Sunday, November 14, 2010
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Jonathan Majiyagbe 's speach
Dear Rotarians,
At our April meeting, The Rotary Foundation Trustees examined how the current global economic crisis has affected the Foundation’s ability to support Rotarians’ good work worldwide. Like all foundations, we have experienced substantial unrealized investment losses, forcing us to suspend Matching Grant applications in March of this year. These losses will also have an impact on the amount of money available for program awards in the coming year.
In determining our program and operations budgets for 2009-10, the Trustees made some very difficult decisions. We were fortunate to have the Future Vision Plan to help us focus strategically on what we believe to be best for our Foundation, next year and beyond. For example, funds for polio eradication — our top priority — remain secure, as do the resources to launch the Future Vision pilot in July 2010. We will, however, accelerate the elimination of several programs slated to be discontinued in 2010-11. Effective 1 July 2009, the Foundation will no longer fund the following:
The budget for Health, Hunger and Humanity (3-H) Grants was also greatly reduced and will only support new projects that are part of our alliance with USAID to improve water and sanitation in theDominican Republic , Ghana , and the Philippines
Looking ahead, the Trustees agreed that World Fund Group Study Exchange (GSE) partner districts will spread their exchanges over two years in fiscal years 2010-11 and 2011-12, with one team being funded in each of the years. GSE funding determination for 2012-13, the final year of the program before the Future Vision Plan is implemented across the Foundation, will be made in April 2010.
Read more information about the impact that budget decisions will have on grant application processing for Educational Programs and the Humanitarian Grants Program.
We understand that many Rotarians will be disappointed by one or more of these cutbacks. Given the current economic situation, however, it was essential to reduce the Foundation’s 2009-10 program budget to $153.3 million, which is slightly less than the projected actual for 2008-09 and $27.1 million less than the original 2008-09 budget. Our 2009-10 operations budget, including staffing for the Future Vision pilot, is $43.1 million, about $1.6 million under last year’s budget. Thanks to cost-cutting measures this year, however, we anticipate the 2008-09 projected operations expenses to come in at about $4.6 million under budget.
As troubling as our current economic situation is, we must remember that our Foundation experienced tremendous growth when investment markets were favorable. In good years, we were able to provide tens of millions of dollars to address critical problems in every part of the world. I have every hope that we will once again have a bounty of funds to disperse so that Rotarians can continue to do good in the world for decades to come.
That outcome depends in large part on the continued support of our 1.2 million Rotarians. Although we have had to suspend some of our activities, there can be no moratorium on humanitarian service in Rotary. I am happy to report that Rotarians are continuing to give generously to our Foundation; year-to-date total contributions are higher than last year at this time. Without this support, the program cuts would have been even more painful.
As we work through this economic crisis together, I urge every Rotarian to make a contribution to our Annual Programs Fund by 30 June. Your gifts will strengthen our long-term ability to respond to urgent humanitarian needs and work for a world at peace. I promise you that the Foundation Trustees and our staff will endeavor to protect, maximize, and leverage our Foundation assets as much as we possibly can in today’s volatile economic climate.
Jonathan Majiyagbe
2008-09 Chair, The Rotary Foundation Trustees
At our April meeting, The Rotary Foundation Trustees examined how the current global economic crisis has affected the Foundation’s ability to support Rotarians’ good work worldwide. Like all foundations, we have experienced substantial unrealized investment losses, forcing us to suspend Matching Grant applications in March of this year. These losses will also have an impact on the amount of money available for program awards in the coming year.
In determining our program and operations budgets for 2009-10, the Trustees made some very difficult decisions. We were fortunate to have the Future Vision Plan to help us focus strategically on what we believe to be best for our Foundation, next year and beyond. For example, funds for polio eradication — our top priority — remain secure, as do the resources to launch the Future Vision pilot in July 2010. We will, however, accelerate the elimination of several programs slated to be discontinued in 2010-11. Effective 1 July 2009, the Foundation will no longer fund the following:
- Rotary Grants for University Teachers , except for grants already awarded
- Volunteer Service Grants
- Cultural and Multi-Year Ambassadorial Scholarships , except for grants already awarded
The budget for Health, Hunger and Humanity (3-H) Grants was also greatly reduced and will only support new projects that are part of our alliance with USAID to improve water and sanitation in the
Looking ahead, the Trustees agreed that World Fund Group Study Exchange (GSE) partner districts will spread their exchanges over two years in fiscal years 2010-11 and 2011-12, with one team being funded in each of the years. GSE funding determination for 2012-13, the final year of the program before the Future Vision Plan is implemented across the Foundation, will be made in April 2010.
