[Rotary] Fwd: Rotary’s Role in Battling Coronavirus

[J Gary Hopper]

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Mark Maloney & Holger Knaack <ri.comms at rotary.org>
Date: Sat, Mar 14, 2020 at 2:45 PM
Subject: Rotary’s Role in Battling Coronavirus
To: <jghopper at gmail.com>


[image: Rotary.org]
<http://msgfocus.rotary.org/c/11seU085EsF4ODX8WXSvLIqyqTHQ>

Dear Fellow Rotarian,

The COVID-19 coronavirus is affecting every aspect of our lives in real
time, and this puts Rotarians in an unfamiliar place. As People of Action,
we are most comfortable when we are fully engaged in the world – moving
freely, meeting openly, and offering helping hands. These are very
difficult times for people who, like us, are at our best when we are
learning, growing, and serving—together.

We are also leaders in our communities, and these times call for
leadership. In many ways, this also is our time. We have proven abilities
to reach out and collaborate to offer immediate help to people in need at a
rapid pace. These are precisely the skills needed all over the world today.
The global effort against COVID-19 depends on actions taken in every
country. Rotary has the unique ability to help improve those efforts in
every community and every country.

Using all the technology we have at our disposal, we as Rotarians can
continue to reach out and collaborate on big projects with Rotary clubs,
Rotaractors, and Interactors. There are a number of examples where Rotary
clubs are helping health authorities communicate best practices or provide
needed equipment or support that have been shared with our leaders around
the world.

As Rotary’s president and president-elect, we have been thinking of these
issues very seriously in regard to upcoming Rotary events. As you may be
aware, we have made the difficult decision to cancel two Rotary
Presidential Conferences honoring our relationship with the United Nations-
one in Paris, another in Rome. In the near term, we recommend that Rotary
districts and clubs cancel or postpone meetings or events following the
advice of national and local health officials.

We know that clubs and districts are seizing the opportunity to become
leaders in their communities and are making better use of technology in
this time of need. For example, a Rotary e-club in Italy held a live online
session about COVID-19 awareness, a Taiwan club worked with companies and a
pharmacy association to donate 1,600 bottles of hand sanitizer to the city
of Ji-Long, and Rotary clubs in Sri Lanka helped upgrade software and
hardware for the health promotion bureau to assist its social messaging.

We cannot know quite yet what path this virus will take. We know we can
play a role to help “flatten the curve,” reducing the number of cases in
the short term to allow our health systems to address this issue. If the
collective global effort helps bring the situation under control, then we
hope to re-embrace our core values at the 2020 Rotary Convention in
Honolulu. Our time together will have greater meaning and purpose than ever.

Please know that we are taking a close, continuing look at our plans for
the convention in June to make sure all attendees’ safety will be
protected. We are following the lead of the world’s most trusted sources,
including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, for their guidance. We want you to be able
to make decisions about what is best for you and your families in terms of
attending this year’s event.

In the meantime, this is an opportunity for us to demonstrate that *Rotary
Connects the World* in innovative ways. We should be closely following the
advice of the WHO
<http://msgfocus.rotary.org/c/11seU1vJzHJWjbKM0AzyzsP7GBR9> and local
health authorities. Again, this includes canceling Rotary club events and
meetings in the short term to reduce unnecessary interactions that could
cause infections. We can put a greater emphasis on the work we do in our
communities by helping our less fortunate neighbors cope with the effects
of isolation and fear, or by supporting our health authorities to address
this situation.

We are dealing with this situation in real time. Please visit the rotary.org
COVID-19 response page
<http://msgfocus.rotary.org/c/11seU2TnuWONNJyp4dgBnddGWk0s> for ongoing
updates.

This is an unprecedented challenge for nearly all of us. But it is also an
opportunity for Rotarians to find new, meaningful ways to lead individuals
and communities to connect and do good in the world.

We have never been prouder to be part of an organization that does so much
to protect and strengthen our communities, at home and across the globe.

Kindest regards,
Mark Daniel Maloney
2019-2020, President, Rotary International Holger Knaack
2020-21, President, Rotary International
ONE ROTARY CENTER
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-- 
        GO A's
Gary "Hoop" Hopper
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