Our common humanitarian goals.

• Author: Giay, Luis Vicente

On Rotary International and the United Nations: Rotary was one of the mentors of the United Nations from the beginning, and has been very supportive for more than 50 years. At the United Nations, there are two different scenes, fields of action: the so-called political arena, and the humanitarian services. Rotary International is a service organization involved in the humanitarian problems. Of course, we are involved also in the solution of some problems, like those of the refugees or people coming from one country to another, for example, which derive from the political problems. Rotary has always stood for practical ideas and action, since it offers participation in tangible service projects, be they in a Nigerian village, a home for the hearing impaired in Central America, a hospital for refugees in Asia, a scholarship programme for needy students in my home city of Arrecifes, Argentina, the immunization of millions of children worldwide against polio, or a food pantry for low-income residents of a Miami neighbourhood. The size of the project is of little importance. Service, offered without regard to boundaries or frontiers, is what transforms need into sufficiency, suffering into happiness, resignation into hope, destruction into construction, and war into peace.

The cost of all the services provided by Rotarians is estimated at approximately $2.5 billion a year. And all this comes from voluntary contributions: through fund-raising campaigns, raffles, sporting events, luncheons and dinners, organized with the purpose of collecting money for our effort or projects. In terms of the amount of service, the $2.5 billion places Rotary International at the top of the service organizations in the world today. We are present in 155 countries; we have 29,000 clubs which provide us with tremendous logistical support. Through this network, we collect this money, which all goes back to the community. We do not retain a single cent for ourselves.

On the United Nations in today's world: I believe that the United Nations belongs to each individual in the world, regardless of where he or she comes from. Because the United Nations is, well, maybe I cannot say a "nation of nations", but as very well defined by the new Secretary-General: "We are not a State of nations, we are a State of people". And as a State of people, taking care of the needs of mankind or drawing the attention of Governments to these needs, telling the nations what should be their...