| The International Service Update provides news about World Community Service,
Rotary Volunteers, and Rotary Community Corps, as well as disaster relief and recovery. Visit the Service and Fellowship pages
on the Rotary International Web site, www.rotary.org, for more information. |
Earth Day |
Environmental awareness events will take place worldwide on 22 April for Earth Day. This year is Earth Day’s 40th anniversary, and to celebrate, we look at green technology, the fight against
deforestation, and Rotarian service initiatives that are promoting environmental sustainability. |
World Water
Summit |
| Anyone who is interested in water and sanitation issues is invited to attend the third annual World Water Summit on 19 June,
immediately before the RI Convention in Montréal, Québec, Canada. The daylong summit, which is hosted by the Water and Sanitation
Rotarian Action Group and the Rotary International Water Resource Group, will provide in-depth perspectives on current challenges and solutions from
experts in the field and experienced Rotarians. Register now. |
Disaster relief:
Chile |
Chile suffered a devastating earthquake in February that affected over 1.8 million people, according to the Chilean
government. The Rotary Foundation has established the Rotary Chile Recovery Fund to assist victims of this disaster. Contributions will be used for
long-term recovery efforts. Learn more and donate. |
New vocational service publication now
available |
An Introduction to
Vocational Service (255) provides a range of information on vocational service, focusing on the
importance of classification and ethics. Available in English, French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish, it includes recommended
project ideas and resources to help Rotarians promote vocational service in their clubs or districts. Download it at no cost on
the RI website, or purchase hard copies at shop.rotary.org. |
ProjectLINK Reporting Form |
Clubs and districts
with listings on ProjectLINK can use the new ProjectLINK Reporting Form to send updates to Rotary International. Providing RI with regular updates helps staff communicate accurate project information to
prospective donors. Download the form. |
Renewable energy production |
Rotary Volunteer Aldo
Villabruna, spent five weeks in the Sangha Region of the Republic of the Congo, installing, inspecting, and testing a photovoltaic system for the Sembe Mission Hospital, located in the middle of a tropical forest. The electricity, which is produced directly from solar energy and
allows the medical facilities and equipment to work day and night, provides lighting for exam rooms, replacing inefficient petrol lamps. This Rotary
Foundation Matching Grant project is cosponsored by the Rotary Club of Pordenone Alto Livenza and 11 other clubs in District 2060 (Italy), in
partnership with the Rotary Club of Brazzaville Djoue-Doyen, Djoue.
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Project technology: Solar panels |
The amount of energy the earth holds in all its stores of natural gas, coal, and
oil is equal to that produced by the sun in just 20 days of sunshine, making solar energy an invaluable resource. Numerous technologies have been
created to tap into this source of energy, with solar panels being one of the most widely used. Solar panels convert energy from the sun directly into electricity, without pollution, moving parts, or noise. Because solar panels are powered by
sunlight, the cost of producing electricity remains constant throughout their lifetimes. The electricity they yield can be used in a variety of ways,
including heating, cooling, and lighting. Learn more about solar energy. |
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Issue focus: Deforestation |
Issue Overview
Logging, invasive species, natural disasters, and the conversion of forests into agricultural land are a few of the main
causes of deforestation. Deforestation accelerates global warming and results in the loss of biodiversity and
habitats for various species.
Between 2000 and 2010, the net annual
lossof forests was 13 million hectares — an area the size of Costa Rica — due to
natural causes or conversion of land. This statistic is down from 16 million hectares lost per year in the 1990s. Much of this success stems from
large-scale tree-planting efforts and reduced deforestation rates in countries with the largest percentages of the world’s forested area, such
as Brazil and China.
Connect with environmental projects and
volunteers
Rotary clubs in Brazil, India, and the
Philippinesare developing service projects to reduce deforestation in their countries. These clubs
are seeking international partners to support their efforts in activities such as tree planting and charcoal briquetting, an alternative to producing
charcoal from wood. Learn more about these projects and how you can help on ProjectLINK.
Successfully completed environmental projects such as
environmental education and awareness campaigns, solar oven projects, and orchard development efforts are also featured on ProjectLINK. These efforts
may inspire clubs looking for project ideas and provide guidance on best practices. Learn more by searching for a model project on ProjectLINK. To narrow your search, include keywords such as trees or deforestation.
If your club is seeking international volunteers for its
environmental project, use the Rotary Volunteers Database. Volunteers currently listed have expertise
in horticulture, forestry, ecology, solar cooking, agriculture, biology, and environmental project
management. |
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