India among top 3 countries in donating funds to Rotary: Ron Burton
Monday, 01/04/2013
http://punjabnewsline.com/news/India-among-top-3-countries-in-donating-funds-to-Rotary_-Ron-Burton.html
CHANDIGARH: India is among the top three countries when it comes to donating funds to Rotary at the international level. Only the US and Japan are ahead of India in this respect.
This was disclosed by Ron Burton, incoming president of the Rotary International, who was in the city on Saturday during his visit to India. “Things are changing at a great speed and I am happy to see the work done by the Rotarians of India at the international level. India is a very great country when it comes to giving and serving the humanity,” said Burton.
He also complimented the Rotarians of India for their hard work in bringing the country off the list of polio-endemic countries and the help Indian doctors are providing in combating it in countries like Nigeria. “In India, Rotary has spent US $ 176 million in these efforts and will continue to fund more for other initiatives,” he said.
The theme of Rotary International under the presidentship of Burton will be, ‘Engage Rotary. Change Lives.’ Speaking about the theme, he said, “It means seeing the world and our role in it, in a unique way. Accepting our communities as our responsibility and acting accordingly. One should take the initiative, make the effort, and do what is right, and not what is easy. At the end, every Rotarian should take pride in being a member.”
When asked about the initiatives the Rotary Foundation will take to promote the safety of women, Burton said “Rotary International works for the upliftment of all irrespective of the color, gender, sex, and believes in the dignity of all human beings.”
He further said, “At present only 18 per cent of Rotary members all over the world are women, which is a sad statistic. I would like if the number of women Rotarians increase to 50 per cent, and initiatives will be taken to improve the women’s participation. At the same time, I am happy to announce that for the first time, Rotary International will have a woman vice-president.”
