1. Art and Diseño

www.roti.org
February 201 5
ROTI Breadbasket
The mission of ROTI is to apply modern information technology to enhance Rotary service, fellowship
and knowledge, and to use Internet communications to further world understanding and peace.
ROTI Chair Message, February 2015
all club achievements with the information
your clubs provide in the Rotary
International database”.
New Presidential Citation Program is techsavvy.
Reporting,
monitoring
and
measurement are all to be done
electronically. Club Presidents and District
Governors are urged to regularly track
performance online. You will agree that
this is a major paradigm shift.
Dear ROTI friends,
Namaste !
Rotary International President Elect
K.R.Ravindran has unveiled the theme for
2015-16: Be a gift to the world. Responses
on social media sites and Rotary mail-lists
indicate that the theme is well appreciated
by Rotarians the world over.
It is interesting that President Elect Ravi
has chosen a unique Presidential Citation
Program. To quote President Elect, “To
improve our capacity to accurately measure
our goals, Rotary International has
enhanced the tools we use to gather and
analyze data. These Improvements will
allow all levels of Rotary – from the clubs all
the way up through the district, zone, and
international levels – to measure and assess
their respective performance. Thanks to
these resources, we now have a paperless
process that replaces the forms and reports
clubs and district governors were required
to submit in the past. Instead, we will verify
Mandatory activities include choosing at
least 15 goals in Rotary Club Central.
Several goals need internet based
compliances. For example one of the goal
in humanitarian service is: “Ensure that at
least one club member belongs to a Boardrecognized
Rotarian
Action
Group
(www.rotary.org/actiongroups). Similarly
under Public Image, there is a goal to
update club website and social media using
Rotary’s visual identity guidelines by
visiting
the
Brand
Center
at
www.rotary.org/brandcenter).
To qualify for the Presidential Citation next
year, Clubs must report in Rotary Club
Central. ROTIans will therefore need to
play the major roles and both clubs in
District level for our Clubs and Districts to
qualify.
I am grateful to our Chair Elect Glo to lead
the ROTI initiatives in Sao Paulo
Convention. Deb and Marylyn are helping
her to organize the ROTI Hotel, ROTI Booth
and ROTI Dinner. Please extend your full
support.
Best regards,
Sunil K Zachariah
International Chair – ROTI (2013-15)
Presidential Theme
for 2015 - 26
Rotary International President-elect K.R. Ravindran asks Rotary members to “Be a Gift to the
World” as the theme of his 2015-2016 presidential year.
“In Rotary, we give of our resources—but more importantly, we give of ourselves. Because there is
such a difference, between a handout, and an outstretched hand—especially when the
outstretched hand, is warmed by a caring heart.”
RI PRESIDENT-ELECT
K R RAVINDRAN URGES ROTARY
MEMBERS TO ‘BE A GIFT TO THE
WORLD’
Using
their
talents,
expertise, and leadership,
Rotary
significant moment of my
day training meeting in
life."
San
members
Diego,
California,
USA. "You have one year
worldwide are asked to be
"All of you have been
to take that potential and
gifts to the world this
given so many gifts. And
turn it into reality. One
upcoming 2015-16 Rotary
you have now been given
year to lead the clubs in
year.
this great gift: one year to
your
take all your talents, all
transform the lives of
your gifts, everything that
others. The time is so
K.R.
you are and can become --
short, yet there is so much
"Ravi" Ravindran called
and Be a Gift to the
to be done."
Sunday's
to
World," said Ravindran,
district
revealing his presidential
Highlighting
"most
theme at the annual five-
biggest
Rotary
International
President-elect
address
incoming
governors
the
district
and
Rotary's
challenge,
the
eradication
of
polio,
Ravindran discussed some
Rotary
Ravindran said, "A future
of
other
continue to raise funds for
without polio is a gift that
challenges,
including
The Rotary Foundation,
we have promised to the
membership.
Rotary's
also
needs
to
attract new members, and
children of the world. And
encourage
greater
indeed it is a gift that we
"We have to find a way to
participation from current
will give."
bring
members, he added.
back
the
fundamentals that built
Ravindran, a member of
our
the
of
emphasis on high ethical
answers to any of these
Colombo, Sri Lanka, used
standards in all aspects of
questions. And yet the
Rotary's successes in the
our
the
answers must somehow
fight to eradicate the
classification system that
be found. We are the ones
disease as an illustration
encourages a diversity of
who must find them," said
of
impact Rotary
expertise in each club," he
Ravindran.
members can have in the
said. "Too often these
world. When Rotary set a
ideas are viewed as little
The president-elect closed
goal of eradicating polio
more than inconvenient
his speech emphasizing
25 years ago, it was
obstacles to increasing
that now is the time to
endemic in 125 countries,
our membership. But they
make real change.
and
than 1,000
have been essential to
children were becoming
Rotary's success, and we
paralyzed
ignore them at our own
Rotary
the
more
Today,
Club
each
polio
day.
remains
organization:
lives,
and
the
peril."
"There
no
easy
"You have one year to
build monuments that will
endure
carved
endemic in just three
are
forever,
in
granite
not
or
Ravindran told attendees
marble, but in the lives
Pakistan.
that the focus on branding
and hearts of generations.
And in all of 2014, only 333
is essential to helping
This is our time. It will not
cases were reported. "We
Rotary grow. "We need to
come again. Let us grasp
will battle on. We will
reposition
it," he said.
prevail," he said.
which we recognize has
countries,
Nigeria,
Afghanistan,
and
our
image,
faded in many parts of the
world," he said.