Read more information about the impact that budget decisions will have on grant application processing for Educational Programs and the Humanitarian Grants Program.
We understand that many Rotarians will be disappointed by one or more of these cutbacks. Given the current economic situation, however, it was essential to reduce the Foundation’s 2009-10 program budget to $153.3 million, which is slightly less than the projected actual for 2008-09 and $27.1 million less than the original 2008-09 budget. Our 2009-10 operations budget, including staffing for the Future Vision pilot, is $43.1 million, about $1.6 million under last year’s budget. Thanks to cost-cutting measures this year, however, we anticipate the 2008-09 projected operations expenses to come in at about $4.6 million under budget.
As troubling as our current economic situation is, we must remember that our Foundation experienced tremendous growth when investment markets were favorable. In good years, we were able to provide tens of millions of dollars to address critical problems in every part of the world. I have every hope that we will once again have a bounty of funds to disperse so that Rotarians can continue to do good in the world for decades to come.
That outcome depends in large part on the continued support of our 1.2 million Rotarians. Although we have had to suspend some of our activities, there can be no moratorium on humanitarian service in Rotary. I am happy to report that Rotarians are continuing to give generously to our Foundation; year-to-date total contributions are higher than last year at this time. Without this support, the program cuts would have been even more painful.
As we work through this economic crisis together, I urge every Rotarian to make a contribution to our Annual Programs Fund by 30 June. Your gifts will strengthen our long-term ability to respond to urgent humanitarian needs and work for a world at peace. I promise you that the Foundation Trustees and our staff will endeavor to protect, maximize, and leverage our Foundation assets as much as we possibly can in today’s volatile economic climate.
Jonathan Majiyagbe
2008-09 Chair, The Rotary Foundation Trustees
LIFE IS MOST BEAUTIFUL
LIFE IS MOST BEAUTIFUL !!!!
Small Story......Truth of life
Once a Junior School teacher asked her students to bring some potatoes in a plastic bag to school. Each potato will be given a name of the person whom that child hates. Like this, the number of potatoes will be equal to the number of persons they hate. On a decided day the children brought their potatoes well addressed. Some had two, some had three and some had even five potatoes. The teacher said they have to carry these potatoes with them everywhere they go for a week. As the days passed the children started to complain about the spoiled smell that started coming from these potatoes. Also some students who had many potatoes complained that it was very heavy to carry them all around. The children got rid of this assignment after a week, when it got over.
The teacher asked, "How did you feel in this one week?" The children discussed their problems about the smell and weight. Then the teacher said, "This situation is very similar to what you carry in your heart when you don't like some people. This hatred makes your heart unhealthy and you carry that hatred in your heart everywhere you go. If you can not bear the smell of spoiled potatoes for a week, imagine the impact of this hatred that you carry through out your life, on your heart?"
Once a Junior School teacher asked her students to bring some potatoes in a plastic bag to school. Each potato will be given a name of the person whom that child hates. Like this, the number of potatoes will be equal to the number of persons they hate. On a decided day the children brought their potatoes well addressed. Some had two, some had three and some had even five potatoes. The teacher said they have to carry these potatoes with them everywhere they go for a week. As the days passed the children started to complain about the spoiled smell that started coming from these potatoes. Also some students who had many potatoes complained that it was very heavy to carry them all around. The children got rid of this assignment after a week, when it got over.
The teacher asked, "How did you feel in this one week?" The children discussed their problems about the smell and weight. Then the teacher said, "This situation is very similar to what you carry in your heart when you don't like some people. This hatred makes your heart unhealthy and you carry that hatred in your heart everywhere you go. If you can not bear the smell of spoiled potatoes for a week, imagine the impact of this hatred that you carry through out your life, on your heart?"
