Support to Rotary in China and North Korea

 

June, 2001 – Shanghai Rotary Club granted provisional status by the Rotary International Board. Much of the work was by former Rotary Club of Ottawa member, Randall Eastman, now living and working in Shanghai. The club has been successful on many fronts, including the delivery of a Sun Oven for an orphanage in the Pyongyang area , as well as the delivery of 500 children’s wheelchairs, primarily for the victims of a major explosion which devastated a large area of the city of Rongchang. This was accomplished with the financial assistance of several Rotary clubs as well as support from the Wheelchair Foundation.

 

2002 – 2005 – Eva Hammond (Rotary Club of Ottawa member and Past President), Randall Eastman and other Rotarians organized a visit to Canada for a delegation from North Korea to investigate the potato industry in Canada.

 

April, 2005 - the visit took place in April, 2005. North Korean participants included Dr. Jong, director, International Trade and Economic Cooperation and Education (and translator); Dr. Riu, VP of the Academy of Agricultural Sciences and Technology; and Mr. Jo Kwong Ryong, a scientist involved with both potato production and oilseed crops. The visit included meetings in Ottawa with senior members for International Trade and other organizations, which had been identified by Eva Hammond and members of the International Committee, Rotary Club of Ottawa. There was a social evening with Rotary Club of Ottawa members,  a full day with the scientists of the Central Experimental Farm on soybean and potato culture, and a morning at a  soy milk machine demonstration. These meetings proved most useful and were a platform to the on-site visit to Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

 

2005 – 2015 - following the completion of the North Korean project, the group continued to provide support to Randall Eastman with the establishment of the Korean Friendship Network.  Through the direct or indirect assistance of the network and its partners, several further initiatives have been undertaken. 

 

February 8, 2006 – the Rotary Club of Ottawa was the sponsoring club for the Shanghai Rotary Club (originally chartered in October, 1919).

2015 - A Rotary Service Fellowship has been proposed to Rotary International. The proposed name is DPRK (North Korea) Service Fellowship of Rotarians. Club member, Eva Hammond would be a founding member of the Fellowship.

 

See link to article from the Rotary International magazine, The Rotarian:

 

Sources: Eva Hammond, Randall Eastman and a report from Tom Wilkinson, Past District Governor, D7820