- Ryan Hyland, Rotary International
The Miracle of Vaccines
Bill Gates
delivered in greater numbers every year.
That means more parents are feeling the
relief of knowing their families are
protected.
Imagine there’s an infectious disease
spreading through your community. It
leaves some people crippled; others die
from it. Then someone comes along and
says: “Here’s something that will protect
you from this disease for the rest of your
life. You and your family can have it, for
free.” You would be very relieved, right?
This scenario may seem hypothetical
(though perhaps less so given how much
the Ebola virus has been in the news). But it
is very real for millions of people in the
world’s poorest countries. Vaccines that
were once out of reach for them are being
I’ve been looking at some of the data on
vaccines and thought I would share what
I’m seeing. At a time when so many news
headlines are grim, it is inspiring stuff.
I’ll start with polio. Cases are down more
than 99 percent since 1988. Earlier this
year,
we
celebrated
a
fantastic
achievement: India was declared polio-free.
And in Nigeria, the number of polio cases is
at an all-time low, just 6 so far this year
versus more than 50 by this time last year.
It’s one of only three countries that have
never been polio free (the others are
Pakistan and Afghanistan).
Wherever we make progress on polio, it’s a
testament to the amazing work of many
people: political leaders who prioritize
stopping the disease, donors who help fund
the effort, and—most importantly—the
health
workers
who
doggedly go from house to house to deliver
vaccines. Thanks to all this work (and with a
little luck), 2015 could be the first time
Nigeria goes a year without a case of wild
poliovirus, and the first time all of Africa is
polio-free. If we maintain this commitment,
I’m quite optimistic that by 2018 we will get
rid of this crippling disease, everywhere,
forever.
There’s also fantastic progress in delivering
basic immunizations for diseases like
measles and pneumonia. The impact is
phenomenal: By next year, the publichealth group known as Gavi, the Vaccine
Alliance will have helped prevent 3.9 million
deaths. And expanding vaccine coverage
over the next five years can save as many as
6 million lives and unlock more than $100
billion
in
economic
benefit
Along those lines, we hit a big milestone in
September. With the addition of South
Sudan,
pentavalent
vaccine—which
protects against five debilitating diseases—
has now been introduced in all 73 countries
that get financial support from Gavi.
Pentavalent replaced a vaccine that
protected against only three diseases,
which means kids are protected from more
diseases without getting any extra shots.
This would never have happened without
Gavi: By negotiating with manufacturers
and bringing in new suppliers, it drove
down the cost of pentavalent vaccine from
$30 per dose in rich countries to just $1.19
for poor countries.
Another big step has been the rollout of a
vaccine for rotavirus, which causes severe
diarrhea. Rotavirus is one of the reasons
Melinda and I first got involved in global
health; in the late 1990s, we were shocked
by a newspaper article that said it killed
800,000 children a year—nearly all of them
in poor countries—more than almost any
other disease. After more research, we
decided rotavirus should be a focus of our
giving. We’re gratified to see that 65
countries are now rolling out rotavirus
vaccines, and more are signing up.
Manufacturers in India are working on a
new vaccine and talking about exporting it
to other countries, which would help save
even more children.
We’re also getting closer to solving some
big delivery problems, like the fact that
many vaccines spoil if they get too warm.
Researchers are field-testing a specially
designed container that keeps vaccines
cold for a month or more, using just a single
batch of ice and no electricity. These trials
are helping thousands of African children
get immunized. I’m very hopeful that
containers like this one will eventually help
health workers reach far more people.
A Ripple Effect
Vaccines save lives, which is reason enough
to make sure they get out there. But that’s
not their only benefit. Healthy children
spend more time in school, and they learn
better while they’re there. When health
improves, poor countries can spend more
on schools, roads, and other investments
that drive growth, which makes them less
dependent on aid.
around the world, vaccines are a fantastic
investment.
How You Can Help
One way you can help is to ask your
political leaders to support Gavi next year,
when donor governments need to renew
their commitments. In the United States
you can do that through Shot@Life, whose
website makes it easy to send a message to
your representatives.
You can also help by donating to
Shot@Life. For $20, you can help protect a
child from pneumonia, diarrhea, polio, and
measles. And Shot@Life has teamed up
with Walgreens for a “Get a shot. Give a
shot” program: Get a vaccine at Walgreens
and they will provide one for a child in a
poor country.
This is flu season in the United States, so
you may already be planning to get
immunized. Why not help out someone
else while you’re at it?
http://www.gatesnotes.com/Health/TheMiracle-of-Vaccines?
Vaccines deliver all this for, in some cases,
just pennies per shot. That’s why I say that
if you want to save and improve lives
Get the latest Rotary news on Flipboard
Check out our latest roundup of news and feature stories from Rotary News and The Rotarian
magazine on Flipboard. You’ll discover how Rotary members in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India,
gathered 40,000 people to make the world’s largest human national flag as a tribute to India
being polio-free; how a Rotary Scholar is building peace among pastoral tribes in northern
Kenya; why Matt Damon is using his star power to bring safe drinking water to those who
lack it, and more. Get up to date on Rotary news by reading the roundup.
http://flip.it/hTqLR
- Rotary Voices staff
How I Helped India Conquer Polio –
And the Lessons it Taught Me
A decade ago, few public health experts
would have predicted that India would
now be free of poliomyelitis, the crippling
viral disease that has disabled millions
and even killed many of our children over
the years.
