D-2452 DG's Newsletter January 2016

District 2452 Rotary Governor’s Letter International President’s Vocational Letter Service Month Dinner in the dark Presidential Conferences Meeting With RC of Taipei, Taiwan, District 3480

District 2452 Governor’s Letter It’s already January! Ghada joins me in wishing each one of you a wonderful and enjoyable holiday break with family and friends. All the very best for a happy and successful New Year. While this is time for a well-deserved recess, I strongly urge you to ask those who you are relaxing with to consider joining Rotary. As I have been saying during our gatherings, it is our personal responsibility to look for the best people around us, and have them join our organization. When you meet someone who you feel is trustworthy, someone you wish to have sitting next to you in your club, don’t think long before you invite him or her to attend one of your meetings. You never know, that person could one day be our next District Governor. Just imagine the quality of our members if every one of us took this initiative at least once in the next six months? As you know, the past months have been very busy for Ghada and myself as we visited clubs throughout our widespread district. Now, only fourteen clubs are left to visit in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, and Palestine. I know I have commented on this in past newsletters, however I have truly been impressed with the dedication and enthusiasm of members throughout our District. The diverse range of support and “gifts” being given to our communities mean we definitely are making a difference. We look forward to being able to participate in as many events as we can during the next six months. We also look forward to hearing about those changes that were discussed during my visits about our club meetings and activities, namely the changes necessary to ensure our clubs are attractive to future Rotarians. Due to many national days in many countries and religious holidays during December, Ghada and I did not make official visits to clubs in the District. This break gave me the chance to follow up with our leadership team that has also been working hard to improve and strengthen Rotary in our District and I thank them for the work they have done so far. Our District Conference Chair Rami Shaban is working on full speed with his team preparing for the long awaited District Conference that will take place in Amman between the 19th and 22nd of May 2016. It is my pleasure to inform you dear Rotarians and my family of Rotary that Rotary International President Ravi Ravindran is going to privilege us with a Presidential visit to Jordan between the 26th and 27th of March this year. Our team will be working hard to make this visit as productive as possible. Please mark this date on your calendar and join Ghada and myself in welcoming our President and his wife Vanathy in this historical visit. I am also pleased to let you know that our great friend Rotary International Director Safak Alpay and his wife Deniz will be accompanying the President in this visit. During December, I had the chance to attend two interesting events, one in Amman and the other in Taipei, Taiwan. The first event, which is covered in more details in this newsletter was a unique experience where Ghada, myself and other guests enjoyed a meal in complete darkness. This enabled us to live for one hour in the same conditions that the visually impaired individuals live with on a daily basis. Imagine how much our Rotarians care to help all those in need. The other special event was when I attended the weekly meeting of the RC of Taipei, the home club of the Immediate Past Rotary International president, Gary Huang who was present at the meeting as well as District 3480 Governor Elect Kevin Liao and many other senior Rotarians and guests. Fellow Rotarians and friends of Rotary, To all Rotarians in District 2452, thank you for the work you have done and continue to do and I look forward to working with you during the rest of the year. Please enjoy this time at the beginning of the New Year with family and friends and recognize the support they have given you throughout the year. On behalf of Rotary International, Ghada and I thank all Rotarians for your support and the work you do for Rotary and wish you and your families all the best. Yours in Rotary Mustafa Nasereddin 11

Rotary International President’s Letter There is a story told in my Hindu tradition of two sages, Shaunaka and Abhipratari. They were worshippers of Prana, the wind god. One day, the two men were about to sit down to lunch when a poor student knocked on their door, asking for food. \"No, boy, do not bother us at this hour,\" was the reply. The student was surprised but very hungry, so he persisted \"Tell me, honored sirs, which deity do you worship?\" \"Prana, the wind god,\" they answered impatiently. \"Do you not know that the world begins and ends with wind, and that wind pervades the entire universe?\" The two sages were by now very irritated by their impertinent guest. \"Of course we know it!\" they replied. \"Well, then,\" continued the student, \"if Prana pervades the universe, then he pervades me also, since I am but part of the universe. He is also in this hungry body, which stands before you begging for a bite to eat! And so in denying food to me, you deny it to the very deity whom you say you serve.\" The sages realized the student spoke the truth and invited him to enter and share their meal. For they understood, at that moment, that by opening the door to one who sought their help, they were not only serving that individual – but reaching toward a larger goal. Our experience of Rotary is, for the most part, based in our own communities. We meet every week in our clubs, in the same places, with the same familiar friends. While almost all of us are involved in some way or other in international service, the Rotary we see and share from day to day feels very local. It can be easy to lose sight of the larger picture – of what our service truly means. Every impact you have as a Rotarian, individually and through your club, is multiplied by the power of our numbers. When you feed one person who is hungry, when you educate one person who is illiterate, when you protect one child from disease, the impact may seem small. It is anything but. For it is only through the power of numbers, through the power of our individual actions and gifts, that we can have the impact we seek: to truly Be a Gift to the World. K.R. RAVINDRAN President 2015-2016 2

