PASQUALE GINEVRINO

Rotary Club Bari Sud, Italy

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Roots

of International Rotary

and american missions

THE MISSIONARY EVANGELIZATION

         Rotary is consuming its first century of life. The event is being celebrated all over the world.

         Starting from a group of four men in Chicago, our international organization developed itself as such as to number clubs in 166 countries. Vinicio Barocas wrote that the founder himself of Rotary, Paul Harris, “in his last years was surprised for such an unexpected development”. Not even two world wars stopped the crewing up of Rotary.To the historian now remains the Harrisian surprise to take into account the affirmation of our association in the five continents.

         What was the cause of its development? Which were the social-cultural premises that supported it?

         An explanation has been suggested by Walter Russel Mead, expert of foreign policy and international economy, attentive and well-documented interpreter of American subjects. He affirmed: “The missionaries had an important role in the diffusion of institutions like the International Rotary and YMCA”.

         Then there is a link between Rotary and the long way of evangelization through missions – above all of the various Protestant churches, but also catholic, Mormon, and so on – in the world. Generally this point is not treated enough. Anyway it belongs at a certain extent to the history of Rotary itself, whose root has had something in common with the mission.

         Hence, does it exist an ideal link between missions and Rotary, referable to the purposes of diffusion of the American featured social organisation in other continents? Can we think of a personal link between the missionaries and some founders of Rotary in the world? Can we think of a correspondence of programs between the two organizations?

         Maybe nothing of that as organic, planned, or definable in a precise way, any reciprocal interference well aware of. However, from a formal point of view, nothing. Perhaps less from the point of view of representation in the world of the missions, as well as of  the functions of Rotary. Not yet there has been a continuous nearness between the missions and Rotary. The latter has moved itself with a “mission” spirit: “every Rotarian is like an apostle in the World”, as the founder of Rotary, Paul Harris, affirmed.

         The missions have operated for a long time, with the basic aim to evangelize. Missionaries have operated first of all on the consciences, getting men free from the links of ancient religions and leading them to the Holy Bible and to the Christian religion. In the name of their faith, missionaries have made pressures on men, have broken a multi-centennial order that found just in the religions a point of force, have proposed and gradually built up a social organisation that has infringed local traditions.

MISSIONS’ WIDTH AND AIM

       Missionaries, coming from the United States of America to Brazil, Africa, Asia and in particular to China, from 1850 and until the first decades of the twentieth century, have represented a very large phenomenon. It is to be considered that some areas, from where the largest contingents of missionaries have left (Utah), have been so emptied that they did not had the necessary electors to express a representative to the United States Senate. The missions have been animated especially from thousands of young people endowed with mystical spirit, of spirit of conversion of believers of different religions, and at the same time of conquest to the American values.

         A development along such a direction has been realized by Sun Yatsen work, who, grown in an American mission and then sent with a scholarship to the United States, coming back to his country founded the Chinese National Democratic party. The main objective of this party was the people’s  welfare to be built up through democracy.

         Naturally diffusion and reading of Holy Bible were the first purposes of the American missions. Immediately there came the diffusion of English language, of professional instruction, of sanity rules, of the promotion of liberal professions according to the American tradition. After having built that basis, it came the promotion of trade with the United States.

         Then the most cultivated and skilful among the missionaries turned into agents of the American interests. They went to the point to build up an informal representative network of the United States, firstly in China and then in other lands of mission. After the maturation of the political conditions in the receiving countries –also thanks to the missionaries’ work – formal diplomatic missions were organized. In that new phase, the reference points for the American diplomatic personnel were just those missionaries who had been very able to promote abroad the interests and imagine of the United States.

         It is confirmed by the coeval literature that the things went so. To describe the missionaries’ work we can found often the word “crusade”. About the 10s of the Twentieth Century, the declared aim of the Student Volunteer Movement (established in 1886) was to fulfil  “the Evangelization of the World in this Generation”, in order to contribute to “the redemption of the individual”.

         Anyway it was not all, because in the evangelization programme there had been inserted the influences of those streams seen outside the United States, not only for trade development purposes, but also for expansionistic aims.

         Americans “looked forward with confidence to China becoming a democratic nation guided by Christian ideals and closely allied with the United States”. In fact, according to an attentive historian of this phenomenon – “the great aim of American missions was evidently not to develop churches any more than it was to spread American culture”. According to Henry Kissinger,  “the influence of America and West has stimulated the largest part of Asia during the last hundred years”. But it occurred also an inverse process, remembers again Kissinger: “from the time of Transcendentalists of New England until our days, culture and ideas of Asia have influenced the American intellectual life, so reflecting the universality of human aims”.

