NEXT MEETING: September 25, 2020

A WORLD ON THE MOVE
Rev. David Vásquez-Levy, President, Pacific School of Religion
http://www.psr.edu

Rev. Dr. David Vásquez-Levy serves as President of Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, California -a progressive, multi denominational seminary and center for social justice that prepares theologically and spiritually rooted leaders to work for the well-being of all. A committed Pastor, a nationally recognized immigration leader, and a sought after speaker, Vásquez-Levy leads at the intersection of faith, higher education, and social change. Vásquez-Levy regularly contributes a faith perspective to the national conversation on immigration, including speaking at a Congressional briefing and participating in two immigration consultations at the White House. He is currently engaged in a series of public conversations with various State Attorneys around the country in an effort to reframe our national conversation about immigration.

He has worked on and consulted on a number of documentaries on immigration, labor, and human rights and is the author of various publications that explore migration stories in sacred texts and in people’s lives. He has lived in four countries, including working on refugee resettlement in Canada, and taught courses and led international study and service trips across the globe. Vásquez-Levy holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science from Texas Lutheran University and a Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degrees from the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, including studies at Ludwig Maximilians University in Munich, Germany.


LINK TO THIS WEEK’S MEETING ON ZOOM
Click this link to join the Zoom Meeting:
https://zoom.us/j/94860047682

Date & Time: September 25, 12:30 PM
(please connect 5 minutes early to confirm Video and/or Audio)
12:15 — Informal Meet and Greet
12:30 — Traditional Meeting
12:45 — Program
1:15 — Recognitions and Happy/Sad Dollars
1:30 — Adjourn / After-meeting for those who want to linger

Meeting ID: 948 6004 7682
Dial in: +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)

For security reasons, we are now sending invitations to our members and those who specifically ask to be invited each week. The link above is now a recurring meeting link, which will work for each week. You are welcome to forward this information to anyone you would like to invite.
Please email or text the names of your guests to Stacey prior to the meeting (staceyrcf@gmail.com, 510-501-0030) so they can be admitted quickly through the waiting room.

MEETING OF

Welcome

Announcements

  • Dave Brown wished everyone a happy New Year’s Eve for the upcoming year 5781.
  • Our annual tradition of raising $100 for each teacher at Peres Elementary School was announced by Erle Brown. This year is especially important because of Covid-19. The teachers still need additional supplies and it is important that they obtain everything they need to teach their students virtually. Look for The Peres School as an option under our PayPal button. There are 27 teachers at Peres School that need our help.
  • If you haven’t paid your Rotary dues yet, please do so now! Visit our website and use the PayPal button in the lower right hand column. Thanks!

Recognitions

Happy and Sad Dollars

Norm’s Nonsense

PROGRAM

September 19th Program – Discuss our club response to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: our club goals and program history

President Stacey Street-Spight noted that Erle’s announcement about our annual program at Peres School was the perfect introduction into our topic of the day, our club programs and Committees.

Don Lau reported on the Community Services Committee program history, partnerships with other clubs, and upcoming events:

  • Tutoring 3rd graders at Peres School
  • Dental clinic
  • Bikes for kids
  • SOS Richmond mobile shower transportation
  • Dark room remodel at Museum of History
  • Village concept for Richmond – Follow up on Ashby Village presentation

Norm Lundberg introduced the International Committee team members and invited all members to participate in the once a month meeting and consider traveling to meet our grantees in person. He reviewed the strategy and scope of the International Committee programs and the targeted populations: Health, Sanitation, and Education for women, children and people impacted by poverty. Every program must be located near our location and already have a fellowship with a local Rotary club and an existing Rotary International grantee designation to facilitate long term sustainability. Programs include:

  • Wheelchair accessibility support in Mexico
  • Water well in Madagascar
  • Honduras project with Concord Rotary club
  • Literacy project in Guatemala
  • Mother/child clinic with Vacaville Rotary club

Pierre Thompson, from the Communications Committee, advised that the speakers for the rest of the year have been scheduled and posted on the website. President Stacey thanked Pierre and committee chair, Nakele Rechenauer, for the new social media strategy to target younger potential members and the addition of an Instagram account.

