Vocational Service Update

February 2010

Welcome to the February edition of the Vocational Service Update, designed to keep you informed about the latest developments with vocational service worldwide and provide useful information and resources to enhance your Rotary club and district vocational service projects. Comments and suggestions for future issues are welcome at vocationalservice@rotary.org.

New vocational service publication now available

An Introduction to Vocational Service (255) is a new publication that provides information on vocational service, focusing on the importance of classification and ethics. Available in English, French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, and Portuguese, it includes recommended project ideas and resources to help Rotarians promote vocational service in their club or district. Download it at no cost on the RI website, or purchase hard copies at shop.rotary.org.

New ProjectLINK model project form

We are happy to announce the publication of an updated ProjectLINK Model Project Submission Form, now available for download on the RI website. This new form will help us collect the most valuable information from your districts' successfully completed projects. Sharing these descriptions helps us better serve ProjectLINK users by providing them with the most useful resources on effective practices.

ProjectLINK is Rotary's online, searchable database of Rotary club and district service projects in need of funding, volunteers, donated goods, or Rotary Foundation Matching Grant partners. ProjectLINK also includes descriptions of completed model projects that other clubs and districts can refer to for inspiration and examples of best practices.

Project spotlight: District 3480 Vocational Service Expo

On 24 October, 100 Rotarian business and industry leaders representing 52 clubs in District 3480 (Taiwan) participated in a vocational service expo, an event for students from local universities. They used an interactive approach, conducting mock interviews with students, discussing employability, and offering extensive career guidance. More than 100 students were given internships. The event also included discussion seminars, many stressing high ethical standards in business and The Four-Way Test. District 3480 expects to build on the success of the 2009 expo by holding similar forums in the future.

Project spotlight: Saheli centers

In rural India, many women face considerable economic and social challenges and are subject to exploitation. Most are employed in agriculture, with an income of US$1 per day. In the last few years, Rotary clubs in District 3250 have established 18 Saheli training centers for women in the states of Bihar and Jharkhand in northern India. Eventually, the district hopes to establish 80 centers to cover 75 cities in the two states.

The curriculum has been designed to increase women's awareness of the potential for improving social and economic conditions in their community, and to impart the skills and knowledge needed to initiate development activities and improve health and nutrition. Training in areas such as computer skills, sewing and handicrafts, literacy, and primary and reproductive health are aimed at improving the women's quality of life. When they bring this knowledge back to their community, it will help alleviate poverty and reduce gender inequality.

To learn more about the Saheli training centers, please visit the Rotarian Action Group for Population and Sustainable Development's website.

How to start a service project

The new How to Start a Service Project e-learning module in the Rotary E-Learning Center offers guidance on assessing a community's needs and opportunities for service, selecting a project, and finding resources. Through the module, users can learn tips and apply them to case studies, which present challenges that a Rotary club might face when starting a service project. The module also gives users several options for taking the next step.

If your club is looking to start a service effort, be sure to take advantage of this new module to make sure you've considered strategies that could enhance your project.

The module is available in English, French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish.

Does your Rotary club have a successful vocational service project to share? Do you have any comments or suggestions for future editions of the Vocational Service Update? Send them to vocationalservice@rotary.org.

What's your ethical dilemma?

The Rotarian magazine is looking for specific ethical dilemmas that Rotarians encounter in areas such as business, fundraising, and humanitarian missions. Staff will direct selected dilemmas to an ethicist, who will respond in a new magazine feature. Your dilemma will be used anonymously if it's printed in The Rotarian.

For public discussion and possible consideration for the magazine, you may post your dilemma on RI's official LinkedIn group. If you would prefer to submit it privately, e-mail rotarian@rotary.org.

UN Global Compact and Rotary International Agreement

This year's Rotary-UN Day, held on 7 November, included the announcement of an agreement between the United Nations Global Compact and Rotary International to work together to support UN goals through sustained and responsible business practices. The initiative aims to encourage Global Compact local networks and Rotary's more than 33,000 clubs to pursue joint activities and programs. Please visit the RI website to learn more about the agreement.