SOCIETY’S AND GOVERNMENTS’ ATTITUDE

         Apart from proselytes – who after their conversion have generally found valid the social and religious system absorbed through missionaries’ predication – on the society’s and governments’ side serious resistances arose against predicators’ work, For instance, in China, during the nineteenth century , missionaries have been compelled in various places to operate in a covered way, in order to avoid violence, imprisonment and condemnations. Also in the Islamic countries resistances have been very strong, but generally thanks to the initiative of local tribal groups, for the general lack of an efficient state organisation.

         On the other hand it is understandable that all the states, and all social systems strongly resist against any conditioning coming from outside.

ROTARY AND AMERICAN WAY OF LIVING

         A closer contact between missions’ and Rotary programmes may be found in the modernization of the way of life”, and consequently with “the newly developing agricultural missions or medical work”.

         Among the activities of Rotary (established in 1905), as scheduled in the first statute (1912), there was that of promoting the acknowledgement of the pair dignity for every activity, of informing business and professional activity the highest integrity  principles, of promoting exchange of ideas  and professional techniques, of encouraging and open the range of their own knowledge in order to better serve and to get successful, of stimulating every associate’s interest towards the general good, and of co-operating to the development of community.

         The translation of those principles into practice has consented to develop – especially through Rotary Foundations – international humanitarian programmes (wells, houses, medical and sanitary assistance, schooling), and educational initiatives (scholarships, financing of course of foreign languages, exchange of study groups, aid for teaching in developing countries).

         As we can see apart from religious predication, which is not part of Rotary purposes – the Rotarian social activities are similar to thouse of missionaries who moved from the United States towards the World. Almost in all international accomplishments of Rotary, during some hundred years the Rotarians, who have ventured to the Four Corners of the world, have often worked along with the missionaries. From such a co-operation in agronomic, environmental, building, and sanitary fields has born a profitable share of ideas. Consequently, so many Rotarians also after their coming back to their countries, have remained missionaries, transferring to their original club a deep humanitarian and of party spirit. Such a spirit has carried an imprint of high ethics, which sets over to mere convivial association. At last, if Rotarians do not become somewhat missionaries, their meetings might be only rivers of words without outlets.

ROTARY CONSENSUS BASIS      

       However it lasts a very important element of difference between the two experiences.

         The missions have operated in territories with religious and cultural characteristics very different from the United States, missionaries’ country of origin. Consequently they have met some hostility in their programme towards to uniform traditions, usage, and beliefs of foreign lands to the American ones. Rotary has instead addressed its prevailing activity towards the managing classes, after missionaries’ task, aiming at Western models, has been accomplished.

         It is not a little difference, because the Rotary activity has developed itself on a basis of consensus to Western way of living yet acquired by the missions. The Rotary, in a laic way, has not made any pressure. It has limited itself to spread the Rotarian principles towards a managing class already made. It has performed this task – following its rules – stimulating the interest towards the general good, and the co-operation spirit towards the development of community.

         All that determined, towards Rotary, an open and co-operative reception, different from that reserved to missionaries. Even in a country like India, jealous of its religion and its traditions, the Rotary – differently from missions which faced a general refuse of the convertions – could affirm itself.

         At the end, all over the world Rotary could develop with continuity and with rare obstacles an association programme not requesting a profession of faith but a free acceptance. Such a programme has been accepted from each individual, freely and without any necessity to renegade a different tradition and to convert himself. The diffusion of Rotarian activities was often allowed also by the local authorities, who sometimes have adhered to the Clubs.    

         As through mission, also through the Rotary culture and the American way of living they have spread everywhere. Also through the Rotary American and Western economic and financial interests have found an instrument to be credited and diffused. If the operation accomplished by Rotary has some similarities in content with fighting missions, it has had characteristics of incisiveness and real consensus. Rotary has made its task more and more lasting, effective, respectful of men, and of local cultures.