Vocational Service Month Fellow Rotarians, Paul Harris wrote: \"Each Rotarian is a connecting link between the idealism of Rotary and their trade or profession\". Vocational Service is the way Rotary fosters and supports the application of the Ideal of Service to the pursuit of all vocations. Vocational Service is the shared responsibility of each Rotary Club and its members. The role of the Club is to implement and encourage the Object by its own actions in dealing with the community and by the development of projects that enable members to use their vocational talents in the service of the community. The role of members is to conduct themselves and their businesses in accordance with Rotary principles, as embodied in ‘The 4 Way Test’, to observe and live by The Declaration of Rotarians in Businesses and Professions and to support the Vocational Service projects that the club has developed. Promoting integrity through ethical behavior is an essential part of what it means to be a Rotarian. Two standards developed by Rotarians — The Four-Way Test and the Rotary Code of Conduct — provide a road map for ethical behavior in the workplace and other areas of life. If you are an active, engaged Rotarian, you probably view vocational service as a way of life, even if you find it difficult to articu. late a clear definition. The Object of Rotary is a philosophical statement of Rotary’s purpose and the responsibilities of Rotarians. The concept of vocational service is rooted in the Second Object, which calls on Rotarians to “encourage and foster”: • High ethical standards in business and professions. • The recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations. • The dignifying of each Rotarian’s occupation as an opportunity to serve society. As a Rotarian, you can put these ideals into action by talking about your vocation in your club, and taking time to learn about fellow members’ vocations. Also, you can use your professional skills to serve a community and practice your profession with integrity. Thus, you inspire others to behave ethically through your own words and actions. You may help a young person achieve his or her career aspirations and guide and encourage others in their professional development. If you do any of these things, you are performing vocational service. And if vocational service motivates and energizes you, then you’re in the right place, because vocational service is the very essence of Rotary. It is what sets Rotary apart from other service organizations. Rotary’s guiding principles emphasize the importance of work. Work provides people with a livelihood and gives them dignity, and society benefits from having all of its members employed in a manner that maximizes their talents and ambitions. It should therefore come as no surprise that those who join Rotary clubs are committed to promoting professional development. Rotarians can pursue this commitment through activities that enhance their own knowledge, and by guiding and training others to find gainful, fulfilling employment. Vocational training teams offer a hands-on approach to vocational service. In VTTs, groups of professionals travel either to learn more about their vocation or to teach local professionals about a particular field. A VTT helps create sustainable change by strengthening the knowledge and skills of individuals and communities and thereby improving their capacity to serve. In addition to experiencing a new culture and fostering global connections, Rotarians participating in a vocational training team have the opportunity to make an impact long after their travels end. Teams that address one of Rotary’s six areas of focus and follow certain specific guidelines for scope, sustainability, and measurability can qualify for a global grant through The Rotary Foundation. Funded teams must consist of a minimum of one Rotarian team leader with general Rotary knowledge, leadership skills, international experience, and experience in the area of focus, and at least two other participants (Rotarians or non-Rotarians) with two years of work experience in the area of focus. District Secretary PP Bashar Asfour 3

Meeting With RC of Taipei, Taiwan, District 3480 Exchanging banners with Memorable photo with RC of Taipei Presenting my District Past President Pi-song senior leaders, Immediate Past Governor banner to Tsai of the RC of Taipei Rotary International President Gary Immediate Past Rotary Congratulations C.K. Huang, Past President Dale O. International President Holmgren, and Past President Pi- Gary C.K. Huang s.ong Tsai Congratulations Congratulations to Past President Hani Bidawi from the Rotary Club of Saida for the award he profoundly deserved for the advancement of Vocational Services in his community 4

Dinner in the Dark There is light even in the darkest places … Rotarians in Jordan have been experiencing a sensual journey of smell, taste, touch, and sound all in the dark. On December 5 of last year, I and Ghada attended a very special event organized and for the fourth year in a row by the Rotary Club of Amman Ammon hosting “Dinner in the Dark”. This unique experience where guests enjoy a meal in complete darkness which enables them to live for one hour in the same conditions that the visually impaired individuals live with on a daily basis. During the one hour dinner, guests are hosted by blind volunteers, who serve their meal and then interact with them, answering their enthusiastic queries. The dinner is commonly attended by non-Rotarians and as such aims to raise awareness among the guests about Rotary and how Rotarians can Be a Gift to the World. The event received a lot of media coverage which constitutes an important positive public image for Rotary in Jordan. This included Ro’ya T.V, BBC Arabic network, Layalina magazine and local newspapers. I encourage clubs in other countries to look at the possibility of organizing similar event in their cities or villages. I am sure Rotarian Jane Manneh, Service Projects Chair in the club will certainly help in addition to more details about this event available at the club’s event website: www.rcaammon.com/dinner-in-the-dark-2015.html

DG’s Official Club Date 5 Visits 10-14 January ,2016 Country 18-21 January ,2016 UAE 29th January - 1st February ,2016 7-10 February ,2016 Bahrain Sudan Palestine Rotary Months r SDA S 6

Upcoming Events Upcoming Events 7

District 2452 3rd Conference 8 1

Office of the Governor & Rotary International Contact Details Position Email Number Vice Governor [email protected] +962795535085 PDG Usama Barghouthi [email protected] +96277525002 Governor Advisor PP Ghassoub Kawar [email protected] +962795538333 [email protected] +962795789999 Governor Advisor +962777773977 PP Muhsen Al-Mufleh [email protected] +962795200800 [email protected] +962795531413 Governor Advisor +962795536169 PP Shawkat Tadros [email protected] +962795551237 Governor Advisor , Communication & IT PP Aref Al- [email protected] [email protected] +962796861699 Aref District Secretary [email protected] +41449877120 PP Bashar Asfour District Conference Chair +41443877187 PP Rami Sha’ban District Treasurer PP Nabil Haddad Executive Editor for the district governor’s sewsletter & District Correspondent Suha Yanni Ghawi Governor’s Assistant Eng. Ayah Mansour Supervisor Club & District Support +41443877178 Graham Reoch [email protected] +905332144139 +41449877116 Coordinator Foundation Services +41449877184 Salmoe Broznan [email protected] Emmanuel Idehen Financial Services [email protected] PDG Suleman Girit Major Gifts Advisor for Zone 20B Specilalist [email protected] Stephanie Tobler Muczink Senior Media Relations [email protected] Supervisor Office Marcelo Bottini Order Disk [email protected] 9 1