MORAL: * OUR HEART IS A BEAUTIFUL GARDEN THAT NEEDS A REGULAR CLEANING OF UNWANTED WEEDS. * FORGIVE THOSE WHO HAVE NOT BEHAVED WITH YOU AS EXPECTED AND FORGET THE BAD THINGS. THIS ALSO MAKES ROOM AVAILABLE FOR STORING GOOD THINGS.
Result man -result
A Priest dies and is awaiting his turn in line at the Heaven's Gates. Ahead of him is a guy, fashionably dressed, in dark sun glasses, a loud shirt, leather jacket & jeans.
God asks him: Please tell me who you are, so that I may know whether to admit you into the kingdom of Heaven
The guy replies: I am an Bus Drive
God consults his ledger, smiles and says to the Driver : Please take this silken robe & gold scarf and enter the Kingdom of Heaven
Now it is the priest's turn. He stands erect and speaks out in a booming voice: I am Pope's Assistant so & so, Head Priest of the so & so Church for the last 40 years.
God consults his ledger & says to the Priest: Please take this cotton robe & enter the Kingdom of Heaven
'Just a minute' says the agonized Priest. 'How is it that a foul mouthed, rash Driver is given a Silken robe & a Golden scarf and me, a Priest, who's spent his whole life preaching your Name & goodness has to make do with a Cotton robe?'
'Results my friend, results,' shrugs God.
'While you preached, people SLEPT; but when he drove, people PRAYED'
It's PERFORMANCE & not POSITION that ultimately counts .................
Result man -result
A Priest dies and is awaiting his turn in line at the Heaven's Gates. Ahead of him is a guy, fashionably dressed, in dark sun glasses, a loud shirt, leather jacket & jeans.
God asks him: Please tell me who you are, so that I may know whether to admit you into the kingdom of Heaven
The guy replies: I am an Bus Drive
God consults his ledger, smiles and says to the Driver : Please take this silken robe & gold scarf and enter the Kingdom of Heaven
Now it is the priest's turn. He stands erect and speaks out in a booming voice: I am Pope's Assistant so & so, Head Priest of the so & so Church for the last 40 years.
God consults his ledger & says to the Priest: Please take this cotton robe & enter the Kingdom of Heaven
'Just a minute' says the agonized Priest. 'How is it that a foul mouthed, rash Driver is given a Silken robe & a Golden scarf and me, a Priest, who's spent his whole life preaching your Name & goodness has to make do with a Cotton robe?'
'Results my friend, results,' shrugs God.
'While you preached, people SLEPT; but when he drove, people PRAYED'
It's PERFORMANCE & not POSITION that ultimately counts .................
From Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s article on qualities of a leader. Amazing read !
From Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s article on qualities of a leader. Amazing read !
The first major aspect of good leadership is letting go of control. Are you in control when you’re sleeping or when you’re dreaming? No! Are you in control of any other function in your body? Your heart is pumping all by itself. Your liver functions by itself. The food you stuff in the stomach gets digested all by itself. Do you have any control over them? Are you in control of the Sun and Moon moving around the globe or even the globe rotating on itself? Are you in control of the thoughts that come into your head? So, when you realise you really do not have any control over all major things that are happening in your life, you’ll stand up and laugh. “Oh, what am I thinking, am I in control of something?” Then you will realise that the idea that you are in control is an illusion. And then you relax. And that relaxed state is called surrender. What is surrender? A state of mind, where you are absolutely at home, totally relaxed — with no fear, anxiety, burden or problem. That state is called surrender. Surrender is our very nature; you don’t have to do it. When you are in your natural state of childlike innocence, you are already in a state of surrender. When you cannot surrender, then you make effort, and effort makes you surrender. So when you say, “I cannot relax”, I will say, “Ok, hold your fists tight and tight and tight.” Then, when I ask you to make it tighter and you cannot do that, what do you do? Being tired, you just drop. This is coming to the other end with effort! For a leader, it is also important to be in the present moment.
So, what are the qualities of good leadership? How can you be a dynamic, confident and enthusiastic leader?
The first quality of leadership is to set an example. A leader doesn’t just order things; he does it so that others can do it.
Second aspect is that a leader takes good care of those whom he is leading.
