Common sense

Netnet Camomot

GREEN trees, chirping birds, sounds from a radio and construction sites, military planes and helicopters flying overhead… It’s another day in paradise.

Meanwhile, in Marawi, the sounds and sights of helicopters, planes, and bombs pierce through the air. Some of our co-Rotarians’ houses and properties there have been bombed, too—collateral damage. They’re afraid they may not have anything to go back to once the siege is over. They continue to help in the relief efforts and medical missions despite the loss, and that’s in the midst of Ramadan.

The blessing in disguise is this: Muslims and Christians helping each other survive through this most trying time. That’s not what the Maute group wanted to happen, but the universe does work in the most mysterious ways.

Some of our co-Rotarians are in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, for the Rotary International (RI) convention where the focus is still the End Polio Now campaign which RI and its partners, including Bill Gates, have vowed to eradicate completely. The campaign now has a new slogan, “Drop to Zero.” There are only three endemic countries now—Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Nigeria or PAN. These three countries’ insurgency and religious problems have made it more difficult for volunteers to immunize children.

What did I say about politics and religion? They’re the most dangerous topics in the world. You stay loyal to a political party and don’t question its rules, your common sense goes pfft. You misinterpret your religion’s teachings, and common sense goes pfft again. Such a waste of heart, soul, and mind.

Anyway, Rotary and its partners have pledged a total of $1.2 billion to End Polio Now’s “Drop to Zero” campaign. Imagine that same amount going to Marawi for its post-siege rehabilitation. Nice thoughts, eh? If the money is spent wisely and on good intentions, yes, definitely nice thoughts.

But that same amount can also be misspent by a misguided group on arms, guns, bullets, suicide bombers, and other war-ish goals that make them happy. And Marawi has become one of their, what, target practice venues?

Eradicating polio didn’t happen overnight. The campaign was started here in the Philippines by Pinoy Rotarians. Rotary International noticed its success, and its decision to adopt it as a worldwide campaign in 1985 has enabled it to raise more than $1.7 billion since then.

In 1988, Rotary together with the World Health Organization, Unicef and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention launched the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation joined the campaign in 2007.

The global initiative has immunized over 2.5 billion children worldwide, and has reduced polio cases by 99.9 percent and to only five cases this year, the lowest so far.

RI President John Germ shared that Rotary will raise $50 million each year in the next three years or $150 million for the “Drop to Zero” campaign. As has always been committed in this partnership, this will be again matched by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with a 2-to-1 ratio for a total of $450 million.

The new pledges also include those coming from Pakistan, $154.7 million; Nigeria, $134.6 million; Canada, $75 million; European Commission, $61.4 million; Japan, $55 million; United Arab Emirates, $30 million; Dalio Foundation, $30 million; Bloomberg Philanthropies, $25 million; Germany, $11.2 million; easyjet, $5 million; Italy, $5 million; Korea, $4 million; Korea Foundation for International Healthcare/Community Chest of Korea, $2 million; United Nations Foundation/Shot@Life, $1.7 million; Switzerland, $1.03 million; Luxembourg, $500,000; UNICEF USA, $514,000; Monaco, $330,000; New Era Educational and Charitable Foundation, $130,000; Turkey, $60,000; Malta, $30,000; Spain, $20,000; Accenture Interactive, USA, $20,000; and an anonymous donor, $15 million.

Rotary has invested 29 years so far on the campaign, and once it has reached zero in number of cases, immunization will still continue, for polio has no cure and the threat remains. Yes, prevention is the key.

And focus. Rotary chose to focus on eradicating polio and the world responded.

Obviously, what you focus on is important. You focus on the good, and it will result to more good. Focus on the bad, well, it will result to more bad.

Same goes for prevention. You prevent good from happening, and bad will enter the picture. You prevent bad from entering that same picture, good will happen. I don’t know if they can co-exist at some point.

Well, “Service Above Self” has always been Rotary’s motto. But that self should be fully equipped—heart, soul, mind—before it can serve others.