Ladies and Gentlemen.
Thank you John for your kind introduction. It is great to be here in Newbridge today and I am honoured to be speaking at this Rotary Club event.
Many people have heard of Rotary, but I think it is fair to say that not so many have a real and clear sense of what Rotary stands for. As John has touched upon, the Rotary organisation has committed itself to fostering the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise. This is reflected in the Rotarians commitment to high ethical standards in business and professions and in the good work that they undertake within the community.
In the 17 years since it was established, Newbridge Rotary Club has worked hard to practice the worldwide Rotary motto: ‘Service above Self’. While I recognise that you are a service organisation rather than a charity, it is only right that we acknowledge the great support you have given to local community organisations in Newbridge such as the Hospice and Meals on Wheels. The work of your Club in supporting Youth Leadership and Youth Mentoring Projects in the area is also commendable.
These activities are a practical demonstration of the Rotarians central sense of responsibility to provide role models for the community and to make our communities better places.
The need to promote this kind of ‘active citizenship’ is something that has long been a matter of concern to me and I am glad to have the opportunity to speak to you about it today.
I believe we all must work hard to protect and enhance the spirit of voluntary participation because there is a strong sense that a changing society is affecting how we relate to each other and to the wider community.
And yet, everyone seems to agree that the ultimate health of our communities depends on the willingness of people to become involved and active, whether it is developing the sporting talents of our young people or helping the old and the needy. Voluntary activity of this kind forms the fabric of civil society. The future well-being of Irish society demands that we take steps now to foster participation by citizens in community life.
For these reasons, last year I established the Taskforce on Active Citizenship which is chaired by Mary Davis.
Active citizenship can mean different things to different people. I believe that, while volunteering is certainly a key issue, the concept of the active citizen is a wider one, encompassing engagement with your neighbours, your local community, other organisations and society in general. An active citizen is one who is aware of what is happening around them and strives towards the common good.
The job of the Taskforce is to inform the Government on measures that can be put in place to harness a shared sense of belonging and to encourage greater participation, both locally and nationally. I hope to receive their final report shortly and look forward to its findings. I know that one of the things they have been looking at is how we can help create strong links between businesses and local community groups.
These kinds of links have been actively demonstrated by the Newbridge Rotary Club which I see as a real proponent of what ‘active citizenship’ actually means in practice. This follows through at an international level which has seen this Club supporting Rotary’s own polio plus project. As John mentioned, I was greatly honoured last year to receive Rotary International’s Polio Eradication Champion Award in recognition of this country’s financial contribution to polio eradication worldwide.
Newbridge Rotary Club has also done additional work to support the provision of clean water facilities in various parts of the World as well as supporting community groups in Latin America and the provision of secondary education in very disadvantaged areas of Africa. You also assisted with the provision of emergency housing in Thailand after the Tsunami.
You have demonstrated the virtues, not just of remembering, but also being of practical assistance to those that need our help. Not everyone has shared our good fortune. Here in Newbridge we see evidence of our success as a country all around us. This thriving town with its rich cultural heritage has undoubtedly reaped the benefits of its location – close to Dublin and with good transport links. With a large catchment area of business and residential development surrounding the town and a growing population, Newbridge can look forward to continued success.
And of course, a key ingredient for this success is the willingness of people to invest in their community. The activities of this Rotary Club are a good example of how a relatively small group of people can make a difference at local, national and international level. Clearly, the business people of Newbridge have much to offer – to each other and to the wider community.
The Rotary ethos of business and professional integrity and of serving a wide range of humanitarian needs is a very worthy one. Congratulations to you on the good work that you have done and I wish you every success with all of your future endeavours.
Thank you.
ENDS