PASQUALE GINEVRINO

(Past President Rotary Club Bari Sud.Chairman Distrettuale della Campagna

per l’Eradicazione della Polio

Diploma d’Onore dell’Ist. Culturale Rotariano)

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Oltre l’OMS oltre il Gs

Il poliovirus come Dolly

Il futuro della Campagna per l’Eradicazione della Polio (PEC) che, il R.I. sovvenziona con i suoi partners, si gioca su tre tavoli:

-    a Ginevra (OMS) per quanto rigurarda il disegno delle strategie sanitarie.

-    al tavolo del G8, per il finanziamento della PEC giunta a un punto critico.

-    a New  York (N.Y.), a Stony Brook, ove un team di scienziati, diretto dal Prof. Cello, è riuscito a costruire artificialmente il poliovirus. Lo ha pubblicato l’autorevole “Science”.

         Per quanto riguarda il primo punto, va posto in rilievo che, al vertice dell’OMS, il 21 luglio scorso c’è stato il cambio di guardia: il nuovo direttore generale eletto (DG) è Lee Jong-Wook. Egli, nell’inaugural address, ha sottolineato come priorità l’aggiornamento del personale sanitario e l’intensificazione della collaborazione – a tutti i livelli operativi – per accrescere l’efficacia dell’azione contro VIH/AIDS. (Sic!)

CAMBIO DI ROTTA

         Questo icastico annuncio veniva dato – si badi – il 21/7 u.s. con comunicato n° 59. Poi avviene un cambio di rotta. Il comunicato OMS/60 del 29/7, il primo dopo l’insediamento del nuovo DG, invece dava notizia della decisione di Lee di “intensificare l’azione mondiale per eradicare la Polio che sta minacciando nuovi Paesi”. (Fig.1) L’azione anti-VIH/AIDS quindi passava in secondo piano.

         Dalle date e dalla numerazione dei due comunicati si vuol cogliere l’effettiva priorità data da Lee alla PEC, l’urgenza del rischio di diffusione oltre i confini degli Stati ove il morbo è endemico :India, Pakistan, Egitto, Niger e Nigeria. Quest’ultima da due lustri, attraversa una fase di depressione economica ed instabilità politica. Non solo nelle città (Abuja la capitale, Kano, Sokoto, Jos ecc.) ma anche nelle campagne si registrano dozzine di casi/die di virosi esportabili – logicamente – nei Paesi confinanti, già dichiarati  poliofree. Si rischia di annullare il lavoro fin qui fatto e l’impegno profuso da migliaia di operatori (anche rotariani), che spesso hanno rischiato la vita.

         La nomina di Heymann a rappresentante del nuovo DG per la PEC è, per ora, una misura valida. Heymann ha diretto, con successo, le operazioni contro la SRAS, propagatasi in 30 diversi Stati. La sua competenza virologica è indiscutibile.

         Il secondo comunicato OMS fu ripreso e commentato in Francia da “Le Figaro” del 29/7 con ampio risalto all’impegno del R.I. In Italia dalla testata cattolica “Avvenire” del 31/7.

AL TAVOLO DEL G8

In questa analisi entra, per la prima volta, il G8, “il massimo consesso economico mondiale, (avviato nel 1973 come G4 con una riunione dei ministri dell’economia di USA, Germania occ., Francia e Inghilterra)”: la nota assise internazionale, che periodicamente riunisce i rappresentanti dei Paesi più industrializzati del mondo. In seno a questo GROUP vengono dettate le direttive della politica finanziaria ed economica valide a livello planetario. E che la PEC sia un problema planetario, viene dimostrato anche dall’assunzione (Fig. 2) del suo finanziamento nella lista dei protocolli discussi in una sede sovranazionale come il G8, di Kananaskis e di Evian.

         Dei 210 milioni di $ occorrenti al completamento della PEC entro il 2005 (centenario della fondazione del R.I.), i Governi del G8 si sono impegnati a versarne 95. Le Nazioni che si sono impegnate in questa operazione di sovvenzionamento supplementare sono il Canada, il Giappone, la Russia e il Regno Unito.

         Il Dr. Lee ha lanciato un messaggio agli altri membri del GROUP a seguire l’esempio delle nazioni succitate: c’è il rischio di annullare alcune “campagne cruciali di vaccinazioni” e di ridurre la sorveglianza.

         Il terzo tavolo su cui si giocano i destini della PEC, è a N.Y., la città che non è urbs ma un concentrato del mondo.

         In questa città, unica al mondo, il vero cuore dell’America, è stato creato artificialmente il POLIOVIRUS aprendo il sipario su una nuova serie di problematiche finora non previste.

