To my dear Rotarians, family and friends,
It is time for a diversity, equity and inclusion health check?
How well does each one of us, our clubs and club leadership encourage and celebrate diversity, equity and inclusion in practise?
Equity and diversity are recognised in our legislation and RI has approved a diversity, equity and inclusion policy (see RDU article December – 2020). The importance of how we respond to this is entirely up to us. We share our concerns that we have been making slow if any progress on ensuring our clubs are embracing the diversity, equity and inclusivity challenge before us.
In many instances we seem to behave as though we are an exclusive club within our community - not reflective of the demographic changes occurring in our communities. We are also inconsistent in our welcoming and support of those from different backgrounds who wish to join us in doing good in the world, particularly if they have a different perspective on what is needed and how to achieve it.
How many of our clubs have Gay, Lesbian, Transgender people or a large number of members who are not Anglo Saxons?? These people still want to do good in the word so why aren’t they members of our Rotary Clubs??
RI President Holger Knaack said recently “every country has its history. I do not believe in deleting history, but instead learning from it. I believe in that totally. Everything has to be put on the table so we can learn for our future.” and “For me, diversity is not a wish list for a Rotary club, this is part of our core values.”
Australia and Australians like to think of ourselves as being truly multicultural. In Rotary we also consider ourselves to be open to all. That may be so in terms of the range of ethnicities in our communities, but have we truly integrated all ethnicities from our communities into our Rotary clubs? Do we understand the various backgrounds and experiences that others bring to our shores? Do our Rotary clubs appropriately reflect our wider demographic? Over the last 10 years in Rotary we have not had a problem with attracting new members; but we have had a problem retaining them, and a significant proportion leave within 2 years of joining. Part of that is due to not meeting their expectations – did we over promise and not deliver or was it something more worrying? New members have identified Rotary as something they want to be a part of to truly make a difference in our world. Importantly they bring new skills, new views and potentially they have already identified new opportunities (and ways) for Rotary to engage in and supporting the needs of the community (both here and internationally).
And so here is the challenge we must all consider:
Are we truly open to other cultures beliefs, values and ways of doing things in our clubs? While the foundations of Rotary are largely unchanged over the past 116 years, what we do and how we have delivered Rotary has changed significantly and must continue to do so.
At the start of his Year RI President Holger asked all club leaders to hold at least 1 strategic planning meeting. Looking to the future of our clubs is an important first step in ensuring each remains relevant and well positioned to be effective. Just as in business keeping an eye to the future and adapting is essential. Club leaders need the support of members to openly and honestly discuss the issues and identify strategies to keep clubs vibrant and attract and retain new members. It may take several years to identify and implement the changes needed but the development of a plan is a critical first step.
With the new President having just gone to PELD and the new board attending the Assembly perhaps this is a great time for them and your clubs to do a Strategic planning meeting, and please support your club leaders as they strive to address these challenges. On the diversity, equity and inclusion front, it is timely for the current and incoming club leaders to do a simple club health check with all members:
Ask yourselves; do you apply the 4-way test to how you engage in all of our Rotary activities?
“Diversity, equity and inclusion should begin at the top, and for us to welcome new leaders into our organisation and expand our ability to make an impact, we need to build stronger bridges that help everyone see themselves reflected, celebrated and valued here in Rotary” quote from RI President nominee Jennifer Jones (Dec- Jan RDU)
Many of you may question why I am asking questions of diversity and gender equality, given that the District still has 5 clubs that are all male clubs. We really need to look at this problem, not only gender, but GLTG people as well. Needless to say, when, and if, they do have female members, and other clubs welcome other minority groups and different ethnic groups, and I’m sure they will eventually, or (they and we will die a slow death), we must make sure we welcome everyone openly and make their experience of Rotary one as enjoyable as each of us have found it.
Disappointingly of recent times that has not been the case for several relatively new women members in some of our clubs. In at least one instance I know of personally, the member had a very poor experience – so much so she felt the only option was to leave said club. The members concerned should have a good look in the mirror at the behaviours they displayed.
It is incumbent on us all to support all members and to especially make all new members feel welcome, support them all by sharing our professional, experiential and rotary knowledge, and to demystify the morass of Rotary acronyms. And we have to listen to what they have to say not just dismiss their ideas as "no that won’t work" / "we did that years ago and it didn’t work then". What we say, what we do, how we do it, and how we hold ourselves individually and collectively to account in our interactions with fellow Rotarians is important. Be respectful in asking new members about and learning more of their background - but do not judge them, their life story may have many challenges that may be difficult for them to discuss with others until they are comfortable to do so. Encourage, but do not force, them to participate in all that is good in our Rotary world.
A simple act such as ensuring new members are asked to join different groups at your club meetings can make a world of difference to how quickly the feel truly welcome.
“Diversity is being invited to the party, inclusion is being asked to dance”. (Verna Myers)
Find out more about responding to the diversity, equity and inclusion challenge in the RDU article on the topic of diversity in Rotary. As we continue to make the Rotary experience inclusive for members and participants of all backgrounds, it’s important to embrace our differences and understand where we have privilege in comparison to others. For example, have you ever felt scared to hold hands with your romantic partner? Or, has someone automatically assumed that you are not from the country you live in? Our colleagues in RI’s Europe/Africa Office created a video to help us realise and understand these differences so they don’t become potential barriers for prospective members. Share this video
It is no good just getting women, Gay/ Lesbians or other minority ethnic groups into Rotary, we have to change our behaviour and keep them in and involved. In 2019 Rotary International did a survey of one hundred thousand current and former members of Rotary and Rotaract Clubs around the world. As well as a lack of program participation being the biggest reason, here are some key reasons why members left their clubs:
22%: Said they were made to feel uncomfortable at their club and other activities they participated in.
33%: Said they left because of the club culture and environment.
35%: Said they were not made to feel, or did not feel, welcome and included.
30%: Said they felt it was still an old men’s club and women were just tolerated and not listened too.
If you can’t or won’t genuinely welcome and include women and other gender and nationalities into your club, start another club just for them. Satellite clubs are the way to go. Think about it!
There is lots of RI help in starting new clubs. Give it a try???
And Remember: (If it stops being Fun, Stop doing it). Stay safe.
District Governor Dave Clark JP
