Steve Widders - The Visionary
Declared medically blind by Fred Hollows in 1990, second-time president of the Rotary Club of Armidale, Aboriginal Elder Steve Widders is championing Rotary's diversity, equity and inclusion policy.
An innovative game is helping Ugandan women to combat online violence
Rocking a sharp fuchsia pink blazer with high cut trousers and a flower behind one ear, Goitse, a Botswanan college student living in Rwanda, is described as an “ardent feminist” who loves a “soft life.” When she hears about a South Africa rape case trending on twitter, she ‘likes’ and retweets the post to show solidarity with the sisterhood, quoting a news story and expressing that as a woman she is always scared of losing her life to domestic violence. A fellow user DMs her an insult and Goi
The activist facing jail for Macquarie statue protest
It’s a freezing, mid-winter’s day in the Blue Mountains outside Sydney. Stephen Langford walks to the edge of a lake in his boxer shorts and plunges in the frigid water. In a few weeks, the veteran refugee activist will be in court again, facing jail for defacing a statue. For now, though, he seems indifferent towards the charges. “Sydney was a penal colony, so it would be just like cuddling a koala if I was imprisoned,” the 62-year-old says. “This case just shows that we do not have rights. Pe
Losing my religion: facing the trauma of leaving a faith
“People with religious trauma sometimes present with anxiety, depression or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), so they might get diagnosed with one of those.” She added that religious trauma presents differently depending on the person, their background and experiences. The formation of the Sydney-based Recovering from Religion (RfR) group nearly 18 months ago, operating under the auspices of the US-based non-profit established in 2009, was borne out of D’Souza’s own struggle to find help af
Can humanism help advance human rights in Africa?
Belief in one of the major world religions is commonplace throughout Africa but a small but growing number of people are turning to humanism, defined by the Collins Concise Dictionary as the “rejection of religion in favour of the advancement of humanity by its own efforts”.
With Violence Continuing There, Should We #VisitUganda?
“THE PEARL OF AFRICA–Uganda is gifted with beautiful attractions, nature, people, and more,” begins a July 21, 2020 tweet. The words are accompanied by images of a chimp and dancers, and ends with “#VisitUganda.” Situated on the equator, Uganda has the perfect climate and is full of endless attractions, including the world’s last mountain gorillas. Additionally, it’s the source of the Nile—the world’s longest river—and is one of only two global destinations where tree-climbing lions are found.
Meet the humanists: ‘You don’t have to be Christian to think of yourself as a good person’
When Heidi Nicholl moved to Australia five years ago, she remembers thinking: “Where is it – where is humanism?” The British-born Nicholl had been drawn to humanism, a secular, values-based movement, in her 20s. In her work as a hospital ethicist she was never far from considering questions about life, death, and the reality of being human. “The types of decisions that hospital ethicists need to make are all about the reality of being human, without the admittedly comforting idea that some sup
Soap opera could be unlikely form of birth control in Uganda
Uganda has one of the highest birth rates in the world. It also has some of the most dedicated soap opera watchers anywhere in Africa. Now a group of enterprising Ugandans is aiming to tackle the former through the medium of the latter. Soap operas are expensive to make, however, so they plan instead to “hack” a Venezuelan import, recutting the existing series and overdubbing it with Ugandan actors. Using content originally from Nacer Contigo (Reborn), the new show has been rescripted and turn
Education for the isolated
When Sylvia Byers retired after a long teaching career, she wished to continue teaching in a different capacity. Today, at age 86, the Rotarian has travelled hundreds of kilometres across Western Australia as a volunteer tutor, helping Home Tutors transform the lives of children who live hours away from schools.
Delving into every dark and dingy hole to stop sex trafficking
Like so many before her, Nepalese woman Kaya* thought she was embarking on a journey to a new country and a new life with her 'fiance'. Instead, it was the beginning of a path of sexual exploitation and trafficking.
Australian women in Rotary - Una Hobday
Una Hobday OAM, Rotary's first female district governor in the Southern Hemisphere, was a trailblazer for Australian women in Rotary.
Youth Exchange kickstarts a life of service
Rotary District 9980 Governor-elect Nick Wood's introduction to Rotary was through his next door neighbour, who he would disappear with off to projects in Dunedin, in the Otago region of New Zealand's South Island.
That's the spirit! Boat to the rescue on PNG maternal health
While the priority of NGO Spacim Pikinini has been maternal and child health programs, aimed at reducing maternal and child mortality rates in PNG, the team will never say no to the health needs of the community.
Africa's Hit Science Show For Kids Is Coming To The U.S.
Lorraine Ololia is 10. She lives in Kampala, Uganda. And she recently came up with a new career goal. A TV show about science, produced by teachers from her junior high school, has inspired her. She's watched an episode on computer programming, another where two young explorers visit her country's Lake Victoria to talk about wetlands and learned how to make a model of a digestive tract at home using bowls, crackers, water, food coloring, bananas and oranges.
A Peacebuilder for Somali Refugees
VOLUNTEERING isn't that common in Ahmed Tohow's homeland.
How the “kitchen religion” uses food for good
A Hare Krishna community cooked its way out of debt – and in doing so, launched eateries that support schools and animals.
From our club to yours: Million-dollar gift celebrates Rotary's centenary
Over the past four decades, the Camberwell Market, selling secondhand goods and all sorts of knickknacks, has become a Melbourne icon and tourist attraction, while funding more than $17 million worth of Rotary projects.
Fighting hunger and addressing food security in Tonga
Each year between November and April, the Southwest Pacific cyclone season arrives leaving crops and livelihoods in its wake.
Catch The Clouds Volunteer Program: Helping Sick Children Learn
Many Australian children with long-term or serious illness are falling behind academically. New not-for-profit Catch the Clouds is on a mission to help.
Can Uganda Help Africa Break the Church’s Grip on Weddings?
Humanist weddings are banned in most of Africa. A growing movement in Uganda is trying to change that. The bride wore a white strapless tulle gown with a beaded bodice and carried a bouquet of red and white roses. Red, to symbolize “how deep she loves the groom,” and white, “to give them a spice.” Rings were exchanged. Guests clapped joyously. To an onlooker, the September nuptials of Faridah and Derrick at a hotel in Kampala, the capital of God-fearing Uganda, looked like any other wedding. B
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