By Vukoni Lupa-Lasaga Rotary International
27 April 2004
Seizing the opportunity offered by its prime location near the United States capital Washington, DC, the Rotary Club of Montgomery Village, Maryland, is spearheading an effort, now in its second year, to promote peace and understanding between the people of the U.S. and the Arab world.
The initiative, which last October organized a successful week of public education on Arab culture and civilization through a march and an exhibition, has been adopted as a centennial-year project of District 7620.
More than 100 Rotarians from the district attended the project launch at the embassy of the Kingdom of Bahrain on 19 April. Through the effort, the district will help rehabilitate a prosthetics center in Basra, Iraq, in collaboration with the nonprofit organization Physicians for Peace. The three Rotary clubs of Bahrain are considering continuing their involvement with the project.
"There is an urgent need throughout Iraq and the project is to firstly expedite putting prosthetics on the many children on the waiting list, to train the Iraqi physicians with the latest technology, and to supply the center with much needed supplies," says Linda A. Smythe, World Community Service chair of the Rotary Club of Montgomery Village, who worked for many years in Bahrain. "I'm not an Arab or of Arab origin, but I see a compelling reason to reach out in a concrete way toward the Middle East for the sake of peace. The Rotarians in this district are more determined than ever to make our project succeed. In the past year, they have met many Arab people through this project. Now, they can put faces and names to the people from the Arab world."
District Governor Jim McDiamird and Montgomery Village club president Glen Todd bestowed Paul Harris Fellow recognition on event co-host Sheik Khalifa Ali Al-Khalifa for his contributions toward peace and international understanding as an honorary Rotarian and Bahrain ambassador to the U.S.
Last year, Al-Khalifa supported the club's peace project by helping to sponsor the trip of Arab musicians and henna artists to the educational exhibition, which attracted more than 500 students and residents. Henna is a cosmetic dye that is used for palm- and feet-painting, mostly in the Middle East and Africa. Local, national, and international media widely covered that event.
"More than anything, the displays and a town hall meeting attended by five Arab ambassadors created a nonconfrontational environment for Americans and Arabs to interact," says Smythe. "I was impressed with everybody. We all pulled together to fulfill the objectives of our project and to raise the profile of Rotary."
At the 19 April event, Rotary Peace Scholar Arthur Romano presented Ambassadors Al-Khalifa and Rend Al-Rahim of Iraq with a peace pole, symbolizing a wish for lasting peace in their countries.
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