The Bophelo Project,Bullying & Rotary and the EU.

Last Week

Dr Mpho Ratshikana-Moloko gave us an excellent summary of Palliative Care at Baragwanath Hospital.  She gave us the historical background initiated by Wits Health, how our Bophelo Project had impacted the Renal Unit and what this meant in the long-term.
The talk was extremely valuable because, though we get reports on progress and the problems the actual affect of the Bophelo on the community was not really understood by most of us and Mpho put everything into perspective.

Richard Moloney

Ralf Meyer

We had two visiting Rotarians, Ralf Meyer from Frankfort and Richard Moloney from Parktown Excalibur.

Richard talked to us briefly about a Cervical Cancer Project that he is interested in promoting to all Rotary Clubs.







This Week
Our guest speaker is Gail Dore.
  

Gail Dore, a life skills trainer and family counsellor, has over a decade of experience in bullying amongst children of school-going age. A former drama teacher, who used stage work as a means of promoting children’s self-confi dence and communication skills, Gail became aware that some of the children in her drama classes were affected by incidents of bullying at school. She began an in-depth study of the phenomenon, which culminated in the development of an anti-bullying campaign aimed at the whole school, not just individual children. A pilot programme at five Gauteng schools proved to be a resounding success and Gail continues to advocate for her antibullying campaign to be adopted throughout the country.

She is the author of 'Bully Proof'

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Every day, thousands of South African children go to school filled with terror because they know they’re going to be bullied. Children who are targeted by bullies are at enormous risk, yet many parents don’t know why it is happening to their child, or what to do about it. Bully-proof looks at every aspect of bullying, from name-calling, taunting and rumour-mongering to physical assault, and examines why and how bullies behave the way they do, and what can be done to help them  and their victims. The more we understand bullying behaviour, the better we can address the underlying causes and put effective controls in place.

Studies have shown that the ‘whole school’ approach, involving pupils, teachers and parents, is by far the most effective method of reducing incidents of bullying, as well as limiting the potential for future incidents. Implementing an effective anti-bullying campaign is not just  about changing the behaviour of a few maladjusted children; it is about changing the philosophy of the entire school. Using a step-by-step approach, this book provides educators, parents, counsellors and children with the tools they need to develop a successful anti-bullying programme.

More than 240 Rotary members and other guests gathered in Brussels, Belgium, on 8 March for Rotary at the European Union, a special event that explored how Rotary and the European Union can work together to achieve peace.

The meeting was the first of its kind at the European Union (EU) and was modeled on the tradition of Rotary Day at the United Nations. Rotary members, EU officials, and business leaders at the two-hour event asked how business and civil society organizations like Rotary can work with the EU to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and build more peaceful and stable societies.

Françoise Tulkens, a professor and former vice president of the European Court of Human Rights, moderated the meeting, which included presentations from Karmenu Vella, European commissioner for environment, maritime affairs, and fisheries; Jean de leu de Cecil, general secretary of the board of Colruyt Group; Rene Branders, president of the Belgian Federation of Chambers of Commerce; and John Hewko, Rotary general secretary.

Vella emphasized the importance of working with business and civil society to achieve the development goals. He also recognized the important role Rotary can play in this global effort. 

You have a massive asset, your vast network, and you can use it to bring community stakeholders together in order to turn the SDGs into reality. Rotary International is uniquely placed to create transformational alliances between business and civil society, pushing forward the implementation of our common agenda,” said Vella.

Hewko highlighted Rotary’s efforts to address the ongoing migration crisis and foster inclusive economic development.

Rotary General Secretary John Hewko and Belgium District 2170 Governor Nathalie Huyghebaert at the European Union in Brussels.

"At Rotary, we believe that we can only respond by forming smart partnerships in which the EU, governments, civil society, the private sector, and other organizations all play an important role. This is why the growing relationship between Rotary and the European Union is a cause for optimism,” said Hewko.

Because the EU supports the global polio eradication effort, organizers of Rotary at the European Union are confident that there are other opportunities for collaboration between the organizations.

The event was coordinated with the European Commission and organized by Michel Coomans and Hugo-Maria Schally, RI representatives to the EU, with the support of Kathleen Van Rysseghem, Philippe Vanstalle, and Nathalie Huyghebaert, the governors of the Rotary districts in Belgium and Luxembourg.