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Speaker's Notes
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Speaker's Notes 05/06/2008 |
Julie Snorek, a former Peace Corps volunteer in Niger, addressed the May 5 Club meeting on Amman Imman: the Water is Life program. She began her discussion by stating that many people are dying of thirst in the Azawak Valley in Niger – “the poorest region in the poorest country in the world” and that the non-profit Friendship Caravan was attempting to address this dire situation.
Ms. Snorek described the people of the Azawak as surviving from the nomadic herding of animals plus subsistence farming – both dependent on water. The area experiences a brief rainy season from June to August from which the people attempt to survive on the marshy water that remains for the balance of the year. As the marshes dry up, children are sent on long donkey rides to the few existing deep wells to bring back what water that can be carried – at distances often of 35 miles or greater. Due to disease and other negative conditions related to the water shortage, one out of two children in the area die before the age of five.
Amman Imman’s goal is to provide access to clean and permanent sources of water by drilling fifty deep wells in the Azawak area in the next fifteen years in order to adequately supply the approximately 500,000 people who live in that region. Further information regarding this humanitarian effort can be found on www.waterforniger.org.
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Speaker's Notes 04/28/2008 |
KEENE ROTARY CLUB – SPEAKER – 4/28/2008
Guest Bob Mallet, who received a Paul Harris award from our club 4 years ago, introduced today’s speaker, Dr. Richard Gustafson. Dr. Gustafson was at Keene State College 1973-1987 when he became President of New Hampshire College that became Southern New Hampshire University. Now Dr. Gustafson is Chancellor of the New Hampshire Community College System and his remarks today were about that institution.
New Hampshire Community College began in 1945 as technical training for returning World War II veterans. Now there are 7 campuses, a $100 million budget and 25,000 students, most of whom are from New Hampshire. For 62 years, it was a state agency but is now self governed. The campuses are in Claremont (River Valley), Berlin (White Mountain), Laconia, the seacoast (Great Bay), Nashua, Concord and Manchester, and technology, professional and business courses are offered.
Dr. Gustafson mentioned 2 programs:
Running Start offers Community College courses in high school with the ability to transfer credits. Approximately 5,000 students participate.
The Connections Program is for students who aspire to attend Keene State, UNH at Durham or Plymouth State but are not accepted. They may attend the Community College and then go to one of the other schools without going through the admissions process again.
He also mentioned 2 Keene initiatives:
They hope to purchase the Roosevelt School on Washington Street for a Keene academic center.
They are working to establish an FAA Center of Excellence at the airport for aircraft mechanics and repair. This requires the support of New Hampshire’s Congressional delegation. A feasibility study is being done and they hope to move to phase 2 which would be to develop a design for the program.
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Speaker's Notes 04/14/2008 |
| Theresa Masiello introduced the speaker, one of our own, Dr. Paul Vincent who has been on sabbatical from Keene State College and the Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies at the US Holocaust Museaum in Washington, D.C. Much time was spent at the Library of Congress reading papers on a bill proposed in December 1939 by Robert Wagner Sr a senator from NY. He proposed bringing 20,000 children from Germany; half in 1939 and the other 10,000 in 1940. His personal papers were donated to Georgetown University. The Wagner/Rogers bill failed due to opposition. More details will be discussed at the Hildebrandt Awards at Redfern Arts Center. |
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Speaker's Notes 04/07/2008 |
KEENE ROTARY CLUB – SPEAKER – 4/8/2008
Jan Cohen and Larry Siegel spoke at Keene Rotary Club on April 8, 2008 about Kaddish, an original musical composition which will debut in Keene on May 3, 2008. Mrs. Cohen is the Producer and Mr. Siegel is the Composer. It will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Cohen Center for Holocaust Studies at Keene State College.
The Interact Club is assisting with the production and it is sold out. It will, however, be simulcast to an adjacent auditorium and the dress rehearsal at 7 pm on May 2, 2008 is also open.
Mrs. Cohen explained that Kaddish is the traditional Jewish Prayer for the Dead and is spoken at funerals and on anniversaries of death.
Mr. Siegel said that the story of Kaddish is a story of hope. It is tales of Holocaust survivors performed by a chorus or soloist and backed by a chamber orchestra. The mission is to give one the incentive to serve the community, defined as the world, with the hope of preventing man’s inhumanity to man.
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Speaker's Notes 02/25/2008 |
THE SPEAKER - Holocaust and Genocide Awareness Club
Theresa Masiello pinch hit for the scheduled speaker today, who was unable to attend due to illness. Theresa gave a talk about a student group that was formed to try to create some action to protest the murderous activities that are being carried out in Darfur. The people in the region are suffering greatly between the two deadly forces of starvation and genocide. The region is lawless and there is very little safety to be found by anyone.
The Holocaust and Genocide Awareness Club is taking action to fight against the atrocities that are occurring there with support from the Cohen Center at Keene State College. The club is in its second year and has about 24 members,
Recently the president of the club, Jenny, spoke before the UNH Trustees and the members of a House committee at the State legislature in Concord.
The Trustees voted to instruct their investment advisors to not purchase or possess any investment vehicles that were in any way supportive of the regime in Khartoum.
Jenny’s testimony before the House committee on HB1516 was also well received. The bill is similar in nature to the action undertaken by the UNH Trustees in that it discourages the State from owning any investments that support the oppressive government in Khartoum.
The club is hosting an event to raise money and awareness the Friday at KSC at the Mabel Brown Room, in the Young Student Center. Admission is free but donations will be gladly accepted. There will be at least six musical groups scheduled to perform. All proceeds will be donated to Doctors Without Borders.
There is also a website, www.savedarfur.org that anyone can visit to get information or make a donation. |
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