President Stacey noted that the Miraflores centennial project event, our opportunity to celebrate and show appreciation for our donor contributions, has been postponed due to the ongoing shelter-in-place. As a result, other in-person fundraising events like the Annual Crab Feed are being evaluated for curbside pick up or virtual versions. She also noted that we need to find a connection between our donation request and the fundraiser, create virtual events to meet new people.

Next, the Zoom meeting participants were separated into breakout sessions, similar to our small lunch tables at the in-person Rotary meetings, to discuss the topic: our club response to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The group reconvened after the breakout sessions and one group had time to share their reflections: knowledge is power and education is the key. The book, An American Dilemma, written in 1944, was recommended by Stoney as a tool that can still be used to educate members on diversity, equity, and inclusion and how to use connection and inclusion to recruit new members and improve participation with existing members.

President Stacey thanked everyone for their participation and pledged to incorporate breakout groups into future meetings.


NEXT MEETING: September 18, 2020

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

As a club, we will review our goals and discuss our response to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

LINK TO THIS WEEK’S MEETING ON ZOOM
Click this link to join the Zoom Meeting:
https://zoom.us/j/94860047682

Date & Time: September 18, 12:30 PM
(please connect 5 minutes early to confirm Video and/or Audio)
12:15 — Informal Meet and Greet
12:30 — Traditional Meeting
12:45 — Club Discussion
1:15 — Recognitions
1:30 — Adjourn / After-meeting for those who want to linger

Meeting ID: 948 6004 7682
Dial in: +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)

For security reasons, we are now sending invitations to our members and those who specifically ask to be invited each week. The link above is now a recurring meeting link, which will work for each week. You are welcome to forward this information to anyone you would like to invite.
Please email or text the names of your guests to Stacey prior to the meeting (staceyrcf@gmail.com, 510-501-0030) so they can be admitted quickly through the waiting room.

MEETING OF

Welcome

Announcements

  • Fellow Rotarians, the new school year has started which means Richmond Rotary will continue our annual tradition of raising $100 for each teacher at Peres Elementary School. This year is especially important because of Covid-19. The teachers still need additional supplies and it is important that they obtain everything they need to teach their students virtually. There are 27 teachers at Peres School that need our help. You can donate by using Paypal on our website or you can write a check and send it to David Brown at our mailing address: Rotary Club of Richmond CA, PO Box 70643, Richmond CA 94807.  All of you who have donated in the past, please help us again for this worthy cause. Raising $2700 will trigger another $1000, from a bequest, that can be used for art programs and supplies for the whole school.
  • Don Lau reported that the Richmond Rotary’s Community Services Team Blood Drive was a success and thanked the many volunteers who came out to assist. We collected 37 units of blood that can assist at least 111 people. Another drive is tentatively scheduled for February 2021.
  • The club sent a wedding gift to President Stacey Street and her new husband.
  • Henry Moe shared that the Salesian Interact club held their 1st official meeting virtually and identifying for alternative service projects that can be completed during the Shelter-in-Place.
  • Jan Brown asked members to share stories of how the students in their lives are coping with the socially distant learning experience.
  • If you haven’t paid your Rotary dues yet, please do so now! Visit our website and use the PayPal button in the lower right hand column. Thanks!

Recognitions

Happy and Sad Dollars

Norm’s Nonsense

PROGRAM

September 11th Program – Pierre Thompson introduced Roger Eaton, Voices of Humanity.

Roger opened the conversation by acknowledging the upcoming 75th anniversary of the founding of the United Nation in San Francisco and the original goals. He referenced a childhood story of his understanding of Adam and Eve as a reminder that we are all cousins.

From there, Roger reviewed the current status of the UN goals and a recent impact analysis of climate change on the planet: a 68% decline in biodiversity and the threat of extinction for over 1 million species. He shared that the doughnut economy model is replacing the neoliberal perspective in order to identify standards to maintain our ecosystem and environment.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals identified for 2030, abbreviated as SDGs, include a wide range of topics and areas: poverty, food insecurity, health, education, gender equality, water and sanitation, sustainable energy, economic growth, infrastructure and manufacturing, resolving inequality, creating sustainable cities, sustainable usage and consumption, mitigating climate change, maintaining ocean sustainability, supporting biodiversity, global partnerships to improve business and commerce. The former top priority, nuclear disarmament, is not mentioned in this list, but peace and global consciousness about our environment is the larger goal of Voices of Humanity.

