“Are we there yet?” Themed after Rotary’s well coined phrase “We are this close.” We are close to eradicating polio. No small undertaking and something that should make us PROUD.
But, what is next for Rotary?
I am not implying that we should give up on Polio. I think we should continue our efforts to eradicate Polio and do more.
This thought came to me after reading Jonathon Quick’s interview in the August 2019 Rotarian magazine. Quick noted that “good leadership is needed to initiate a global effort to build epidemic preparedness.”
Why can’t Rotary fill this vacancy? Rotary has been working to eradicate polio since the 1980s. We have a formula. However, we are stuck in the 1980s by not expanding our efforts to modern day epidemics such as Ebola, SARS, flu, Zika, and measles.
Barton Goldenberg, District 7620 Governor 2019-2020, responded to my question by adding. “The infrastructure Rotary put into place to eradicate polio with the help of participating organizations is very impressive. We must leverage this infrastructure and leadership! As Rotary tries to capture the hearts and minds of existing and new members and donors, we need to lead the way, not simply follow others.”
Could this idea win favor among Rotarians? What could our next steps be to develop a global effort to build worldwide epidemic preparedness? Do we have the power and will to be the driving force of change?
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