In March of this year, India – along with the
rest of the World Health Organization’s
(W.H.O.) South-East Asia Region – was
declared polio-free, an incredible milestone
for the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.
India, which had not recorded a new case of
polio since January 2011, was the final piece
of the puzzle to fall into place, leading to
the certification of the entire region.
Once considered the country facing the
most serious challenges to the eradication
effort, India is justifiably proud of its
accomplishment. Among the hurdles it
faced were poverty, illiteracy, water
pollution, poor sanitation, and a culturally,
ethnically, and linguistically diverse
population of more than 1.2 billion people,
spread over 1.2 million square miles, from
remote rural villages to teeming urban
slums.
Eradicating polio in India required years of
perseverance and commitment and
sustained collaboration among a wide
spectrum of stakeholders. Government
leadership at every level received
unwavering support from international
agencies, such as W.H.O. and Unicef; nongovernmental
organizations
and
philanthropists, such as the Bill & Melinda
Gates
Foundation;
businesses
and
corporations; physicians and nurses; and
millions of dedicated health workers and
volunteers.
Rotary, an international humanitarian
service organization that led the launch of
the global polio campaign in 1988, has
more than 130,000 members in India. It
helps promote and carry out the massive
National Immunization Days that continue
to reach 172 million children at a time with
the oral polio vaccine.
The Rotary Muslim Ulema Committee
proved instrumental in convincing Muslim
leaders of the benefits of vaccination,
greatly reducing resistance among India’s
Muslim population, which had been a large
obstacle to the eradication of the disease.
But while we have beaten polio in India for
now, we cannot become complacent,
because a polio-free India is not a polio-free
world. As Ebola has recently reminded us,
infectious diseases in today’s shrinking and
ever more mobile world are only a flight –
or a bus ride – away from anywhere else.
We must continue to immunize our
children and maintain strong monitoring
and surveillance efforts for signs of the
polio virus.
We must also assign priority to other
diseases that threaten our children. India is
a leading producer and exporter of
vaccines, yet it is home to one-third of the
world’s unimmunized children. There are 27
million babies born in India each year –
more than in any other country.
The polio eradication partners are now
using their infrastructure, manpower,
resources, and knowledge to support the
Indian
government’s
Universal
Immunization Programme (U.I.P.), which
vaccinates for seven diseases, including
tuberculosis, diphtheria, and Hepatitis B.
Earlier this year, Prime Minister Narendra
Modi’s government announced that the
injectable polio vaccine, as well as vaccines
against rotavirus, rubella, and Japanese
encephalitis, will soon be added to the
U.I.P.
Thanks to the lessons learned and best
practices developed during the polio
campaign, we are well prepared and
equipped to deliver these new life-saving
vaccines to the children and adults most at
risk.
Once polio is gone for good, we can shift
the full weight of the polio campaign’s
vigor and experience to address these other
serious health threats. We will never run
out of challenges, but our victory over polio
in India teaches us that with sufficient
planning, commitment, and resources,
nothing is impossible.
-- written by Deepak Kapur, provided to
BBJ by The MarkNews
Deepak Kapur chairs Rotary International’s National PolioPlus Committee for India. He was
recently recognized as one of the Leading Global Thinkers of 2014 by Foreign Policy magazine.
Courtesy: Budapest Business Journal
Rotary Alumni Recognized by TRF
Trustees
Dr. Geetha Jayaram (far left) with Rotary members and staff at the Maanasi Clinic in Mugalur, Karnataka,
India. Jayaram founded the clinic, which provides a range of mental health services.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Dr. Geetha Jayaram
Dr. Geetha Jayaram has
dedicated her life to
helping people in her
native India and the
United States overcome
the torment of severe
depression,
bipolar
disorder, panic attacks,
and
other
mental
illnesses.
Jayaram is a psychiatrist
and associate professor at
the Johns Hopkins School
of Medicine and the
Armstrong Institute for
Patient
Safety
and
Quality.
Her
work
expanding access
to
mental health services is
much needed. Depression
affects at least 350 million
people and is the leading
cause
of
disability
worldwide, according to
the
World
Health
Organization.
"In India, there is no
mental
health
care
available to people in rural
areas," says Jayaram. "In
southern India, for young
women in particular,
suicide is a huge issue."
In 1997, a year after
joining the Rotary Club of
Columbia,
Maryland,
USA, Jayaram founded
the Maanasi Clinic in
Mugalur,
Karnataka,
India, "as a way of giving
back to the country of my
origin," she says. The
clinic, whose name means
"sound mind," provides
mental health services to
indigent women in the
region. Over the years,
she has been deeply
involved in the clinic's
development, supplying it
with medications, training
health care staff and
caseworkers, and raising
funds. The clinic has also
become a gateway to
primary care, affording
patients
access
to
comprehensive
health
services.
In
2004-05
Jayaram
taught psychiatry at St.
John's Medical College in
Bangalore and at the clinic
through a Rotary Grant
for University Teachers.
The Rotary Foundation
Trustees have chosen to
recognize Jayaram with
the
2014-15
Rotary
Foundation Global Alumni
Service to Humanity
Award. She will be
honored at the Rotary
International Convention
in São Paulo, Brazil, on 8
June.
in other countries to serve
people
with
mental
illness. She has helped
produce teaching videos
about the clinic for the
World
Health
Organization's
website
and Medibiz TV, a health
care
channel
that
broadcasts
in
130
countries.
Jayaram's
connection
with Rotary began when
she joined Rotaract at age
19.
