-Ville, Haiti, in partnership with Pure Water
for the World Inc., invites you to attend an event intended to motivate
a national, private-sector, clean water plan for Haiti.
The "Rotary Clean Water Summit - Haiti 2007" will take place
December 14-15 in Petion-Ville, Haiti (near Port-au-Prince). The conference
website is now operational and registrations are being accepted: www.haitiwatersummit.org.
This is an international conference and can also be found on Conference
Alerts at: www.conferencealerts.com/water.htm
The topics in this conference are organized around the two most difficult
challenges in clean water programs today:
(1) How to keep projects operating effectively over time; and
(2) How to scale projects up to be regional or national in size
On these topics we believe we shall have some of the finest keynote speakers
and presenters available. The Summit website includes a copy of the conference
brochure to give you more details.
To register, go to the website. Click on "Registration & Payment".
Then click on "Summit Registration - Payment Form". Print the
form and complete it. Then fax it to the US fax # indicated on the form.
Or, scan it and email it to the email address indicated.
For additional information please contact: info@haitiwatersummit.org
--- oOo ---
Very best wishes
to all Rotarians for the Environment ! You hereby do receive our Annual
Report.
Environment Fellowship
of Rotarians Annual Report 2006-7
During this year,
our Environment Fellowship of Rotarians has continued to offer Rotarians,
their spouses, and Rotaractors so many opportunities to enjoy true rotarian
fellowship while promoting the vision and action towards a better environment
through Preserve Planet Earth, sustainable global development, and, ultimately,
so facilitating the attainment of the Object of Rotary. We thus keep available
and are always ready to share our experience and expertise with all Rotary
Clubs interested to make more successful all kinds of rotarian environmental
projects wherever the need is greatest.
Moreover, during this year, a very exciting new dimension of Rotary projects
is now becoming possible thanks to the Board of Directors of Rotary International
which is forging and giving us the opportunity to form environmental Rotarian
Action Groups. We do facilitate these by helping all those Rotarians who
wish to take this initiative in their preferred field of expertise. Thus
all who have an interest and/or expertise in any specific environmental
field and wish to be active in projects, like Rotarian Action Groups make
it possible, have been and are welcome to join all others with similar
interests and, together, propose their Rotarian Action Group to the Board
of Directors of Rotary International for recognition.
Such proposed RAGs are tentatively planned in the following fields:
- RAG Agriculture ( Organic Gardening, Food Production, Composting, etc.)
- RAG Built Environment ( Bio-architecture, Feng-Shui, Materials Indoor,
Green Builders using also Straw Bales, Materials Indoor, etc.)
- RAG Education ( Environmental-, Consulting, etc.)
- RAG Energy (Alternative-, Renewable Energies, etc.)
- RAG Forestry ( Reforestation, Deforestation, Fighting desertification,
etc.)
- RAG Health ( Nutrition-, Community-, etc.)
- RAG Pollution ( -control, , Industrial-, Pulp-Paper, etc.)
- RAG Climate Change (Global warming awareness, etc.)
- RAG Waste (Recycling, Waste -management, -treatment, -recycling,, -culture,
Promoting Zero Waste, etc.)
- RAG Wildlife ( Bird-, Conservation, Marine Environment, etc.)
Once organized and approved by the the Board of RI, with care and business
prudence, these RAGs will be moving forward planning and implementing
rotarian service projects around the world, wherever possible through
Rotary Clubs and their districts. They will be consistent with the Rotary
areas of emphasis and with the Millennium Goals of the United Nations
(UN), which will give to Rotary's relationship with the UN the opportunity
to gradually really fully fulfill best its potential for humankind, and
grow in harmony with the spirit of Rotary, while giving Rotary new opportunities
to always better and most meaningfully helping alleviating humankind's
greatest suffering and needs.
We are happy to report that one of the RAGs we did promote, the one on
water resources and sanitation, was meanwhile accepted by the Board of
Rotary International and has taken off.
Another, on sustainable tourism, is gradually advancing towards submitting
its application for recognition to Rotary International.
We have been present again at the Rotary International Convention also
this Rotary year. This gave us the opportunity to meet personally and
enjoy great fellowship with many hundreds of like-minded members of the
global family of Rotary. There we have had our annual face to face meeting,
and did participate in the official gatherings of the Rotary Fellowships
and of the Rotarian Action Groups.
Moreover, throughout the year there has been lots of enjoyable and quite
fruitful fellowship and personal meetings, while all were regularly actively
united by frequent email and telephone, making use of the best available
offered by the ever-improving telecommunications.
