Lion - April 2018

President’s Message

2018-04-09 15:47:22

CARING FOR OUR WORLD, CONNECTING TO FUTURE GENERATIONS

NAMASTE!

Lions know that service to others brings its own very special kind of rewards. There is nothing quite like the smile that breaks across the face of a child who plays on a Lions playground, or the look of relief in a mother’s eyes when her baby receives a measles shot. Bringing shelter to disaster victims or aid to the needy—these actions connect the humanity in us to the humanity of those all around us.

But sometimes service must be done even when the rewards aren’t as immediate. Sometimes, if you aren’t careful to keep your heart on the big picture, the sacrifice is all you notice. When being called upon to act for the environment, we’re often given a list of things we should not do: Don’t use plastic water bottles, don’t drive your car too much, don’t take a long shower. And you’ll find those suggestions in this issue, along with other small ways you can do your part.

But caring for our world shouldn’t feel like a chore. This is our only home.

And we have a responsibility to future generations to care for it. When we do a service project that makes our environment better, we are connecting ourselves to those future generations. The Environment is an essential part of our new global causes, one by which we have served 64 million people in the past four years alone.

The young people of the world are passionate about this issue. It is a cause that energizes them. Some clubs have reported that they’ve used environmental service projects as a way to recruit more young people, and it’s worked. More than half of all Lions clubs—26,550 and counting—have recently organized a project to help the environment. We’re gathering momentum, and its time to see this through until we live in a more verdant world.

In India, we face many environmental concerns. We are struggling with air pollution and groundwater depletion, which threaten the health and livelihoods of everyone, rich and poor. Just like other countries, we use too many plastics and have to deal first-hand with the ramifications of climate change.

But these challenges are not insurmountable. And while there are many small things every individual can do, there are big things that we can do together as Lions when we use our vast network to connect to our communities.

So, yes, do the little things. Most changes are so small you won’t notice them. But do the big things too: Come together as a group to clean a beach or a trail, plant trees on a bare bank, recycle newspapers or plastic bags. Not only might you attract new members, but you will also be connecting yourself and your club to the greater community, now and into the future.

We do not feel the Earth turning, but we see night turn into dawn. For the two billion people who do not drink clean drinking water, for the millions who have no sanitary toilet facilities, for the many animal species that are on the brink of extinction, we need a new dawn for our planet.

This planet does not belong to us; we belong to this planet.

DR. NARESH AGGARWAL

LIONS CLUBS INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT

Published by International Association of Lions Clubs . View All Articles.

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