Her
father,
a
philanthropist and Rotary
member, and her mother
both set an example of
serving
others
and
instilled in Jayaram the
belief that, as she puts it,
"We have much to give
and learn from giving."
The clinic, which operates
in partnership with St.
John's Medical College,
has received funding from
the Columbia club and
Rotary grants. It has
become
sustainable
through the efforts of the
Rotary Club of Bangalore
Midtown, which provides
administration
and
oversight.
Jayaram's
husband, Past District
Governor Jayaram Kumar,
has helped the clinic
acquire a jeep and two
mopeds to transport
health care practitioners
and
caseworkers
to
patients.
Jayaram
has
also
volunteered in National
Immunization Days to
combat polio in India. And
she and her husband were
founding members of the
Rotary Club of Howard
West, Maryland, USA,
chartered in November.
Geetha Jayaram believes
the clinic can be replicated
- Dan Nixon,
International
"We feel very strongly
about global participation
[to help others]," she says.
"We need to put the word
out more about Rotary,
because lots of people
have no idea what Rotary
does."
Rotary
Alumni Association
Concentrates on Advancing
Rotary's Work
The Rotary Alumni Association of
District 4920 in Argentina is well
connected to alumni and Rotary
members around the globe. Several
alumni have joined Rotary and
worked to establish other alumni
associations in South America, as well
as mentoring those who want to
become more active in Rotary.
"We possess a strong sense of
identity, we work together, we
contribute, we develop projects and
share our experiences with all alumni
and Rotarians in the world," says
Jorge Eduardo Moroni, past president
of the association and a member of
the Rotary Club of Bolivar, Buenos
Aires, Argentina.
The association, which meets
periodically on Facebook, has more
than
100
members
and
enthusiastically supports Rotary's
work.
"One hundred percent of [our]
members contribute to the PolioPlus
Fund," says Moroni. "And we are
planning to become the first
association in which all members
contribute toward Paul Harris Fellow
recognition."
The group also carries out joint
projects with other service groups
and is exploring the possibility of a
short-term
exchange
program
between secondary schools in
Argentina and the United States.
In recognition of its work, the
association has been named winner
of the 2014-15 Rotary Foundation
Alumni Association of the Year
Award. Members of the group will
receive the award on 8 June at the
Rotary International Convention.
Among the group's other aims, says
Moroni, is to "make it easier for
alumni to join Rotary [and] working
with Rotarians in selecting and
training scholarship candidates."
My life was forever
changed by Rotary
By Pammy Godoy, Rotary Club of Mandaluyong-Pasig-San Juan, Metro Manila,
Philippines
In 2006, I took part in a
Group Study Exchange
(GSE) to Argentina. It was
a unique cultural and
vocational
exchange
opportunity funded by
Rotary
International
which allowed me to
travel outside of the
Philippines for the first
time,
learn
about
Argentinian culture, and
interact with Argentinian
youth about their issues in
relation to relationships,
sexuality,
and
teen
pregnancies.
A year later, I joined the
Rotary
Club
of
Mandaluyong-Pasig-San
Juan, which gave me
a platform to realize my
dream of reaching urban
poor communities and
conducting
medical
missions and interactive
awareness sessions for
maternal and child health.
From 2010-2013, with
funding support from
District 2680, we enabled
100 couples to space or
limit the number of their
children, trained 24 health
workers
on
family
planning counseling, and
supported 27 college
students to become peer
educators and teach other
youth how to resist peer
pressure and avoid risky
behavior.
In 2014, as a way of
paying it forward, I
decided to write a book
about my own story,
struggles and lessons
learned as a teenage mom
at 18. The World Health
Organization reports that
about 16 million girls aged
15-19 give birth every
year. In the United States,
the 2013 teen birth rate
was 27 births per 1,000
teen girls, and there were
274,641 births to teen
girls. The U.S. rates of
teen childbearing remain
far higher than in other
comparable
countries.
According to the National
Campaign to Prevent
Teen and Unplanned
Pregnancy,
teen
childbearing is costing the
U.S. taxpayers at least
$9.4 billion annually. In
the Philippines, 24 babies
are delivered by teenage
mothers every hour.
I’m hoping that by sharing
my hard-learned lessons
with teen girls, they may
be empowered to make
informed decisions about
their
relationships,
sexuality, and future. I
believe that doing so is a
way of living out Rotary’s
motto of Service Above
Self and fulfilling my goal
of empowering women
and girls.
- Reprinted from Rotary
Voices
Sao Paulo Convention, ROTI
Hotel
impossible to reserve for many, we are
booking only 10 rooms for ROTIans, at
Feller Avenida Paulista Rua Sao Carlos do
Pinhal, 200 | Bela Vista, Sao Paulo, State of
Sao Paulo, 01333000, Brazil
at very
reasonable rates, starting at $114. It is
about 6kms from the convention center,
and has free transport service. Google to
see the amenities.
First come first served; the ROTIan in
charge of booking is Marilyn Axler. Other
plans for ROTI booth and get together will
be announced soon.
Kindly inform us immediately if you want to
avail of the reservation
Many thanks,
Dear ROTIans,
We would like to have ROTIans stay
together as much as possible. Since it is
Glo
GANethercutt,
Mabalacat
ROTI Chair 2015-2017
3790
Sao Paulo Convention
SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE
Prepare to be entertained, inspired, and energized by the lineup of
activities at the São Paulo convention. Here are some of the highlights.
Event
Date
WASRAG World Water Summit 7
Thursday, 4 June
Share your passion for water, sanitation, and hygiene education
projects with others and learn from experts in the field during this
year’s World Water Summit.