All members of the family of Rotary united in the Environment Fellowship
have a keen interest in Preserving Planet Earth , in the Environment,
and in Sustainable Development. They have volunteered in true rotarian
spirit and we have been able to function without the need to have dues.
There is thus no financial statement. News have been circulated regularly
by email and, as our Newsletter, they are also available for all on our
website www.environment-rotary-fellowship.org
We do now have Continental Chairs in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America,
and North America, and our website is available in more languages.
The Rotarian of April 2007 was on the Environment, and especially its
page 8 featured our Environment Fellowship of Rotarians' President through
the eyes of The Rotarian's Editor.
To conclude this Annual Report, we reconfirm that with passion for the
environment, inspired by 'Preserve Planet Earth', aware of the interdependence
of all areas of the environment, thinking globally and acting locally,
in good rotarian fellowship, the members of the Environment Fellowship
of Rotarians enjoy fellowship and also inspire and help Rotary Clubs to
initiate and participate in projects where the need is greatest for an
always better environment for on our planet earth.
The Environment Fellowship of Rotarians' Annual
Report 2006-7 is hereby respectfully submitted.
Sincerely, Marco Kappenberger
Rotary E-Club of Latinoamérica, Secretary 2007-08, District 4200,
www.recl.org
Environment Fellowship of Rotarians, President
k@samoa.ws
POBox 247, Apia, Samoa
+685 42014 +685 7510999 (New Zealand / Hawaii day time)
August 26th, 2007
Meilleurs voeux a tous les Rotariens pour l'Environnement ! Vous recevez
notre Rapport Annuel.
Rapport Annuel 2006-7 de l'Amicale rotarienne
pour l'environnement
Bref Resumé:
Notre Amicale pour l'environnement a été active en promouvant
toujours davantage de bonnes relations entre Rotariens, leurs époux,
et Rotaractiens du monde entier.
Nous avons aussi continué a promouvoir les Groupes d'Action Rotarienne
en relation avec tous les sujets de l'environnement.
En plus qu'utilisant toujours le mieux de la technologie de la communication,
nos rencontres ont eut lieu lors des Conferences et des Conventions du
Rotary International, oú, en plus de notre propre réunion
annuelle, nous avons aussi participé a celles des Amicales et des
Groupes d'Action Rotarienne.
Nos coordinateurs continentaux sont en Afrique, l'Asie, l'Amérique
Latine, l'Amérique du Nord, ainsi qu'en Europe.
Migliori auguri a tutti i Rotariani per l'Ambiente ! Ho il piacere d'inviarvi
il nostro Rapporto Annuale.
Rapporto Annuale del Circolo Professionale Rotariano
per l'Ambiente
Breve Riassunto :
Il nostro circolo professionale per l'ambiente é stato attivo promuovendo
le migliori relazioni ed incontri fra i Rotariani, i loro cognugi, e membri
di Rotaract del mondo intero.
E' pure continuato il nostro sforzo volto a promuovere i Gruppi d'Azione
Rotariana nei diversi campi dell'Ambiente.
Inoltre, utilizzando il meglio che ci propongono le moderne tecnologie
della communicazione, ci siamo pure incontrati nelle Conferenze e Convenzioni
di Rotary Internazionale, dove, oltre alla nostra annuale riunione, abbiamo
partecipato agli incontri dei Circoli Professionali e dei Gruppi d'Azione
Rotaria.
Abbiamo coordinatori in Africa, Asia, America Latina ed America del Nord,
inoltre all'Europa.
Allerbeste Glückwünsche an alle Rotarier für unsere Umwelt
! Sie erhalten unseren Jahresbericht.
Jahresbericht der Vereinigung der Rotarier für
die Umwelt
Kurze Zusammenfassng:
Unsere Vereinigung für die Umwelt ist aktiv gewesen und hat die besten
freundschaftlichen Beziehungen zwischen Rotariern, deren Ehegatten, und
Rotaractmitgliedern weltweit gefördert.
Wir haben ebenso weiterhin die Bildung von umweltbezogenen Rotarischen
Aktionsgruppen versucht zu ermöglichen.
Unseren gegenseitigen Kontakt haben wir mit dem Besten der modernen Technologie
unternommen, sowie trafen wir uns in den verschiedensten rotarischen internationalen
Treffen, wo wir auch unsere jährliche Sitzung abhielten und an denjenigen
der Rotarischen Vereinigungen und Aktionsgruppen teilnahmen.
Wir haben nun Koordinationsverantwortliche in Afrika, Asien, Lateinamerika,
Nordamerika, sowie in Europa.
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