Rotary Club Morimondo Abbey

It is with pleasure that we report the publication of the article on the delivery ceremony of the Constitutional Charter to our Club
Below, we report the beautiful and clear interview given by our founding member Giuseppe Resnati and architect, with our President, Ambrogio Locatelli, of the Club's constitution, to the journalist Principia Bruna Rosco:

” To find out more, I turned to Prof. Giuseppe Resnati who was appointed by the District Governor to follow the establishment of the new Morimondo Abbazia Rotary Club.

Prof. Eng. Giuseppe Resnati

Prof. Resnati, what will you do in the new Rotari Club Morimondo Abbazia?

"It is typical for Rotarians to make the skills and abilities acquired through their profession available to the community in which the Club is inserted. I am a teacher at the Polytechnic of Milan, specifically I teach chemistry, and in the Morimondo Abbazia Club I will follow the actions aimed at the new generations. One of the first activities aimed at young people that our Club will carry out will be an award to a young researcher who will present the results achieved by him during an international conference that the Polytechnic of Milan will organize next 6-7 June to celebrate the 150th anniversary of its foundation. We are also considering carrying out a "mentoring" activity in collaboration with local high schools: working alongside students who are finishing high school to accompany them in an informed choice of how and where to continue their studies, in line with their interests and existing opportunities".

What is the mission and goal you intend to pursue with this new Rotary

"The Club was founded recently and first of all we would like to make ourselves known in the area by establishing relationships with the other associations that operate there and, at the same time, we would like to deepen our knowledge of the area that hosts us, its potential, and its needs. At this point we will be in the best position to identify some specific service actions aimed at responding to specific needs. Now I am thinking of actions for the sustainable use of water, a topic on which Rotary International collaborates with the UN environmental agencies. But I am also thinking of actions to enhance agricultural activities from a "kilometer zero" perspective and to promote the abbey that gives us its name and which constitutes a treasure and a resource at the same time".

What is your registered office

"The name of our Club refers to an abbey which today is an extraordinary monument and which in the past was a spiritual and civil point of reference for the area. We have tried to find ourselves very close to this abbey, that is, at the Della Commenda restaurant, with the hope, animated by the passion and humility of the members, that we too will be able, over time, to become a point of reference for the area".

With which organizations does Rotary have collaborative relationships and why

"In order to better pursue service activities to the communities in which the Clubs are located, the individual Clubs and Rotary International maintain relationships and collaborations with many associations, from small local companies to global bodies. For example, since 1995 Rotary has collaborated with the Council of Europe in order to strengthen cooperation with other European bodies. Since then Rotarian representatives have kept the most influential members of the Council updated on the work of Rotary and have been called to be part of the Council's commissions for non-governmental organisations".

In which commissions do you have representatives?

"Many. We can name a few: The Economic Commission for Europe, established to promote the sustainable economic growth of its 56 member states, which has the main function of assessing the economic and environmental problems of its members and promoting dialogue on issues such as trade, environment and transport. The UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, which works to alleviate poverty, ensure sustainable management of globalization and address emerging social problems in the region. The Economic and Social Commission for the United Nations Western Asia, which deals with economic and social development in the region. The Economic Commission for Africa, aimed at promoting the socio-economic development of its 53 member states, which solicits regional collaboration and international assistance for the development of the African continent. The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, which promotes economic and social development in the region by strengthening relations between member countries and between them and other nations Food and Agriculture" the United Nations agency whose mandate is to increase the levels of nutrition and agricultural, forestry and fisheries productivity in both industrialized and developing countries. With UNESCO to promote cultural and educational exchanges in the world and share the values ​​of peace and international understanding. With the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), a specialized agency of the United Nations, which works to eradicate rural poverty in developing countries. With Organization Interational de la Francophonie, which brings together French-speaking countries around the world, which works to prevent conflicts, promote cultural diversity and guarantee human rights. With the Organization of American States, which aims to strengthen cooperation on democratic values ​​between the countries of the American continent and to encourage debate on the main regional and global issues".