International Institute
Current, incoming, and past RI officers will come together to share
ideas and renew friendships.
Thursday-Friday, 4-5
June (Welcome
reception on
Wednesday, 3 June)
Rotary Peace Symposium
Thursday-Friday, 4-5
Join Rotary Peace Fellows, alumni, and Rotary members for this special June
two-day event.
Rotaract Preconvention
Thursday-Friday, 4-5
Celebrate Rotaract with members from around the world who share
June
your passion for creating positive change. Join friends, share ideas, and
make connections.
Youth Exchange Officers Preconvention
Thursday-Friday, 4-5
June (Welcome
Rotary members involved in the Rotary Youth Exchange program join reception on
Wednesday, 3 June)
friends, share ideas, and make connections for future exchanges.
Opening plenary
Kick off your convention by attending one of two opening plenaries,
featuring entertainment and the Rotary Parade of Flags.
Saturday, 6 June
HOC event: Rotary’s Carnival
Saturday, 6 June
Experience a typical Brazilian Carnival party, complete with a samba
school parade.
Plenary session 2
Sunday, 7 June
HOC event: Conductor João Carlos Martins & Vai-Vai Percussionists
concert
Sunday, 7 June
Enjoy a concert that mixes the beauty and sophistication of classical
music with the Brazilian flavor and rhythm of Carnival.
Plenary session 3
Monday, 8 June
HOC event: Ivete Sangalo concert
One of Brazil’s most popular entertainers and winner of two Latin
Grammy Awards.
Plenary session 4
Closing plenary
The convention comes to a close with an acceptance speech from the
president-nominee and with the president-elect sharing his vision for
the coming year. Closing entertainment.
Monday, 8 June
Tuesday, 9 June
Tuesday, 9 June
Convention: Get Your Visa
We tell you what you need to know for the
2015 Rotary International Convention
in São Paulo, Brazil, 6-9 June.
www.riconvention.org (click “Plan Your
Visit”), or check the websites of Brazil’s
Washington, D.C., or Ottawa embassies.
Are you already planning which restaurants
you’ll try and which museums you’ll visit
when you’re in São Paulo for the 2015
Rotary convention, 6-9 June? Now is a good
time to take care of some logistical details
too.
Visa processing may take several months,
so contact the appropriate embassy or
consulate as early as possible. Applicants
may need to take part in an interview at the
embassy or consulate. Citizens of some
countries may also need a letter of
invitation; when you register for the
convention, Rotary will provide that
document to those who need it.
U.S. and Canadian citizens need visas to
visit Brazil, and should apply for them well
in advance.
Brazilian visa requirements are based on
the principle of reciprocity: Citizens of
countries that require visas for Brazilians
will need visas to visit Brazil. U.S. and
Canadian citizens must apply through the
embassy or consulate serving the
jurisdiction where they live. Find details at
People traveling to the convention who are
residents of the United States and Canada
can take advantage of reduced service fees
from Travisa, a visa agency that can
facilitate the application process. Learn
more at tours.travisa.com/A9FJ7HWO.
Reprinted from The Rotarian
Give the gift of Rotary
Every year, hundreds of
thousands of people —
children, families, and
entire communities —
benefit from projects
funded by The Rotary
Foundation.
Although Rotary gives
back in countless ways,
we focus our service
efforts in six areas:
promoting peace, fighting
disease, providing clean
water, saving mothers
and children, supporting
education, and growing
local economies.
$85 Box
markers
$25 School uniform
Succeeding in school
starts with dressing the
part. The gift of a school
uniform can open the
doors to education for a
child.
of
purple
Purple markers are used
to mark the pinkie fingers
of children who receive
the polio vaccine, helping
health workers identify
children who still need to
be immunized.
You can help us continue
to create positive, lasting
change with a gift to The
Rotary Foundation.
What your gift supports
$50 Water filter
$10 Mosquito bed net
Bed nets provide a safe,
peaceful night's rest in
countries like Uganda,
where malaria is a major
health concern.
In rural Guatemala, deadly
waterborne diseases are
common. Personal water
filters
offer
simple,
sustainable access to
clean water.
$100 Folding walker
Walkers and wheelchairs
can offer people with
physical
disabilities
mobility,
improved
health,
access
to
education, and economic
security.
$100 Sewing machine
Sewing machines are used
to teach entrepreneurs
the skills they need to
launch
a
business.
Microloans and training
ensure the business's
sustainability.
$250 Ceramic washbasin
$500 Dairy cow
Ceramic washbasins give
mothers
living
in
domestic-violence
shelters the means to
bathe and care for their
babies and families.
In addition to providing
dairy products, cows
produce
calves
that
farmers in Cambodia can
sell to support their
families.
Give Now
To Stop Procrastinating, Look to Science
of Mood Repair
New Approach Focuses on Helping People Regulate
Their Emotions
Sue Shellenbarger
Several new studies help
explain what's happening
in the brain when people
procrastinate. WSJ's Sue
Shellenbarger
unpacks
the latest research and
software engineer Sean
Gilbertson shares his
story.
Photo:
Getty
Images.
Procrastinators,
take
note: If you've tried
building
self-discipline
and you're still putting
things off, maybe you
need to try something
different.
One
new
approach: Check your
mood.
Often,
procrastinators
attempt to avoid the
anxiety or worry aroused
by a tough task with
activities
aimed
at
repairing their mood, such
as checking Facebook or
taking a nap. But the
pattern,
which
researchers call "giving in
to feel good," makes
procrastinators feel worse
later, when they face the
consequences of missing a
deadline or making a
hasty, last-minute effort,
says Timothy Pychyl
(rhymes with Mitchell), an
associate professor of
psychology at Carleton
University in Ottawa,
Canada, and a researcher
on the topic.
