Sounds impressive, doesn't it? The sort of phrase that requires a PowerPoint presentation, the appointment of consultants and a strategic plan containing the words “stakeholder engagement” at least ten times.But at Surfers Sunrise Rotary, we can relax. We have been doing ‘Community Economic Development’ for years. We just didn't know that was what it was called!
Take Youth Outreach. Last April, our member Evan Mita – in connection with his work at Mission Australia - organised a visit and connection to this organisation, which helps disadvantaged young people get their lives moving in the right direction. That can mean gaining a trade qualification, learning practical life skills, getting a driver's licence or even opening a bank account. And frankly: for a disadvantaged young person, getting your first bank account and a license is probably more useful than learning how to write a 40-page strategic plan.
Then there is our Wheelchair Project. Our volunteers take discarded bicycles and, following a proven design by Des La Rance, turn them into rough-terrain wheelchairs for people in disadvantaged communities overseas. More than 12,000 wheelchairs have now been produced. OK, so theoretically, this is “International Service”. Yes, it is, but... IMHO, this is just as much a Community Service project. It provides our associate members with an environment to enjoy the company of their fellow volunteers. Is it ‘Economic Development’? Yes. Giving the gift of mobility to disabled, wheelchair-bound persons in developing countries can even allow them to become a productive member of their community, even a scientist. Think Stephen Hawking.
Does recycling containers fit into this category? Via our Express Recycling partnership, in just one year, Surfers Sunrise collected around 165,000 containers. At ten cents a container, that had an economic consequence for our club. The money helps fund our projects, but now that Australia can’t “export” our plastic bottles anymore, they don’t go to landfill either. A win for Rotary, a win for the environment and, presumably, a win for anyone who enjoys counting empty bottles.
So perhaps Community Economic Development isn't as complicated as it sounds. It is about giving people skills, creating opportunities, recycling resources, building partnerships and helping people become more independent. At Rotary Surfers Sunrise, we just call it Service Above Self. By all means, if you want to sound impressive, call it Community Economic Development.
I never knew we were so sophisticated. But no, we can’t sit on our laurels. The need continues to be out there, and, in the words of RI President Olayinka Babalola, we must continue to make a lasting impact.