NEXT MEETING: February 16, 2018

Anti-Human Trafficking and the IRC

Human trafficking occurs in all 50 states but California leads the nation with a staggering 17% of all reported cases. Our region of the state has individuals being exploited daily, but resources are available to both survivors and service providers. The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is one of those resources that provide comprehensive services to survivors of human trafficking in 30 Northern California counties.

Components of the Anti-Human Trafficking training include:

• Introduction to the issue of human trafficking
• Summary of human trafficking’s presence within the region
• IRC’s survivors’ experiences
• Key indicators, and tools on how to identify potential survivors
• Introduction to services available to survivors, eligibility requirements, and program components

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Silvia Ledezma, on behalf of the Contra Costa County Grand Jury, announced the County is accepting Applications to become a member of the 2018/2019 Contra Costa Grand Jury. The deadline is coming up for submission of applications — March 23, 2018. Go On-Line: cc-courts.org/grandjury or Call: (925) 608-2621 for an Application. Get involved and help your Community by becoming a part of the Grand Jury.
• Kristi Hayes, of Rolling Hills Memorial Park, announced their “Celebrate Black History” on Friday, February 23 (1:00 pm to 5:00 pm), Saturday, February 24 (10:00 am to 3:00 pm) and Sunday, February 25 (2:00 pm to 4:00 pm). Call for more info: (510) 223-616 or visit the Facebook event page.

MEETING OF February 9, 2018

Welcome

President Connie Tritt welcomed the group; Dan Tanita led the Pledge; Stoney led the invocation with a prayer for peace, freedom and justice on Earth.

Visiting Rotarians and Guests

Iskander Zanullin, a guest of Dan Tanita, was originally part of a Russian Dentists Delegation two years ago. He loved California so much that he recently moved his wife and daughter to Richmond. A possible future Richmond Rotarian.
Anthony Blow, Rolling Hills Memorial Park
Kristi Hayes, Rolling Hills Memorial Park
Richard Katz, Speaker Clair Brown’s Husband
Silvia Ledezma, on behalf of Contra Costa County Grand Jury
Mike Caldwell was a guest of Josh Genzer., owner of Mike’s Barber Shop
Tamara Shilo, owner of Multi-Cultural Children’s Bookstore, soon-to-be Richmond Rotarian
Menbere Aklilu, our special friend, owner of Salute Restaurant

Recognitions and Happy and Sad Dollars

Ric Ambrose led Recognitions and Happy and Sad Dollars. On this day we had only one Recognition, but it celebrated an important Number One:
Darlene Drapkin celebrates her first anniversary being a Rotary Member – Congrats, Darlene D!!

Happy and Sad Dollars

• Nick Despota had happy dollars. He was happy about the large and spirited turnout at a rally in Sacramento protesting President Trump’s offshore drilling plan, which would allow a dramatic increase in oil and gas drilling off the coast of California and along all U.S. coasts and the Arctic.
• Tom Butt had neutral dollars as he read the most recent happenings with the Pt. Molate site.
• Hank Covell had happy dollars to announce he and Doreen are off to Arizona to dog sit again.
• Hank Covell also had happy dollars for the success of the Salesian Boys & Girls Club recent fundraiser, Bagna Caude , which raised $70,000.
• Hank also reminded everyone that today is Poker at his place, and Joe Kelman is going to be there!
• Mark Howe had happy dollars for his and Shana’s recent trip to Hawaii to celebrate Shana’s 50th (no, her 40th) Birthday! Happy Birthday, Shana!!
• Tamara Shilo had happy dollars for the renewal of her lease for the Multi-Cultural Children’s Bookstore located at The Shops at Hilltop.
• Stoney Stonework had happy dollars for his fond memories of Former Eagles football player, Ralph Ghostan. Stoney used to be the neighbor of the Ghostan family. When Stoney was 2 years old and ran away from home, it was Mrs. Ghostan, Ralph’s mother, who assisted him safely back home. (Glad she saved our favorite storyteller.)
• Rick Ambrose had happy dollars for the success of The Art of Living Black Artists’ Talk held recently and attended by over 600 people.
• Rick also had happy dollars for his wife’s successful knee surgery. He’s taking good care of her.

PROGRAM

Buddhist Economics

On this day we welcomed Clair Brown, Ph.D., a professor of economics at UC Berkeley, and director of the Center for Work, Technology, and Society, and past Director of Industrial Relations at the University of California, Berkeley.

Clair has published research on many aspects of how economies function, including development engineering, high-tech industries, the standard of living, and discrimination.

Today Clair works on how our economic system can provide comfortable, meaningful lives to all people in a sustainable world. Her graduate students in Development Engineering work on technologies to improve people’s lives in low-income regions. Her undergraduate students apply Buddhist economics to evaluate financial risk of fossil fuel companies in order to push for fossil-free public pension portfolios.

Clair and her students have developed a holistic measure of economic performance based on the quality of life. This index integrates inequality, environmental degradation, nonmarket activities, and consumption to provide an inclusive measurement of sustainable economic performance. The Labor and Employment Research Association honored Clair with the Lifetime Achievement Award for her contributions to improving workers’ lives. She practices Tibetan Buddhism. Learn more about Clair and listen to podcasts on Buddhist Economics at www.buddhisteconomics.net. You will find her latest book, “Buddhist Economics”, in libraries and in bookstores.

Clair has great respect for what Rotary Clubs do to help the people in their communities and globally. She especially supports the work for children, their education and building of schools, and improvements in child care, health care, water and basic needs.

- Rotating Scribe Darlene Quenville