Increasingly,
psychologists and timemanagement consultants
are focusing on a new
strategy:
helping
procrastinators see how
attempts at mood repair
are
sabotaging their
efforts and learn to
regulate their emotions in
more productive ways.
Time Travel: If you are
rebelling against the
feeling of having to work,
try projecting yourself
into the future. Imagine
the good feelings you will
have
if
you
stop
procrastinating and finish
a project (or the bad
feelings you will have if
you don't finish). Kyle T.
Webster
'Just Get Started': If you
are feeling frightened of
possible failure, just get
started. Tell yourself you
don't have to do the
whole project. Just do the
first one or two steps on
it. Kyle T. Webster
Forgive Yourself: If you
are feeling guilty about
procrastinating,
stop
beating
yourself
up.
Replace the negative
thoughts with something
more positive. Kyle T.
Webster
Easy Things First: If you
are feeling a lot of dread
about one task in
particular on your to-do
list, start with something
else, preferably the task
you feel most like doing.
The momentum you gain
will help you start the
toughest task later. Kyle
T. Webster
The new approach is
based on several studies
in the past two years
showing that negative
emotions
can
derail
attempts at self-control. It
fills
a
gap among
established
time-
management methods,
which stress behavioral
changes such as adopting
a new organizing system
or doing exercises to build
willpower.
Gisela Chodos had a habit
of procrastinating on
cleaning the interior of her
car until it became so
littered with toys, snack
wrappers, fast-food bags,
pencils and other stuff
that she was embarrassed
to park it in a public lot or
offer anyone a ride, says
Ms. Chodos, a Salt Lake
City mother of two
school-age children and
part-time
computerscience student.
She came across podcasts
by Dr. Pychyl in 2012 and
realized she was just
trying to make herself feel
better when she told
herself she would feel
more like tackling a task
later. She says, "I am
trying to run away from
the feelings and avoid the
discomfort"—the anxiety
she often feels that her
work won't be good
enough or that someone
will disapprove.
"Emotion is at the core,"
Ms. Chodos says. "Just
knowing that gives me a
little bit of fight, to say,
'Fine,
I'm
feeling
discomfort, but I'm going
to feel more discomfort
later' " if the job is left
undone. The insight has
helped her get around to
cleaning her car more
often, she says; "it's been
a long time since my car
was so bad that I freaked
out at the thought
someone might look
inside."
Researchers have come
up with a playbook of
strategies
to
help
procrastinators turn mood
repair to their advantage.
Some are tried-and-true
classics:
Dr.
Pychyl
advises procrastinators to
"just get started, and
make the threshold for
getting started quite low."
Procrastinators are more
likely to put the technique
to use when they
understand how mood
repair works, says Dr.
Pychyl, author of a 2013
book,
"Solving
the
Procrastination Puzzle."
He adds, "A real mood
boost comes from doing
what we intend to do—
the things that are
important to us."
He
also
advises
procrastinators to practice
"time travel"—projecting
themselves into the future
to imagine the good
feelings they will have
after finishing a task, or
the bad ones they will
have if they don't. This
remedies procrastinators'
tendency to get so
bogged down in present
anxieties and worries that
they fail to think about
the future, says Fuschia
Sirois,
a
psychology
professor at Bishop's
University in Sherbrooke,
Quebec, and author of a
forthcoming 4,000-person
study on the topic.
good feelings he would
have after completing the
project well and pleasing
his
client
and
his
employer. He envisioned
patients "living happily
and feeling better." The
resulting positive feelings
gave him the energy to
de-bug the device faster
and finish the threemonth project on time.
The client was so pleased
that "just talking to them
is a pleasure," he says.
Sean Gilbertson read an
earlier book by Dr. Pychyl
in 2012 after trying other
time-management
techniques
such
as
keeping a daily log of his
attitudes.
The
Minneapolis
software
engineer
says
the
techniques didn't go deep
enough to help him see
how his emotions were
blocking action and shift
them in a more positive
direction. Using the timetravel technique, he asks
himself, "What negative
things will happen if I
procrastinate? Will it
come up in my review?
How will it affect my
reputation? Will it affect
my raise and bonuses?"
About 20% of adults claim
to
be
chronic
procrastinators, based on
research
by
Joseph
Ferrari, a psychology
professor
at
DePaul
University, Chicago, and
others. Other studies
suggest the rate among
college students may be
as high as 70%. The habit
predicts lower salaries and
a higher likelihood of
unemployment, according
to a recent study of 22,053
people co-authored by Dr.
Ferrari.
He used the technique
recently
when
programming a prototype
of a medical device to
help doctors prevent
pressure
sores
in
wheelchair-bound
patients. He imagined the
Procrastination
also
predicts such long-term
problems as failing to save
for
retirement
and
neglecting
preventive
health care. Studies show
men
are
worse
procrastinators
than
women, and researchers
suspect the habit plays a
role in men's tendency to
complete fewer years of
education.
Most procrastinators beat
themselves up even as
they put things off,
repeating
negative
thoughts such as, "Why
can't I do what I should be
doing?" or, "I should be
more responsible," says
Gordon
Flett,
a
psychology professor at
York
University
in
Toronto. "That negative
internal dialogue reflects
concerns and doubts
about themselves," Dr.
Flett says.
