District 7930 Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Committee has created a Citation for clubs to achieve progress toward DEI. In reviewing the Citation requirements (25 suggested action steps, Club must achieve 13 of the 25 for certification) Reading had already taken many of the action steps suggested by the Committee. With a few additional modest steps, we have achieved the requirements. Our DEI Tracker can be viewed here.
Rotary values a commitment to individual and Club efforts to build respect, dignity, fairness, caring, equality and self-esteem.
A top priority for Rotary District 7930 is growing and diversifying our membership to make sure we reflect the communities we serve and are inclusive of all cultures, experiences, and identities.
To help us achieve our goal, the Rotary International Board of Directors passed a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) statement, which was just recently updated and expanded in the summer of 2021:
At Rotary, we understand that cultivating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture is essential to realizing our vision of a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change.
We value diversity and celebrate the contributions of people of all backgrounds, across age, ethnicity, race, color, disability, learning style, religion, faith, socioeconomic status, culture, marital status, languages spoken, sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity as well as differences in ideas, thoughts, values, and beliefs.
Recognizing that individuals from certain groups have historically experienced barriers to membership, participation, and leadership, we commit to advancing equity in all aspects of Rotary, including in our community partnerships, so that each person has the necessary access to resources, opportunities, networks, and support to thrive.
We believe that all people hold visible and invisible qualities that inherently make them unique, and we strive to create an inclusive culture where each person knows they are valued and belong.
In line with our value of integrity, we are committed to being honest and transparent about where we are in our DEI journey as an organization, and to continuing to learn and do better.
We look forward to a presentation of our Citation by District Leadership at an upcoming date.