 Resuming
an annual tradition cancelled in 2001 by the events of 11 September, a
record 800 Rotarians and others attended Rotary UN Day at the United
Nations in New York on 9 November. They heard RI President Bhichai
Rattakul, once a delegate to the UN himself, and a bevy of other leaders
underscore the importance of cooperation between Rotary clubs and United
Nations agencies.
 "Rotary has been a part of
the UN from the very beginning," President Rattakul told the crowd,
noting that 49 Rotarian delegates helped draft the UN Charter in 1945,
that the first president of the General Assembly was Rotarian Carlos P. Romulo of the Philippines, and that, even earlier, a Rotary-organized
meeting in England in 1942 planted the seeds that led to the creation of
the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
"It is my hope that this day will strengthen our
resolve to Sow the Seeds of Love throughout our troubled world by
working with the various agencies of the United Nations," the president
told attendees. "Together, we will accomplish much more than either of
us could hope to accomplish alone."
David Malone, president of the International Peace
Academy, spoke to the audience about the Security Council and Iraq on
the day that the
 Council unanimously approved a resolution on Iraq.
William Luers, chairman of the United Nations Association of the USA,
highlighted UN challenges in 2002. Other speakers included
representatives
 of
the United Nations Population Fund and UNICEF. |
 One of
the day's highlights was a question-and-answer session, "Ask Rotary's
Top Leaders." Joining President Rattakul in responding to the audience's
queries were President-elect Jonathan Majiyagbe,
Past RI President
Frank
Devlyn, and other RI directors and Rotary Foundation trustees.
 Robert Coultas, RI's primary representative to the
UN, helped organize the event, with New York-area Rotarians. "In
addition to Rotarians and Rotary leaders, we were very happy to have
many young people attend, including EarlyAct club members [a local
Rotary club-sponsored program for elementary
 school students], Interactors, Youth Exchange students, Rotaractors, and Ambassadorial
Scholars," he said.
 H. Bradley Jenkins, an alternate RI representative
to the UN, attributed the sizable turnout for the event to Rotarians'
eagerness to know more about world affairs after 9/11. "There would have
been even more people were it not for an early cutoff date for
registration because of heightened security arrangements at the UN," he
said. "We turned 100 people away."
Source Rotary International news basket
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