Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Rotary International has asked that all Rotary Clubs in the world make a commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Our District's responsibility is to communicate this request and offer to our Clubs the reasoning that favors this commitment.
Your District's newly-established Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee has drafted the policy statement below for review and implementation by our Board of directors:
“Draft Rotary District 7230 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Statement
We believe that all people hold visible and invisible qualities that inherently make them unique.
We value diversity and celebrate the contributions of people of all backgrounds, across age, ethnicity, race, color, disability, learning style, religion, faith, socioeconomic status, culture, marital status, languages spoken, sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity as well as differences in ideas, thoughts, values, and beliefs. We seek a diverse, equitable and inclusive culture in which people from under-represented groups have greater opportunities to participate as members and leaders of our District and communities in our District.
Like Rotary International’s DEI Statement, we recognize that individuals from certain groups have historically experienced barriers to membership, participation, and leadership. Thus, in order to build a community and world where people unite and take action to create lasting change, we wholeheartedly commit to:
- Advance equity in all aspects of Rotary, including in our community partnerships, so that each person has the necessary access to resources, opportunities, networks, and support to thrive
- Be honest and transparent about where we are on our DEI journey as an organization, and to continue to learn and do better
- Strive to create an inclusive culture where each person knows they are valued and belong
We hereby honor this commitment by accepting the responsibility and privilege to be models of integrity and by maintaining the highest ethical standards to make all members and residents in our District feel valued and part of our global community. Finally, we encourage all Clubs in our District to contact the District’s DEI Committee to discuss Rotary’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion and to adopt their own DEI Statement.
The DEI Committee welcomes all members to reach out to the Committee for guidance and support with their questions and information related to DEI. The DEI Committee will work together with the Ethics and Dispute Resolution Committee and District Leadership to resolve issues and conflicts related to DEI.”
Should any of our District Rotarians have a comment or edit or thought about this proposed DEI policy statement, please pass your thoughts on to the Co-Assistant Governor of this Committee, Christina Wellington of the Rotaract Club at the UN.
RI broadly defines ‘diversity’ and has published the below definition:
“RI values diversity and celebrates people of all backgrounds, across age, ethnicity, race, color, disability, learning style, religion, faith, socioeconomic status, culture, marital status, languages, sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity, as well as differences in ideas, thoughts, values and beliefs.”
I know that many Rotary Clubs in our suburban communities do not have a significant diversity in their community population. Nevertheless, RI exists for only two reasons:
a. A full and pressing commitment to projects that benefit needy humanity. This is the essence of Rotary. “Dogoodery” is a term used for this by a Rotaractor in England who spoke at the recent Rotary Zone 28-32 Summit. He said that the sole purpose of Rotary is dogoodery and that dogoodery is his sole purpose of being an enthusiastic Rotaractor.
b. A corollary to the prime purpose is for our members to enjoy the company and friendships among members who are all dedicated to finding and carrying out ways to benefit needy humanity in the Club’s community and outside its community, including international.
This is why our Clubs should be welcoming to people who have a compulsion to aid humanity but are different from us in other ways.
Rotary has had a sea change in its membership in the US. It has segued from an elitist and affluent membership to a cross section of our population that is motivated by our purpose of aiding needy humanity - dogoodery. However, many of our District’s Clubs have little or no diversity and perpetuate the elitist tendency of the past.
RI correctly wants our District’s Clubs to emphasize diversity, equity and inclusion in order to enlist the aid of good folk who desire to aid others in an environment that is conducive to a growth of membership. Your District received two awards from our Zone for expanding membership and creating new Clubs in our District.
We can keep achieving membership growth only by emphasizing our beneficial projects that will allow new members to perform humanitarian aid and then by letting our new members have a role in our Clubs’ humanitarian projects. Let's do it.
George C. McKinnis
District Governor