Youth Protection Policy... We must comply, The RI President for 2020/21

Last Week
It turned out to be a Social Meeting as the Irish speaker with the non-Irish name cancelled at the last minute.

This Week
It's billed as a Social Meeting which probably means that we will end up with a surprise speaker.




This doesn't give me much to say on the Ramble about our meetings.  Instead let's be aware of how we must comply with the Children's Act 38 of 2005.









Children's Act 38 of 2005
This act brought the South African requirements for working with minors in line with those of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. 
In summary the rights and responsibility of the child are:

•  I have the right not to be hurt. 
•  I have the right to be protected from physical, sexual and emotional harm. 
•  I have the right to speak and to be taken seriously, and I have the responsibility to tell the truth. 
•  I have the right to be treated equally no matter my race, gender, language or religion, and I have the responsibility to treat others equally. 
•  I have the right to privacy, and the responsibility to respect the privacy of others. 
•  I have the right to be protected from cigarettes, alcohol and drugs, and I should not use substances that will harm me. 
•  I have the right to proper care and the responsibility to be the best person that I can 

The whole object of the act and its amendments is child protection against all forms of abuse from sexual through to cyber abuse much of which is not applicable to us but what is necessary is that anyone who does work with minors has to comply with the act.
Interact is an obvious case in point so any Rotarian who has oversight of an Interact Club must comply with the act as well as everyone who is involved with our Youth Leadership Course or hosts a Youth Exchange student.  Basically it is anyone working with young people.

What is necessary?
a)  Anyone working with minors has to sign an affidavit that states effectively that they have not had any criminal conviction to the Children's Act 38 0f 2005, the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act 32 of 2007 or involving children in South Africa or another country.
b)  In accordance with The Children’s Act 38 of 2005 all people working with minors ne ed to be vetted against the National Child Protection Register.

This is something that our club has to comply with and it is something the Youth Committee is no doubt working on.  I asked the District Governor what were the protocols for reporting aand handling Child Abuse.  He said that they do exist but I cannot find anything at District level though obviously Rotary International does have protocols and some districts have their own.  Hopefully the District will publish protocols and also a set form that will include the necessary affidavit for any Rotarian working with young people.

I am sure that many of us are aware that there have been problems in the past and it's a good thing that we are becoming compliant with international norms.

Sushil Kumar Gupta, of the Rotary Club of Delhi Midwest, Delhi, India, is the selection of the Nominating Committee for President of Rotary International for 2020-21. He will be declared the president-nominee on 1 October if no challenging candidates have been suggested.

Gupta wants to increase Rotary’s humanitarian impact as well as the diversity of its membership.

“As individuals, we can only do so much,” Gupta said in a statement. “But when 1.2 million Rotarians work together, there is no limit to what we can achieve, and in the process, we can truly change the world.”

Gupta has been a Rotarian since 1977 and has served Rotary as district governor, training leader, and resource group adviser, and as a member, vice chair, or chair of several committees.

He was awarded an honorary Doctor of Science degree by the IIS University, Jaipur, in recognition of his contributions to water conservation.

He has also received the coveted Padma Shri Award, the fourth-highest civilian award in India, conferred by the president of India for distinguished service to tourism and social work.

Gupta has also received the Distinguished Service Award from The Rotary Foundation for his support of its humanitarian and educational programs. He and his wife, Vinita, are Major Donors to The Rotary Foundation and members of the Arch Klumph Society.

Gupta is chair and managing director of Asian Hotels (West) Ltd., and owner of Hyatt Regency Mumbai and JW Marriott Hotel New Delhi Aerocity. He has served as president of the Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India and on the board of directors of Tourism Finance Corporation of India Ltd. He is the president of Experience India Society, a public-private partnership between the tourism industry and the government of India that promotes India as a tourist destination. He is also vice chair of the Himalayan Environment Trust and serves on the board of Operation Eyesight Universal in India.