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International UnderstandingCultural IgnorancePaul Harris believed that the most promising mechanism for reducing international conflict was to enhance cultural understanding through meaningful interactions. If you segregate yourself from other cultures, you will never understand them and will be inclined to demean them. “When an individual, a sect, a clique or a nation hates and
despises another individual, sect, clique or nation, he or they simply
do not know the objects of their hatred. Ignorance is at the bottom of
it. Ignorance is a menace to peace. The higher the general average of
intelligence, all things else being equal, the less the disposition to
be meddlesome, critical, and overbearing. Individuals and nations owe it
to themselves and the world to become informed.” Reprinted by permission of the Rotary Global History from the Newsletter Nuggets Section of “What Paul Harris Wrote” (www.whatpaulharriswrote.org). Diplomacy and FellowshipPaul Harris believed, and the history of Rotary confirms, that creating a climate of fellowship in which people find common ground is the ultimate form of diplomacy. Peace is based on shared interests; war is based on non-shared interests. Since both are always present, stability will depend on which interests people choose to emphasize. “Rotary’s program of promoting better understanding between
different racial groups and between devotees to different religious
faiths, so simply and yet so auspiciously begun in the year 1905 has met
with greater success thus far than the negotiations of diplomats. It has
been the way of Rotary to focus thought upon matters in which members
are in agreement, rather than upon matters in which they are in
disagreement. Rotary has satisfactorily demonstrated the fact that
friendship can easily hurdle national and religious boundary lines.” Reprinted by permission of the Rotary Global History from the Newsletter Nuggets Section of “What Paul Harris Wrote” (www.whatpaulharriswrote.org). Respecting OthersNone of us controls our country of origin. Therefore, holding people responsible for their nationality is totally unreasonable to the point of being irrational. Moreover, Paul Harris argues that all nationalities deserve respect. Like most profound ideas, the beauty of this idea is its simplicity. “One’s religion is one’s own possession and he has a right
to it. One’s nativity is not of his own choosing, but whatever it may
be, it is entitled to respect; and all nations have [an] honorable place
in the world’s family.” Reprinted by permission of the Rotary Global History from the Newsletter Nuggets Section of “What Paul Harris Wrote” (www.whatpaulharriswrote.org). International UnderstandingThe Rotarian movement emphasizes understanding through fellowship. This principle not only works well for individuals, but is also relevant for countries. When people view their country as “us” and other countries as “them,” they are simply accelerating the inevitable decline of their own country. “Insularity induces the superiority complex, and the superiority
complex is responsible for much trouble. Permanent superiority has never
been realized by any nation in history. After the rise comes the
fall.” Reprinted by permission of the Rotary Global History from the Newsletter Nuggets Section of “What Paul Harris Wrote” (www.whatpaulharriswrote.org). Peace through UnderstandingPaul Harris believed that the effort to understand people from other cultures was the single best way to assure peace. “Charles Lamb, pointing to a man across the street, said to a
friend: “I don’t like that man.” To which his friend answered:
“Why, I didn’t know that you were acquainted with him.” Lamb
whimsically rejoined: “I am not acquainted with him; that’s why I
don’t like him.” How true it is that dislike vanishes in the light
of acquaintance. The best guaranty of world peace is world
understanding.” Reprinted by permission of the Rotary Global History from the Newsletter Nuggets Section of “What Paul Harris Wrote” (www.whatpaulharriswrote.org). What We SharePaul Harris spent his early years traveling the country and the world. His travels convinced him that all borders were artificial. Regardless of their country of origin, people shared common values. Learning that truth only requires that you meet and get to know people from other lands. “There are few fundamental differences between races of men. All
venerate justice, honor, integrity, and love; all despise injustice,
dishonor, dishonesty, and hatred. Without acquaintance it is human to
ascribe unworthy motives; with acquaintance it is human to do the
opposite. With acquaintance ripened into friendship, the chances of
dissension are remote.” Reprinted by permission of the Rotary Global History from the Newsletter Nuggets Section of “What Paul Harris Wrote” (www.whatpaulharriswrote.org). The Curious Nature of WarNo nation sanctions murder, yet somehow we have come to believe that mass murder between nations is acceptable. Paul Harris did not think so, and he wrote eloquently on the topic. “How strange it is that murder has the sanction of law in one
and only one of the human relationships, and that is the most important
of all, that of nation to nation. If we resort to arms to settle
personal grievances, we must suffer a penalty. As nations, we glorify
and idealize wholesale murder. In the relationship of man to man, we
must be gentlemen or forfeit the esteem of our countrymen; in the
relationship of nation to nation, we must be brutes, or forfeit their
esteem. The condition represents the great outstanding blotch upon
civilization. Soon may the long-looked-for, long-prayed understanding
come.” Reprinted by permission of the Rotary Global History from the Newsletter Nuggets Section of “What Paul Harris Wrote” (www.whatpaulharriswrote.org). Forget the StereotypesPaul Harris believed that the quickest way to destroy stereotypes was to meet and interact with people that you believe fit those stereotypes. Early Rotarians thought that Great Britain would not be fertile ground for Rotary based on stereotypes of British society. Clearly, the stereotypes were untrue, and Rotary has done very well in Great Britain. After Rotary had penetrated into Canada, Great Britain seemed in
the eyes of optimism to be waiting just around the corner. The
pessimists were, nevertheless, running true to form. To them, the hope
of winning the British to the movement was sheer naïveté. The British
were caste-ridden, and far too cold. Fancy Sir John becoming chummy with
a retail tradesman, his greengrocer, for instance. Time has revealed,
however, that the Briton is not so stratified as was supposed. Sir John
has shown himself human and deeply interested in the problems which
confront his fellow-members, whether their stations be high or low. Reprinted by permission of the Rotary Global History Fellowship from the Newsletter Nuggets Section of “What Paul Harris Wrote” (www.whatpaulharriswrote.org).
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