Recognizing The Rotary Foundation
January
2007
Dear Rotary
family,
What do the
National Council for International Health, the
International Public Relations Association, the
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the American
Academy of Pediatrics, and the World Food
Programme all have in common? Each of these
organizations has recognized Rotary
International and its Foundation for their work
in polio eradication.
Since launching
the PolioPlus program in 1985, Rotary has
garnered attention worldwide for its
groundbreaking effort to rid the world of polio.
Rotary has been officially recognized by
organizations and governments on nearly 60
different occasions. This is something about
which each of us can be extremely proud.
For example, in
1996, the National Council for International
Health presented one of its four annual
Leadership in Global Health awards to Rotary in
recognition of PolioPlus. The NCIH president
hailed Rotary’s “outstanding leadership and
progress toward the eradication of polio” as a
model for private-sector support of
international health.
In 2000, the
International Public Relations Association
presented Rotary with its President’s Award,
which recognizes individuals or institutions
that have used mass communication to promote the
principles of peace, social justice, or cultural
understanding.
In 2002, the Bill
& Melinda Gates Foundation named The Rotary
Foundation as recipient of the Gates Award for
Global Health. The award, which includes a US$1
million prize, recognized Rotary’s leadership
and impact in the field of public health, most
notably for our top priority of eradicating
polio.
In 2004, the
American Academy of Pediatrics recognized
Rotary’s polio eradication efforts with its
Excellence in Public Service Award. And in 2006,
the World Food Programme presented Rotary with
its Award for Exemplary Humanitarian Leadership
for helping to give more than two billion
children a life free from polio.
Countries all
over the world also have thanked us for our
efforts on behalf of their children.
In 1987, Peru
honored Rotary with the Daniel Alcides Carrion
Award, the country’s highest honor in the field
of health and medicine, for its support of
Peru’s Expanded Program on Immunization.
In 1994, the
Philippines recognized The Rotary Foundation for
its participation in the National Immunization
Days of 1993, which reached 9.6 million children
under the age of five. In 1996, Angola honored
Rotary for supporting its first NIDs, held
despite the civil strife that racked the country
— an amazing achievement.
Rotary’s
spearheading partners in the Global Polio
Eradication Initiative — the World Health
Organization, UNICEF, and the U.S. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention — also have
recognized us on many occasions throughout the
years.
Rotary truly has
been a pioneer in the field of global public
health, particularly polio eradication. The
success of the public-private partnership forged
with WHO, UNICEF, and the CDC has served as a
model for more recent global health initiatives,
such as the measles campaign.
Those working on
initiatives to alleviate poverty and improve
health, such as the United Nations Millennium
Development Goals and the Global Alliance for
Vaccines and Immunization, look to Rotary as a
model for engaging civic organizations. At the
annual Rotary-UN Day in November, I was often
reminded of the extraordinary role our
organization has played in providing the vision
for a better and more peaceful world for
everyone.
If you ever think
that Rotary is not recognized for its work, I
encourage you to review the full list of awards
and recognitions Rotary has received for its
polio eradication efforts. Like me, I hope you
will be proud to learn of the high esteem in
which the world holds our beloved organization.
Each of you has
made this achievement possible, my Rotarian
friends. Thanks to your efforts, Rotary enjoys
unprecedented worldwide prestige. Now it’s time
for our outstanding accomplishments and projects
to be recognized. Rotary and the Foundation have
earned it!
Sincerely,
Luis Vicente Giay
Trustee Chair, The Rotary Foundation, 2006-07
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