Weekly bulletin - January 28, 2013 Cluster Meeting
January 28, 2013 Weekly Bulletin – Cluster Peace Dinner
by How Pak Hing, George
The Cluster Peace Dinner was held at the St. Joseph Ukranian Banquet Hall. This was a joint program initiated by the three Oakville Rotary Clubs and their Incoming Presidents, namely Rudy Habesch, Bill Koopman, and Susan Sheppard, Assistant Governor Susan Howard, and countless Rotarian Volunteers, who toiled behind the scene.
OPENING OF PEACE DINNER - Susan Sheppard (RCOW)) called the Program Meeting to order. Emcee John Kubacki led the singing of the National Anthem. Rev. Jim Campbell delivered a thoughtful Invocation. Emcee John proposed a toast to the Queen and to Canada. An excellent four-course Dinner was served “family style”. An additional table was set up to accommodate Rotarians who did not respond in a timely fashion that they would be attending the event.
GREETINGS FROM DISTRICT GOVERNOR IAN FERGUSON - Ian Ferguson welcomed Rotarians and Guests to an exciting evening. He reminded the audience that Rotarians are inspired by the notion of living in a peaceful World by Rotary International President Sakuji Tanaka, who has highlighted “Peace Through Service” as the organization’s theme for the year. Ian quoted from President Tanaka: “Through service, we become more tolerant of our differences and more grateful for the people in our lives. Our sense of gratitude helps us to understand others better, and to see the good in everyone. Through better understanding, we learn to respect others, with mutual respect, we live with others in peace”. District Governor Ian Ferguson concluded his address by saying that through the power of Rotary, Rotarians strive for a greater peace for Ourselves, and for our World.
GUEST SPEAKER RACHEL YORDY - AMBASSADORIAL SCHOLAR - Bill Koopman (OT) introduced the Guest Speaker, Ms. Rachel Yordy, a resident of Elmira, Ontario, as Ambassadorial Scholar, with a background in International Development and Peace Studies. She pursued an undergraduate program in International Development Studies at Trent University, minoring in Peace and Conflict Studies. She received a Rotary World Peace Fellowship to continue her studies - African Peace Studies Program at the University of Bradford, England. In 2008, she was one of 12 recipients for the Rotary Fellowship for academic Year 2009/2011. Her field studies / work has taken her to many countries, including Afganistan, Haiti, Ghana, Egypt, and she has even participated in the Katimavik Program in the Canadian North.
The World According to Rachel Yordy - Rachel Yordy came to the Rotary Cluster Dinner to talk about peace, to dream about peace, and to plan about peace. She echoed the Opening Remarks of District Governor Ian Ferguson, when she reminded the audience on the theme for 2013, chosen by RI President Sakuji Tanaka is Peace Through Service… a very fitting theme, building on Rotary’s calling to “service above self” and RI’s commitment to peace building around the globe.
First things first, Rachel Yordy is a Mennonite. She has worked before, and is currently working for a Mennonite institution (Mennonite Economic Development Associates – MEDA), in the field of economic development. The stereotype image that we conjure when we hear the word Mennonites are horses and buggies. What we need to know about Mennonites, is that they are peace lovers – pacifists, deeply concerned with social justice issues. These were the values and environment that Rachel grew up with.
Peace Work In Ghana - As a student at Trent University, participating in a year abroad program in Accra , studying for a semester at the University of Ghana, and then interning with a Ghanaian peace building NGO. The work was to build peer mediation clubs at middle and high schools around the country and to train Queen Mothers – the matriarchs of Southern Ghana - to serve as mediators in their own communities.
Work With Katimavik - After completing her program at Trent University, Rachel worked with Katimavik for a year – supporting youth from across Canada to live in a group home, engage in volunteer work, and learn about the environment, healthy living, leadership, the official languages and cultural diversity.
Work With Children in Egypt - Following her contract with Katimavik, Rachel went to Egypt, to work with children who work. In partnership with microfinance institutions, the project strove to make children work safe, ensure they had access to non-formal education programming, and that they were enjoying their right to play.
Internship With Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA) - What started as a six month internship with MEDA became two years because Rachel enjoyed so much. So that more refugees would not be displaced to live in marginality and struggle to rebuild their lives and be in communities away from their homelands.
Studies at Rotary Peace Centre – University of Bradford - As a recipient of a Rotary Fellowship in 2009, Rachel studied at one of the Rotary Peace Centres - the University of Bradford - with other peaceniks from around the world.
PEACE THROUGH SERVICE - In her talk about peace through service, Rachel puts forward a very simple notion - that we are best able to offer “peace through service” through friendship. To make this case, Rachel suggested that we need to start with a few definitions. What is peace? What is service? And what is friendship?
Rachel is now working in the field of international development again, with MEDA. On our youth and financial services team, Rachel strives to support youth who are marginalized within their societies and could otherwise become disenfranchised to build a better life for themselves through economic development – including their access to appropriate financial services to suit their needs.
At MEDA the staff often talks about values:
• Seeking to create business solutions to poverty that are innovative, context-driven and sustainable
• promoting justice for the poor by helping them develop entrepreneurial skills and seize economic opportunities
• valuing partnerships with the poor and others regardless of gender, race, class, ethnicity, nationality or religion.
• carefully managing human, financial and environmental resources by emphasizing accountability, discipline and sustainability.
Amidst all of these values, the one that Rachel has learned the most about and which Rachel thinks also applies to the work of Rotarians is authentic partnership… as for Rachel, this opens the door for peace through service and service through friendship.
Whilst Rachel may have taken attending Rotarians and Guests through a meandering journey, her hope that the message is clear: as we strive for peace through service and service through friendship, we find that we can do more for humanity together than we could do alone.
And we truly can be of service on every level – whether it is befriending the new immigrants that moved in our neighborhood, and are adjusting to a new system, or partnering with a rotary club in India as push towards the ultimate eradication of polio – there is so much we can do together, as we seek to be of service, and receive the services of others that will help us tear down the walls of separation that kept us from the positive peace that is our potential.
Incoming President Rotary Club of Oakville Rudy Habesch thanked Guest Speaker Rachel Yordy for her enlightening and inspiring presentation. As a token of appreciation and on behalf of Rotary, Rudy presented Rachel with a gift certificate for the immunization of 100 children from polio, and a personal Rotary Peace scarf.
CONCLUSION OF THE PEACE DINNER - All good things must come to an end! Emcee John Kubacki gave the closing remarks on peace, service, friendship, goodwill and conflict resolution. John proposed a toast to the Queen and to Rotarians around the World.