February is Rotary’s “Peacebuilding and Conflict Prevention Month”.  How do we promote peace?  Our national organization states “by carrying out service projects and supporting peace fellowships and scholarships, our members take action to address the underlying causes of conflict, including poverty, discrimination, ethnic tension, lack of access to education, and unequal distribution of resources.”  All good things our club is and should be doing.

But maybe a little more applicable is how we interact with others daily.  For years I worked with a guy by the name of Jim who was the best foreman level leader I have ever worked with.  Now Jim didn’t move particularly fast, wasn’t particularly articulate, or do anything particularly exceptional.  But his group always got along, was very productive and everyone liked and respected Jim.  He was productive because he was efficient and didn’t waste any effort.  Why he was so well respected took a little more observation.  The short answer is that Jim treated everyone with respect. 

Respect is a funny thing, it is not earned, it is reciprocated.  Respect only has value when people realize they are respected.  Finally, when there is conflict between two reasonable people, it is invariably due to a lack, or perceived lack, of respect.

So, I challenge you this month to go out of your way to show respect to a few more people and to develop peace locally.

In Fellowship,

Stephen Boorman, President

Rotary Club of Idaho Falls