Social, Vocational Service Awards and RAGAS

Last Week

Chris Thompson

It was a social meeting with many jokes and entertaining stories.

David Bradshaw asked if we would be able to help with hosting the Nigerian Friendship Exchange.

We also had our DGR Chris Thompson present who seemed to enjoy himself.
He subsequently joined the Board Meeting and it was predominantly fictitious as we had to invent much of it so that he would be impressed. I think he was.



This Week
It's our annual Vocational Service Awards lunch where we make presentations to people recommended by club members.  What makes these awards different is that they are given to people who have really made a difference within their community but would never normally receive any form of recognition.  There are so many people who do so much but are never recognised and I am really looking forward to hearing the various motivations for the awardees.

Don't forget that it's at Wanderers Golf Club, entrance in Rudd Road not at our usual venue.  I am also looking forward to having a proper lunch after all those bits of pizza!



Gary Haugen, leader of the International Justice Mission,contends that humanitarian work means little if basic safety is threatened

Gary Haugen and IJM staff meet with clients in Bangalore, India who were rescued from brutal bonded labor slavery in a brick kiln.

In 1994 Rwanda was reeling from the genocide of as many as 1 million people over 100 days, the apex of decades of civil conflict in the East African nation. 

Gary Haugen, then a young human rights attorney working for the U.S. Department of Justice, landed in Kigali to head a United Nations unit investigating the genocide and gathering evidence needed to prosecute the perpetrators for war crimes.

“There was basically no functioning government, Haugen recalls. “So much chaos is unleashed when there isn’t a civil authority exercising control. A lot of people tried to help, sending food and medicine and providing housing and education, but when it came to the problem of violence, very few people stepped up to that challenge.

Haugen established the International Justice Mission (IJM) in 1997 to address violence in developing countries. The organization has 17 field offices and works with local investigators to rescue victims of violence, support survivors, strengthen law enforcement, and bring violent criminals to justice. In his 2014 book, The Locust Effect: Why the End of Poverty Requires the End of Violence, Haugen argues that the progress made in the global fight against poverty means little when citizens’ basic safety is threatened.

At the 2016 Rotary International Convention in Korea, Haugen talked to Rotarians about one of the most harmful forms of what he calls the “everyday violence affecting the world’s poorest people – forced labor, or slavery. “Slavery is not a relic of history," he said, noting that an estimated 35 million enslaved people are hidden in plain sight, all over the world, generating $150 billion in profits for traffickers who seldom face prosecution. “It’s vaster and more brutal than ever. And it’s more stoppable than ever.

Join the fight against slavery

Millions of people are being held captive for commercial gain. Mass migrations, poverty, natural disasters, and conflict create situations in which vulnerable adults and children are exploited. No nation or neighborhood is immune. While slavery is illegal everywhere, it is likely happening near you. The Rotarian Action Group Against Slavery raises awareness and helps Rotarians take action against slavery and human trafficking through its programs, campaigns, and projects. The group is made up of 1,600 members and supporters across 65 countries who support clubs around the world.  

Rotarian Action Groups are open to Rotarians, family members of Rotarians, and Rotaractors who want to join together in support of clubs and districts planning and implementing service projects in their respective areas of expertise. To join, visit ragas.online.