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Can Rotary Make the World Safer?
(Norm Winterbottom PHF)
As a veteran of World War II who served in both the Middle East and
Pacific theatres, I reflected on Frank Deaver’s Breadbasket article
“Can Rotary Make Our World Safer?” in the September issue.
First; its international standing and non partisan history make Rotary the
greatest vehicle for peace in the World as valid as ever. Our great movement,
based on Service and honourable and ethical behaviour remains the benchmark
for individual interaction and international relations.
Second; the reasons nations go to war are probably as varied as the number
of wars that have been fought throughout the course of history. There are, however,
occasions when war is not only justified but essential to preserve all the
freedoms that generations today take for granted, and indeed, to preserve civilised
society itself. That is not to say that the slaughter of the defenders of Stalingrad,
(which was greater than Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined) or the people of
Dresden, or Coventry was justifiable. It was not. To callously dismiss such
wholesale destruction of human life as “collateral damage” is an obscenity.
The lack of distinction between combatant and civilian is an integral part of
the military characteristic, yet it has not always been so; however, the
raison d’etre of the military is destruction. It is to cause the greatest
loss to enemy life and property at minimum loss to one’s own. And no nation
or political, ethnic or religious group goes to war in the expectation of
defeat. That is the inescapable truth. Until all member states of the United Nations
accept the authority and jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice
before which politicians and the military can be held to account, nothing
will change.
Prior to 1939 international treaties were based on imperialist and mutual security
principles undertaken by monarchic states whose citizens were largely
possessed of limited formal education. Wars were fought within those limited
parameters. Since 1945, international agreements have primarily had their
source in trade, financial and economic considerations and the wars have been
fought for a multiplicity of economic, ethnic, religious and political reasons.
The citizens of many states are better educated today than their ancestors in
addition to being exposed to the most sophisticated communications media in
the history of mankind.
It is that sophistication which facilitates the distortion of fact,
suppression of information and manipulation of public behaviour by political,
ethnic and religious leaders. It is an unpalatable truth that until the world
creates the mechanisms to make them unacceptable, wars will continue, with
increasing barbarity to exacerbate suffering and destroy the lives of
countless innocent victims.
The Irish philosopher Edmund Burke said the only thing necessary for the triumph
of evil is for good men to do nothing.
Frank Deaver poses the question, “What is the role of Rotary?”
To me, the role of Rotary is well defined by
those Rotarians in the darkest days of World War II in 1942, who met in
London to plan what Rotary could do when peace came and who formulated the
plan which led to the establishment of the United Nations Education,
Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in 1946.
It is defined by the 49 Rotarians who met in
San Francisco in 1945 to help draw up the Charter of the United Nations.
It is defined by the education programmes of
The Rotary Foundation.
It is defined by the 3H programme launched at
the Rome Convention in 1978.
It is defined by the immunisation of one
billion of the world’s children against the scourge of poliomyelitis and five
other diseases.
It is defined by our commitment to Service and
ethical behaviour.
It is defined by our imperative to continue to
seek new programmes to make the world a better place in which our children,
their children and their children’s children may live in greater security,
peace and harmony.
I believe that if we, as Rotarians are to actively oppose oppression in
any or all of its forms, we must continue do so in other capacities and in other
places. To make Rotary a partisan in any conflict destroys the impartiality
and integrity of what Rotary is and inevitably reduces its international
standing and ability to Serve.
Norm Winterbottom PHF
The Rotary Club of Katikati D9930,
New Zealand
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