Third aspect is that he doesn’t create followers. A good leader creates leaders. And then chain reaction happens. A leader should delegate responsibility.
The fourth quality is that a leader does not depend on authority. He just does a thing, whether authority is invested or not. It comes by itself.
The fifth aspect of leadership is that he does not worry about position. The respect that you gain through virtue is very different from the respect you gain through the position. The respect you get through a position is short-lived and temporary. But the respect that you gain just because of your smile, your attitude, your virtues are there with you all the time. You may be a chairman of this committee, a president of that committee, or you are barrister here or governor of that state — these are all momentary, temporary. They come and they go. And the respect you get because of this position is not genuine, it is not from the heart, it is not true. But the respect you gain because you are a nice person, is genuine, it lasts long. It is spontaneous.
The sixth quality is that a leader is alert and when challenges come, he is not disturbed. A good leader is one who does not drop things when challenges appear.
The seventh quality of a good leader is one who does not care for comfort, but who stretches himself beyond the comfort zone. Anything creative, dynamic and great can happen only when you stretch beyond your comfort zone where we are often struck. We think we cannot do something: just make an effort and put one step ahead, and you will find that that you are expanding your comfort zone. Creativity transcends your comfort zone. Or, when you step out of the comfort zone, your creativity comes into play.
The eighth aspect is that a leader should not mix head and heart. If you mix head and heart, you are in a mess! When you have to work, you work with commitment and you live with your head. In life, in situations other than when you are working, listen to your heart.
The ninth quality of a good leader is that he should be multi-dimensional and see from the other’s point of view. Put yourself in other person’s shoes, look from the other person’s point of view.
The tenth aspect is that the leader doesn’t depend on one-sided information. When you get some news from one side, don’t take any decision or conclusion till you hear from the other side also. A leader should be a good communicator.
The eleventh is that a leader should have a direct approach.
The twelfth quality of a good leader is not to judge oneself. You have this tendency of judging yourself, “Am I good? I’m no good.” The self-judgment is an obstruction. Stop doing that. Don’t judge yourself. When you judge yourself, you are judging others also. Then you oscillate like a pendulum. If you feel you’re good, then you are saying that others are not so good. So when you find that others are good, and then you feel that you are no good, you blame yourself. Judgment is very similar to self-blame and blaming others. We have to get out of this vicious circle of self-judgment. That is also the state of surrender. When you have surrendered to the Divine that means that you no longer judge yourself. Self-judgment is not necessary. A child is so innocent, why? Because the child doesn’t judge itself.
So, what are the qualities of good leadership? How can you be a dynamic, confident and enthusiastic leader?
The first quality of leadership is to set an example. A leader doesn’t just order things; he does it so that others can do it.
Second aspect is that a leader takes good care of those whom he is leading.
Third aspect is that he doesn’t create followers. A good leader creates leaders. And then chain reaction happens. A leader should delegate responsibility.
The fourth quality is that a leader does not depend on authority. He just does a thing, whether authority is invested or not. It comes by itself.
The fifth aspect of leadership is that he does not worry about position. The respect that you gain through virtue is very different from the respect you gain through the position. The respect you get through a position is short-lived and temporary. But the respect that you gain just because of your smile, your attitude, your virtues are there with you all the time. You may be a chairman of this committee, a president of that committee, or you are barrister here or governor of that state — these are all momentary, temporary. They come and they go. And the respect you get because of this position is not genuine, it is not from the heart, it is not true. But the respect you gain because you are a nice person, is genuine, it lasts long. It is spontaneous.
The sixth quality is that a leader is alert and when challenges come, he is not disturbed. A good leader is one who does not drop things when challenges appear.
The seventh quality of a good leader is one who does not care for comfort, but who stretches himself beyond the comfort zone. Anything creative, dynamic and great can happen only when you stretch beyond your comfort zone where we are often struck. We think we cannot do something: just make an effort and put one step ahead, and you will find that that you are expanding your comfort zone. Creativity transcends your comfort zone. Or, when you step out of the comfort zone, your creativity comes into play.
The eighth aspect is that a leader should not mix head and heart. If you mix head and heart, you are in a mess! When you have to work, you work with commitment and you live with your head. In life, in situations other than when you are working, listen to your heart.
