Climate Action
Thelma Raman and Karen Loblay from the Climate Action Group hosted two Zoom events. At our 4 October club meeting we learned about the NSW Plastics Ban from
Ebony Johnson of the National Retailers Association and of the importance of reducing plastics that pollute the environment. At the monthly CAG meeting on 10 October
Professor Usha Iyer-Raniga introduced us to the circular economy and strategies to share, reuse, repair and recycle existing materials and reduce waste. Over 85 registered for these meetings!
Nuclear Weapons
Gem Romuld, Australian Director of ICAN – International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons – addressed our regular club meeting on 18 October. Gem said that nuclear weapons should be outlawed just as other weapons of indiscriminate destruction like poison gas and land mines have been.
She challenged the notion that these weapons were a deterrent, noting that this was an effective Cold War promotional pitch; the greater danger is accidental rather than deliberate Armageddon – a risk that increases with the number of weapons available. She also discussed the historical and ongoing impact of nuclear testing on Indigenous communities in Australia and elsewhere.
On the positive side, Gem told us that the UN Treaty on the
Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons became law in 2021 and that the current government intends Australia to become a signatory. It is a position that has strong cross-party support.
ICAN’s efforts since 2007 in promoting the UN Treaty earned it the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize. Members enjoyed the opportunity to get up close and personal with the award. Peace in our time.
Peacebuilding in the Middle East
At our next club meeting on 8 November the Peacebuilding Group will host a special event focusing on Project Rozana, a people-to-people and cross-border peacebuilding initiative in Israel/Palestine.
Project Rozana has helped train Israeli and Palestinian doctors in a previous project supported by Rotary. Its latest effort will be directed to training nurses to, among other things, promote peace using tools developed by the Sydney-based Institute for Economics and Peace.
Our guest speakers will be Ron Finkel AM, founder of Project Rozana, Rosemary Carrick, Director Strategic Development and Partnerships and Eliza Harvey, senior
broadcast journalist with extensive experience in the Middle East.
Be ready to grapple with some big ideas as we discuss this inspiring – and challenging – initiative in one of the most intractable conflict areas of the world.
Train Ride to End Polio
The eradication of polio is one of Rotary’s signature big ideas. The success of this global campaign, run by Rotary together with UNICEF, is undeniable. But there are
still pockets of polio virus in parts of the world and these pose a risk everywhere, as our experience with the COVID pandemic makes clear.
The End Polio Train Ride on 24 October is the way that Sydney clubs are getting together to raise funds to end polio. RCS will pledge support and you can contribute
with a tax-deductible donation to our Benevolent Fund.
To support the End Polio Now campaign, click HERE and write "End Polio" in the box after your contact details asking "
Would you like to leave a message for the organisation?"
Police Officer of the Year Awards
The Rotary Club of Sydney, under the direction of John Given, has hosted the annual Police Officer of the Year Awards for the last 12 years. This is a major event in the
calendar of the NSW Police and Rotary. It acknowledges the exceptional work of the police, and it also raises funds for our club projects. The gala awards night dinner is Friday 4 November at the Hyatt Regency, Darling
Harbour. 
Let’s get out and show our support for the NSW Police, for Rotary and for our club!