         Ho paragonato questo processo alla clonazione della pecora Dolly ma è cosa ben diversa sebbene biologicamente paragonabile per l’artificiosità. Il poliovirus è nato, infatti, con tecnica  - come vedremo avanti - diversa ma, teleologicamente parlando, simile nella progettazione e nei risultati. Quello - che solo oggi si è potuto dedurre – è che questa ricerca nel 2001 fu segreta. Il Top Secret fu posto dal braccio biologico dell’antiterrorismo americano. La ragione era che, come il vaiolo e l’antrace, il poliovirus era potenzialmente un agente biologico che poteva essere usato come arma terroristica.

         Nel 1999 “the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)”, partner del Rotay nella PEC, in un meeting di esperti a livello nazionale statunitense, decise di mantenere alto l’andamento della vaccinazione antipolio e la sua sorveglianza – negli S.U. e in molti altri Paesi industrializzati. (Vedi Backgrounder OMS riprodotto fedelmente, records noti solo a posteriori, in Fig. 3).

NEW YORK E ANTITERRORISMO

Il Dipartimento di Genetica Molecolare e Microbiologica della State University a Stony Brook, è una nuova frontiera del lavoro sperimentale. Qui è stata recentemente raggiunta, come ha dimostrato l’articolo di Cello e coll.pubblicato dalla rivista a diffusione mondiale “Science”. Il gruppo di ricercatori è stato in grado di costruire in laboratorio una copia quasi perfetta del poliovirus naturale solo partendo dal suo codice chimico. Il risultato è stato raggiunto partendo dalla districarsi dei geni del poliovirus, disponibile in una banca-dati pubblica. Cello e la sua équipe hanno avuto bisogno di circa un anno di tempo per disporre i frammenti aggregati in modo tale da formare il primo terzo del virus.

         Una volta stabilito che tutto era spazialmente corretto, Cello ha commissionato ad una agenzia privata, in grado di sintetizzare DNA*,  l’assemblaggio della restante parte di poliovirus. Tale operazione ha richiesto 2 mesi. Per distinguere il virus sintetico dai ceppi naturali (quali quelli isolati da pazienti con la malattia o da ambienti contaminati), il team di Stony Brook ha inserito 19 markers ritenuti, dalla comunità scientifica, non in grado di modificare il comportamento del polio, ma capaci di far distinguere il virus artificiale dal naturale.I ricercatori hanno poi messo a contatto il genoma* a DNA con gli enzimi adatti a riconvertirlo nell’RNA# “core “ proprio e caratteristico  del polio. Hanno ottenuto così il poliovirus artificiale.

         Esso è in grado di comportarsi in modo molto simile alla sua controparte naturale, per quanto concerne le proprietà biologiche e patologiche. La ricerca è stata descritta come un’avanzamento tecnologico. Ma insieme alle lodi, un certo numero di critiche è stato diretto al gruppo di ricercatori ed al “MAGAZINE” che ha pubblicato lo studio.

         La maggior parte delle riserve riguardano la possibilità, ancora piuttosto remota, (comunque aperta alla ricerca in questione), di ricostruire altri patogeni le cui sequenze genomiche siano pubblicamente disponibili. E’ vero che altri agenti per il bioterrore – come il virus del vaiolo – sono di gran lunga  più voluminosi e complessi del poliovirus, ma ciò che oggi non è immediatamente fattibile può diventarlo nel prossimo futuro.

         Contro queste critiche gli autori dello studio di sono difesi affermando che la pubblicazione del lavoro è stato un mezzo per “allertare le autorità’ circa ciò che i bioterroristi potrebbero fare”. Tuttavia, le maggiori obiezioni vengono da scienziati coinvolti nella lotta contro le malattie virali e la polio in particolare. Questi scienziati sostengono che, con un tale risultato, ottenuto in laboratorio, il poliovirus “non andrà mai via”. Infatti, uno degli obiettivi della PEC è quello si sospendere l’immunizzazione una volta che la malattia sia stata completamente eradicata. Ma data la possibilità di ricreare il virus artificialmente, i ricercatori favorevoli all’immunizzazione continuata, sperano che l’OMS riveda la propria posizione. Qualunque sia la valutazione personale di tale ricerca, la presenza del poliovirus, costruito in laboratorio, potrebbe portare ad un prolungamento dei piani di eradicazione della polio che richiederebbero ulteriori sforzi per essere perseguiti.