The ninth quality of a good leader is that he should be multi-dimensional and see from the other’s point of view. Put yourself in other person’s shoes, look from the other person’s point of view.
The tenth aspect is that the leader doesn’t depend on one-sided information. When you get some news from one side, don’t take any decision or conclusion till you hear from the other side also. A leader should be a good communicator.
The eleventh is that a leader should have a direct approach.
The twelfth quality of a good leader is not to judge oneself. You have this tendency of judging yourself, “Am I good? I’m no good.” The self-judgment is an obstruction. Stop doing that. Don’t judge yourself. When you judge yourself, you are judging others also. Then you oscillate like a pendulum. If you feel you’re good, then you are saying that others are not so good. So when you find that others are good, and then you feel that you are no good, you blame yourself. Judgment is very similar to self-blame and blaming others. We have to get out of this vicious circle of self-judgment. That is also the state of surrender. When you have surrendered to the Divine that means that you no longer judge yourself. Self-judgment is not necessary. A child is so innocent, why? Because the child doesn’t judge itself.
DO NOT WAIT FOR DISASTER
No country can afford to ignore the lessons of the earthquakes in Chile and Haiti
Recently, I visited Chile 's earthquake zone and saw how countless lives were saved because Chile
Because stringent earthquake building codes were enforced, much worse casualties were prevented. Training and equipping first responders ahead of time meant help was there within minutes of the tremor. Embracing the spirit that governments have a responsibility for future challenges as well as current ones did more to prevent human casualties than any relief effort could.
Deaths were in the hundreds in Chile Haiti Haiti
The lessons are universally applicable. No country is immune from disaster, be it earthquakes or floods, storms or heat waves. More and more intense natural disasters are affecting all five continents, we believe as a result of climate change. Many of the world's poorest people live in high-risk densely populated cities in flood or earthquake zones, or both.
The culture of disaster risk reduction must spread. I am encouraged that we already have a head start in this regard.
The Hyogo Framework for Action, a 10-year plan to make the world safer from disasters triggered by natural hazards, was adopted by 168 governments in 2005.
Hyogo gives national authorities a blueprint to assess and reduce risks through planning, training, and better public education. For example, making sure that schools, hospitals, and other key public infrastructure meet certain safety standards.
Based on the Hyogo Framework, the U.N. has made disaster risk reduction a priority. I have appointed a Special Representative for implementation of the Hyogo Framework of Action. Last year I launched the first global assessment report on disaster risk reduction in Bahrain.
Progress
There has been progress. Bangladesh lost more than 500,000 people during Cyclone Bhola in 1970. It subsequently built 2,500 cyclone shelters on elevated concrete platforms and trained more than 32,000 volunteers to help in evacuations. When Cyclone Sidr struck in 2007 with an enormous sea surge, the death toll was less than 4,000. Cyclone Nargis, a similar event in unprepared Myanmar in May 2008, cost 140,000 lives.
Cuba weathered four hurricanes in 2008. It sustained $9 billion of physical damage but very few lives were lost.
The evidence is overwhelming. Yet the lessons of these disasters are forgotten with depressing speed. Many governments have failed to follow through on the practical measures Hyogo proposes.
Some states argue that they cannot afford to embrace the prevention model. I say no country can afford to ignore it.
We know prevention actually saves governments money in the long run. When China
Similar savings have been recorded in Brazil , India , Vietnam
Everyone has a role to play.
Governments, central and local, have to do what it takes to make communities able to cope with both continuing challenges and sudden shocks.
In flood and earthquake-prone areas, the solution is to enact and enforce building regulations. For flood prone areas, it is to move or improve squatter settlements, restore natural coastal barriers such as mangrove swamps, provide more suitable land and better infrastructure for the urban poor and install effective early warning systems.
These measures will keep many thousands of people alive who may otherwise perish. The U.N. is ready to help governments build preparedness at the country and regional levels. Donor nations need to fund disaster risk reduction and preparedness measures. Adaptation to climate change in particular means investing in systems for disaster reduction, preparedness and management.
The Chile and Haiti New Delhi
(Ban Ki-moon is Secretary-General of the United Nations
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