One
mood-repair
strategy, self-forgiveness,
is aimed at dispelling the
guilt and self-blame.
University freshmen who
forgave themselves for
procrastinating
on
studying for the first exam
in a course procrastinated
less on the next exam,
according to a 2010 study
led by Michael Wohl, an
associate professor of
psychology at Carleton.
Thomas Flint learned
about the technique by
reading research on selfregulation,
including
studies by Dr. Sirois and
Dr. Pychyl. He put it to use
after his family moved
recently to a new house in
Sewell, N.J. Instead of
beating himself up for
failing to unpack all the
boxes stacked in his
garage right away, Mr.
Flint decided to forgive
himself and start with a
single step. "I'd say, 'OK,
I'm going to take an hour,
with a goal of getting the
TV set up, and that's it,' "
he says; then he watched
a TV show as a reward.
Allowing himself to do the
task in stages, he says, is
"a victory."
Reprinted from Wall
Street Journal
Adieu Monty
We regret to announce the sad and untimely demise of Rtn.
Monty Audenart, TRF Trustee 2013 – 17 and Past RI Vice
President.
May Monty’s Soul Rest In Peace
The Health Hazards of a Mobile
Phone
Studies in recent years reveal that cell phones can cause
many health issues.
We live in a world where mobile phones are
our universe. Cell phones are revolutionary,
they enhance our lives in a multitude of
ways and we can’t begin to imagine how
past generations managed without them.
They help us connect with family, friends
and colleagues, keep us online and able to
access the internet as well as keep us from
dying of boredom via games and social
media.
The biggest health threat to people from
mobile phones is the possibility of getting
cancer, but so far studies are inconclusive.
Mobile phones emit non-ionizing radiation,
also called ‘RF’ or radiofrequency waves.
Only ionizing radiation for e.g. X rays and
gamma rays can lead to cancer, nonionizing rays are totally safe in this regard.
However, we must be on our guard, as
these studies have only been conducted in
the last few years while cancers are known
to develop over many years or decades.
Other possible adverse effects are:
1. Causing a road accident – If you
drive and use your handset at the
same time, you are courting
danger, even disaster. You need
both hands while driving to
maneuver the car and drive safely.
Cell phones distract you, so do not
attempt to send messages or call a
friend while driving. If it is
absolutely necessary to speak to
someone while you are driving,
remember to use the hands free kit
and connect it before you begin
driving.
2. Spreading germs – Most cell
phones have bacteria on them and
the bad news is that some of these
bacteria are superbugs, that means
they are resistant to the regular
antibiotics and need very powerful
antibiotics if they infect a person.
Healthcare workers and people
working in hospitals are more likely
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
to be carrying around germs via
their phones.
Increases stress levels – Having
constant beeps, alerts and calls on
your phone can increase adrenaline
in your body and keep you on edge
all the time. This means that you
are unable to relax and your mind is
always wandering to what’s on the
phone. This is counter productive
to good health and can be a cause
of depression, anxiety and mental
stress.
Decreases productivity - Let’s face
it, cell phones do not allow us to
focus on anything other than them.
You can get work done faster and
better if your cellphone is off or on
silent mode. This is because the
brain cannot function optimally
when
there
are
constant
distractions. If you have to
complete a difficult assignment or
are studying for an exam, keep the
mobile phone off or far away from
you.
Affects interpersonal interactions
– Studies prove that when two
people are talking, even the
presence of a cell phone belonging
to the other person alienates
him/her from us.
Radiation risks – If you are afraid of
the radiation risk, install a landline
and use it often. Also do no use
shields or guards on a cell phone.
Eyestrain and overuse of hand
tissues – A phone with a small
screen may cause eyestrain if you
use it for many hours in a day as
your eye muscles have to work
harder or make out the small print.
Also typing and playing games
involves the hand muscles, tendons
and joints which may get inflamed
and be painful. And keeping the
phone cradled between your ear
and your shoulder can lead to neck
strain and an aching back due to
unnatural posture.
What you can do to minimise potential
health effects:








Use a landline when at home
Keep cell phone conversations brief
Avoid letting children talk or use
the cell phone
Keep the handset as far away from
your body as possible.
Do not carry the handset on your
person
Keep your phone off when you are
sleeping
Do not drive and use a handset, use
a hands free kit if required
Use a towel dipped in disinfectant
solution and wipe down your phone
to keep it germ free. Repeat every
week.
2014 review: The most awesome stories of
the year
STORY OF THE YEAR: COMET LANDING
Philae landed on a comet that from some angles looks like a rubber duck (Image:
ESA/Rosetta/Navcam)
SPACE & PHYSICS
The Philae landing
"We are there and Philae is talking to us.
We are on the comet!" These words marked
the high point of the European Space
Agency's Rosetta mission, which arrived at
comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko after
a decade-long journey. Besides the
dramatic touchdown of Philae in
November, Rosetta's tense wake-up in
January and the close-up photos of the
comet in August meant the mission made
headlines all year.
Earth's backup
Think of Earth as a giant supercomputer,
with the moon as our backup hard drive.
That's the vision behind plans announced in
May to use the moon as off-planet storage
for the religious, cultural and genetic
trappings of humanity. Sending a sacred
Jewish scroll to the moon could be just the
beginning of an apocalypse-proof backup
of all culture and life on Earth.
How it all began
The universe was born in an unimaginably
fast expansion, and we have proof! And
then we didn't. In March we seemed to
have evidence for inflation – the dizzying
growth of the universe after the big bang –
but the results were soon thrown into
doubt. We'll have to wait to see what the
space-based Planck telescope can tell us –
its results are due in early 2015.