When Rotary established relationships with the United Nations for the environment

  "Towards the end of the 90s, to promote the responsible use of natural resources and sustainable development. Rotary International has adopted the objectives of the UN by developing programs and actions for the conservation and management of water and it is precisely this last objective that our Club wants to deal with. In general, Rotary's relations with the United Nations are particularly complex and in the United Nations building in New York, Rotary has an office which includes the Rotarian representatives responsible for participating in the meetings of various agencies of the UN and programs promoted by other non-governmental organizations".

Other United Nations programs with which Rotary collaborates and which it considers of particular interest to the Morimondo Abbazia Rotary Club

“The human settlements programme, whose aim is to guarantee everyone the right to housing by promoting urbanization that is sustainable from a social and environmental point of view”.

To which humanitarian agencies has Rotary sent its representatives?  "At the United Nations Headquarters in Geneva and at numerous Geneva-based agencies and programs, including the International Labor Organization, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the World Health Organization. Since 1984, RI representatives in Vienna have collaborated with intergovernmental bodies on issues such as drug abuse, youth, peace and aging."

How long ago did the relationship between Rotary International and the United Nations date back?

  “To 1945, when 49 Rotarians attended the San Francisco conference that approved the organization's charter.”

What is Rotary's position in relation to the World Food Programme?

"Since 1997, Rotary has had official relations with the United Nations for food aid and to alleviate hunger and poverty with emergency aid and long-term support for social and economic development. Furthermore, individual clubs often intervene with targeted actions in specific locations. For example, a club not very far from us has developed an irrigation system in Senegal and the cultivation of native species particularly suited to the microclimate."

For economic growth, to reduce poverty and protect the environment and improve health in developing countries, what is Rotary doing

"One of the recent and most significant actions undertaken by Rotary is the global eradication of polio. Together with UNICEF, the International Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the WHO, Rotary has managed to raise several hundred million euros and today the countries not yet declared free from this disease are fewer than the fingers of one hand. They are countries where problems of war and armed conflicts make it difficult to systematically vaccinate children. ".

Who are the people who are part of Rotary

"Referring to an almost institutional formula, we can say that Rotary International is made up of the global network of Rotarian Clubs. The individual Clubs are an association of professionals and businessmen from all over the world, who provide humanitarian service, who observe the highest moral principles and contribute to promoting peace and understanding between peoples".

There is also a Rotary Foundation, what are its aims

   "The individual Clubs financially support the Foundation and the Foundation supports the individual Clubs in their actions and projects aimed at responding, at a local or global level, to the needs of the communities. We are committed to promoting understanding and peace between peoples through humanitarian, cultural and educational programs, but the implementation of these programs is often challenging from an economic point of view. That's when the Foundation intervenes".

Clubs have political or religious connotations

"No, the Clubs have no political, religious or profit-making connotations. The sole purpose is to carry out projects to improve the well-being of the communities we are part of".

Each Club freely chooses its activities and projects

“Of course, this is to better satisfy the needs of one's community. Nonetheless, many general problems, such as health, hunger, poverty, illiteracy, AIDS and tolerance between peoples, are priorities for all Rotary Clubs, regardless of the area or region they belong to".

How could you collaborate with Rotary, given that it is a local source of volunteers

“Organizations and bodies interested in collaborating with Rotary establish contacts with specific clubs. Once this is done, there are various ways of starting a collaboration:
• Inviting Club members to visit the location of a project or the organization that sponsors it
• Offering to make a presentation at a club meeting.
• Inviting Club members to do the same at the organization interested in collaborating
• Providing information material for members and/or writing an article for the Club bulletin
An organization that intends to promote its initiatives at a regional or national level in anticipation of collaboration with Rotary is invited to contact one of the Rotarian District Governors. They are volunteer managers who supervise the activities of around fifty clubs grouped according to geographical distribution. Armando Angeli Duodo is our District Governor and it is he who appointed me as his special representative for the establishment of the Morimondo Abbazia Club".

Principia Bruna Rosco

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