Papanui Rotary Club Chat 11 May 2021 (May 10, 2021)

Asia NZ Foundation

The Asia New Zealand Foundation

We were privileged to hear last Thursday from Alistair Crozier, Director and Business Manager of the Asia New Zealand Foundation who brings a wide variety of experiences across various overseas regions to his work.

“Asia represents approximately 60% of the world’s population”, shared Alistair, “with eleven of New Zealand’s top 15 trade partners coming from this region.” As a result, he explained, we are increasingly tied to this area with one in six New Zealanders (including Alistair) also speaking an Asian language and the NZ Govt. believes Asia is going to be increasingly influential in NZ’s future.

Asia is currently seen as the 2^nd most important region to NZ behind Australia, but only half of us know much about the region. Alistair then asked what words do we associate with Asia? Most think immediately of China, but it is significantly more than that.

The Foundation’s purpose, he explained, is to help NZ gear up to thrive in Asia by raising awareness and encouraging access to the programmes offered. These core programmes include business, entrepreneurship, leadership, arts education. Media, research, diplomacy and sport area.

As Director of the Business programme, Alistair’s team arranges internships for recent graduates which include inviting Asian experts to NZ to provide Professional Development to various sectors.

In addition to leadership development the Foundation also runs entrepreneurship programmes and provides educational curriculum, resources and online classes to schools and NZ educators which aims to inspire interest in Asian culture.

“A key advantage is that we now have more multicultural classrooms which helps teachers and students understand more about Asian culture” explained. While media coverage tends to often be quite focussed on issues, the Foundation tries to show “all of Asia” including how they live, what they do etc.

We thanked Alistair for his informative presentation on what the Foundation does and wished him well going forward.

For more detained information check out their website at https://www.asianz.org.nz/.

Gates Foundation

The Gates Foundation

Jim Hudson gave us the following update on the Foundation.

As you know, our Rotary Foundation is funded by individual Rotarians, Rotary clubs & districts and individual benefactors. The Polio programme is funded through contributions from WHO, UNICEF, world governments and Rotary.

And the source of Rotary funds? It’s from individual Rotarians, clubs, districts and benefactors who “choose” to work in close relationship with organisations like Rotary.

The best known and by far the most generous is the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation fighting poverty, disease and inequality around the world. I had the mistaken belief that if Rotary reached its goal of raising $50m this year then Bill would write out a cheque for $100m Rotary could get on with its vaccination programmes. Not a bit of it.

The Gates Foundation is guided by the belief that every life has equal value. It works in developing countries focussing on improving people’s health and giving them a chance to lift out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the US it focuses especially on Blacks and Latinos to give them opportunities otherwise denied them. It is based in Seattle and Warren Buffet, the financier and investment Guru, is one of four directors.

In 2019 the Foundation invested over US $5 Billion dollars in the fields of global development, health, growth and opportunity for the oppressed.

These are very broad categories but they have a Global Delivery Programme to make their systems work, whether it be helping with the education of children in Sub-Saharan Africa or an agricultural programme in India. They work in partnership with global financing organisations like the World Bank and the Global Fund to fight Aids, tuberculosis and malaria as well as polio.

So, while the Gates Foundation does its incredible work dealing with a host of challenges worldwide, we must fulfil our commitment towards Rotary’s goal of $US$50m this year. What is requested of us? US$1500 per club. Not a big ask. We are half way there. But the Rotary year is 5/6ths over. Become a Centurion. Get in touch with Deryn and help our cause.

As a matter of interest, how many of us have contributed so far and have we done this directly to RI? April 24^th-30^th was World Immunisation Week so this suggests that now a great time to show our commitment.

Rotary won’t be giving up on this project until it is finished. And that is three years after the last case of wild polio has been eliminated. This is everyone’s commitment.

Snippets

Rotary - RNZWCS Limited - News in Brief

Thank you to all who support us to support others.

Please find more details of how you may assist.

https://www.rnzwcs.org/special-projects

Also on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/rotarynewzealandworldcommunityservice

https://www.facebook.com/EmergencyResponseKits

Pink Ribbon Reminder

Reminder all lady Papanui Rotary Club members and friends.

Come and join the merry crew for our Annual Pink Ribbon fundraising breakfast on Saturday May 22^nd starting at 9:30 am at 20 Mistral Road, Northwood.

Our three wonderful chefs will do us proud with an amazing spread being delivered as always.

Please let Lois know via loisflanagan@gmail.com that you will be attending.

Food for Thought

“Winning doesn't always mean being first.”