AS WRITTEN

Statement by Rotary International
Director Lennart Arfwidsson 
World Summit for Social Development
9 March 1995

As written


Mr. President
Your Excellencies,
Distinguished delegates and guests

 On behalf of the President of Rotary International, BILL HUNTLEY, I thank 
you for being invited to this World Summit. President Huntley deeply 
regrets that he is unable to attend, but he sends his personal and sincere 
good wishes for the important conference and the result of the dialogues.

 ROTARY INTERNATIONAL is a non-profit, non-political, non-governmental 
volunteer service organisation, today represented in 151 nations. The most 
recent are Belarus, Mongolia, and Kazakhstan and in the near future 
Armenia, Georgia and Cambodia.

 ROTARY INTERNATIONAL is formed by 27,000 clubs with 1.2 million members, 
professional men and women united in the idea of "Service above Self'. This 
means that Rotary International is a tight network worldwide of leaders in 
business, companies, official administration and all other professions.

 The main purpose is to promote UNDERSTANDING and thus peace between 
individuals, groups and nations. Through the Rotary Foundation the 
organization provides Humanitarian assistance of many kinds, such as 
medical supplies, health services education, refugee help.

 The major project is the Polio Plus Program to eradicate Polio and other 
deceases from the earth before the year of 2000. 606 million children are 
immunized through volunteers, donated vaccine doses and in close 
cooperation and administration of the UN World Health Organization. 247 
million US$ have been raised for this program through the Foundation.

 As we are in Denmark, I would like to mention a Scandinavian project named 
"the Rotary Doctor Bank".

 400 physicians and doctors are lining up today for volunteer service in 
mainly Central Africa and South East Asia. They work without any salary for 
2 months or more (some have been out 8-10 times) They not only serve as 
doctors, they also educate local physicians. The Rotary Doctor Bank pays 
for their travel costs and lodging (housing) living. Today this idea has 
started in Great Britain and the Netherlands as well.

 This year, a special emphasis is stressed by Rotary International and its 
clubs on “COMMUNITY CONCERNS”

 Unemployment is one of the increasing social needs all over the world, 
where the concept of Community Concerns will be used. The idea, developed 
by President Bill Huntley, is to encourage rotarians to work with the 
community, not only for the Community, locally, nationally and 
internationally.

 So, this means that you have this tight network of 1.2 million men and 
women, who are willing and able to assist their local governments - 
voluntary with their skills and knowledge as professionals to try to solve 
the problems by training, education and to get new jobs.

 The organization itself, the Rotary International, is prepared to continue 
its cooperation with the United Nations as well as with other volunteer 
organizations.

 Thank you for your attention - I am ready to answer any personal questions 
you may have during the day, if you like.