The Owosso Rotary Club has adopted the following statement on Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access in our community.
Owosso Rotary Club on Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access
At the Owosso Rotary Club, we have no tolerance for racism. Promoting respect, celebrating diversity, demanding ethical leadership, and working tirelessly to advance peace are central tenets of the work of Rotary International[1], and we are proud to do our part locally to make the world a better place.
Owosso, like many places, has an unfortunate history of racism. We know we are neither responsible for the past, nor destined to repeat it. We also have a community that has long been home to people of good will, champions of justice, and leaders for a stronger society. For 100 years, the Owosso Rotary Club has been a central part of that community. We now have an opportunity and obligation to create a more just, open, and welcoming community for all people.
We know there are no easy fixes and that challenging conversations and work lie before all of us. Rotary’s strength has long been our ability and commitment to bringing people together. We will tap into that strength now as we stand with those who are working for peace and justice.
The Owosso Rotary Club will do our part to listen, learn and take action to ensure that we continue to contribute to making positive change in our community and around the world. We commit to the following activities:
- To continue to educate ourselves about issues of inclusion, diversity, equity, and access (IDEA) and discuss these topics as a Club;
- To welcome all visitors and potential members to our Club without regard to race, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, or disability status;
- To actively work to build a Club with a diverse membership and build goodwill and better friendships within the Club;
- To be a model of goodwill to our community, to share what we are learning--and to invite others to also learn--about inclusion, diversity, equity and access;
- To annually hold a public event commemorating the life and work of Martin Luther King, Jr.;
- To work with other organizations in Owosso and Shiawassee County to oppose racism and promote a diverse, inclusive, equitable, and welcoming community;
- To take action with other Clubs and Rotary International to promote peace and justice in our region, country, and world.
[1] The statement of the Owosso Rotary Club relies on this Statement from Rotary International, June 2, 2020 https://www.rotary.org/en/statement-rotary-international