The objective of Voices of Humanity, http://voh.intermix.com, is to bring people together, identify messages from each community, about each community and build a voice for all people to combine apart and together, (A and T).

The upcoming UN event on October 24th is launch day, over 100 participants from 5 nations will come together and identify international topics for the UN to address and ensure that each nation has a voice.

During Q&A, Roger mentioned his work building the San Francisco UN goals website, SFUNgoals.com, which consisted of writing and presenting a resolution to make a difference. The Voices of Humanity fundraising objectives are to raise funds to hire people to perform outreach and facilitate a viral international conversation similar to the Mayors for Peace commitments.

Stoney suggested reaching out to the superintendent of schools and starting early, educating children in elementary school and high school about manners, morals, and global consciousness. Roger mentioned that one project being evaluated is Adopt a Species, giving students an opportunity to study and save endangered plants and animals. Mac mentioned the model UN program that already exists in Berkeley schools and recommended we find a champion in the Richmond School district. Since the club already works with Peres elementary school and has a club member with Rotary International connections, Liliane Koziol, we can leverage those connections to identify ways that Richmond Rotary Club can promote these goals.


NEXT MEETING: September 11, 2020

UNITED NATIONS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDGs)
Roger Eaton, Voices of Humanity

The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) need more recognition, and the original goals of the UN, peace disarmament and human rights, as put forward in the UN Charter, signed in San Francisco in 1945 are part of the larger package. Humanity has overstepped nature’s bounds, with global warming and the loss of wildlife topping the list. A concerted effort to achieve the SDGs by 2030 is our best hope of averting major disaster. But how? The nations do not trust each other and therefore are not cooperating as they must to achieve the SDGs.

Imagine if Facebook could list the top-liked posts from the last 30 days. Everyone interested in global issues would read those top posts and the result would be a heartfelt global consciousness. Voices of Humanity does that!

MEETING OF

Welcome

Announcements

  • Join us for the Richmond Rotary’s Community Services Team Blood Drive on Wednesday, September 9 from 10am to 3pm at the Richmond Parkway YMCA (formerly known as the Hilltop YMCA), 4300 Lakeside Drive, Richmond CA 94806. Volunteers still needed to assist with the afternoon welcome center and canteen for food service. Contact Don Lau by email or 510-813-5170 if you would like to volunteer.
  • The second Richmond Rotary International Committee meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, September 1st at 3:30pm. Reach out to Norm Lundberg by email for the agenda and materials
  • New member Joshua Rosales was inducted by his sponsor, Don Lau
  • Please note, we will not be meeting on Friday, September 4 to honor Labor Day and recognize the American labor movement and the works and contributions of laborers to the development and achievements of the United States.
  • If you haven’t paid your Rotary dues yet, please do so now! Visit our website and use the PayPal button in the lower right hand column. Thanks!

Recognitions

Happy and Sad Dollars

Norm’s Nonsense

PROGRAM

August 28th ProgramPierre Thompson introduced Trina Jackson, Team Lead for the Richmond GARE Team.

Trina reviewed the history of the approval by the Richmond City Council to evaluate the Government Alliance on Racial Equity program and define goals and actions for implementing a GARE Team in the city of Richmond. They used knowledge transfer tools like a speaker series on the history of racism and an implicit bias workshop to fine tune their message into tangible objectives.

Their plan was developed, presented and adopted by the City Council in 2018. The objectives identified include listening to the community for priorities and reaching out to at-risk populations, creating a hot line in April that helped 300 residents get information and access to services. To address the impact of the murder of George Floyd, healing circles were created as a safe space for City of Richmond employees to talk openly about their work environment and racial injustice in America. Employees were taught coping skills, how to support fellow employees, and given a reading list of additional resources.

The all volunteer GARE Team supports dismantling laws that maintain systemic racism, mentoring children and adults from under represented populations on participating in the political process, service organizations, and assuming leadership roles in the community.

Their end goal is to prioritize equity for all and create a genuine equality movement, as stated by Martin Luther King Jr.’s grand daughter at the Commemorative March yesterday.

During Q&A, Norm asked about the current community partners and expected partnership scope with Richmond Rotary. Trina noted that they have relationships with Healthy Richmond and Richmond Neighborhood Services and promised to share their plan and find out how we overlap in goals.