HEALTH
Lab-grown vagina
" So said a Mexican woman who was one of
the first to receive a lab-grown vagina
made from her own cells (see above). After
six months, the women could menstruate
and have sex, and should now be able to
have children. The surgeon behind the
breakthrough is now developing lab-grown
penises.
Ultimate rejuvenation
It's like the dark plot of a vampire movie.
Starting in October, people with
Alzheimer's disease in California were given
transfusions of young blood to see if it
improves their cognition. Young mouse
blood has been shown to improve the brain
power and health of older mice and could
even make them look younger. If it works in
humans, the implications could be huge,
not least for big pharma. Watch this space.
Master on-off switch
One moment you're conscious, the next
you're not. For the first time, researchers
switched off consciousness by electrically
stimulating a single part of the brain. The
discovery, reported in June, suggests that
the area – the claustrum – might be integral
to combining disparate brain activity into a
seamless package of thoughts, sensations
and emotions.
TECHNOLOGY
Cyborg drummer
(Image: Wake Forest Institute)
"It was incredible how my body accepted it.
Now it works as if it were not made in a lab
Jason Barnes had wanted to be a drummer
since he was a teenager. When he lost his
arm he thought his dream was over. Now
he has a second chance, thanks to a robotic
arm
their homes." We met the man who has
hacked his hearing so he can listen in to the
data that surrounds us.
LIVING PLANET
Water world
(Image: Georgia Tech)
(see above) that should allow him to play
just as well as anyone – or perhaps better.
He played his first concert with the
prosthesis in March.
First family robot
It doesn't just recognize you; it can field
your phone calls and chat to you at dinner.
Jibo, unveiled in July, is the first robot
designed to be used by the whole family
and will be available to buy in 2015.
Bitcoin revolution
It has been called many things, from the
future of money to a drug dealer's dream.
But beyond being the web's first native
currency, it became clear this year that
Bitcoin's true innovation is its underlying
technology, the "block chain". That concept
is being used to transform Bitcoin – and
money online.
The sound of Wi-Fi
"I can hear birds tweeting in the trees,
traffic prowling the back roads, children
playing in gardens and Wi-Fi leaching from
Reprinted from New Scientist
How did we miss it? In June, we found out
that a reservoir of water three times the
volume of all the oceans sits deep beneath
Earth's surface. It is hidden in a blue rock
called ringwoodite that lies 700 kilometers
beneath our feet, in the hot rock of the
mantle between us and Earth's core. It
could help explain where Earth's seas came
from.
Electric life forms
Bacteria can survive on a variety of energy
sources, but living on electricity is
particularly weird. Think of Frankenstein's
monster, brought to life by galvanic energy,
except "electric bacteria" turn out to be
very real, and this year they started
popping up all over the place. Unlike any
other life on Earth, these extraordinary
microbes use energy in its purest form –
they eat and breathe electrons harvested
from rocks and metals.
The first American
A boy who died 12,600 years ago had his
genome sequenced, it was announced in
February. We may never know who the
Anzick child was, why he died aged 3 in the
foothills of the American Rockies or why he
was buried beneath a cache of flints. But
incredibly, his family turns out to be the
direct ancestors of most tribes in Central
and South America – and probably the US
too.
Internet of Things Will Disrupt Data
Center Management
The Internet of
Things
will
require a major
rethinking of data
center capacity
management to
deal with huge
data
growth,
according
to
analysts Gartner.
The Internet of Things will
require a major rethinking
of data center capacity
management to deal with
huge
data
growth,
according to Gartner.
The latest research from
the analyst firm indicates
that 26 billion sensors,
devices and other gadgets
will be connected to the
internet by 2020, driving a
product and services
industry
worth
$300
billion (APS180 billion).
“IoT deployments will
generate large quantities
of data that need to be
processed and analyzed in
real time,” said Fabrizio
Biscotti, research director
at Gartner. “Processing
large quantities of IoT
data in real time will
increase as a proportion of
workloads of data centers,
leaving providers facing
new security, capacity and
analytics challenges.”
The IoT will connect
remote assets online, and
provide a data stream
between these assets and
centralised management
system. These assets can
then be integrated into
new
and
existing
enterprise system to
provide
real
time
information on location,
status, functionality and
so forth, using data
analytics.
According to Gartner the
magnitude of network
connections and data
enterprises will need to
deal with as part of the
IoT will drive the need for
distributed data centre
management, reversing
trend in recent years
where
many
large
businesses have moved to
centralise data centre
operations.
“IoT
threatens
to
generate
massive
amounts of input data
from sources that are
globally
distributed.
Transferring the entirety
of that data to a single
location for processing
will not be technically and
economically viable,” said
Joe
Skorupa,
vice
president
and
distinguished analyst at
Gartner.
“The recent trend to
centralise applications to
reduce costs and increase
security is incompatible
with
the
IoT.
Organisations will be
forced to aggregate data
in multiple distributed
mini data centers where
initial processing can
occur. Relevant data will
then be forwarded to a
central site for additional
processing.”
These new architectures
will present data centre
operations staff with
significant challenges as
they attempt manage the
influx of data as a
homogenous entity across
different locations. This
will
create
data
governance issues for
example, as business will
need to take a selective
approach to selecting
which information will be
backed up, with the
storage of all raw data
likely to be prohibitively
expensive.
ROTI Tower in
Facebook
Rotarians on Internet in
Facebook