SEM REGION

ON I REG SEM

ASSOCIATIONS RT Bulgaria RT Cyprus RT France RT Gibraltar RT Israel RT Italy RT Malta RT Monaco RT Morocco RT Portugal RT San Marino RT Switzerland RT Tunisia SOUTHERN EUROPE & MEDITERRANIAN REGION

AN SEM MEETING ON THE ROCK

By NICHOLAS GOMEZ, SEM Chairman 2021-2022

BROTHERS, I write to tell you of the Southern Europe and Mediterranean Region's meeting which is taking place between the 22nd and the 26th June in my home town of Gibraltar!

I set out last year to stand as chairman for the SEM region, and one factor behind this was that we are hosting the SEM meeting for the first time in more than 25 years. So, what's happening, and why should you register?

Firstly, a little bit of background to Gibraltar. Gibraltar is located at the southernmost tip of Spain and at the entrance to the Mediterranean. The weather for late June will be between 25 – 30 degrees. It is perfect beach weather!

We may hold the record for having the most bars/pubs per square kilometre than anywhere else globally, and to top it off, alcohol is cheap.

Gibraltar has deep routed military and cultural history, much of which is still visible today, for example, the Moorish Castle, which is more than 700 years old and has unique limestone caves! We are also known for having the only wild monkey population in Europe – macaques – which is the theme of the special and limited issue event pin that will be available to attendees.

Secondly, what's happening? I am pleased to announce that our most famous tabling product, Chris Gabay (you may recognise him from international travels over the last decade – and most recently as a Sergeant at Arms at the HYM in Marrakech) will be heading the Pre-Tour.

Chris has arranged a two-day pre-tour, which involves a tour of the rock of Gibraltar and the limestone caves, enjoying beaches in the surrounding area, a dolphin safari, and either surfing lessons or go-karting. In short, a perfect start to your summer holidays!

As of Friday, the SEM event starts with registration and the councillor's meeting, followed by an evening on the town with your Gibraltarian brothers in Table.

On Saturday, the SEM Meeting takes place at the University of Gibraltar, located at the southernmost end and with great views of the Mediterranean and Morocco! After the banner exchange and lunch, I have arranged for a special Chairman's Texas Hold 'em poker tournament. This is a limited space event. The money used for the buy-ins will be donated to a charity chosen by Round Table Gibraltar. The winner receives a prize together with some Round Table Gibraltar items.

Where can you register? Here – www.sem2022.com

I look forward to seeing as many of my brothers and sisters as possible in Gibraltar. I know that the team will look after you!

Yours in table

Nicholas Gomez

semchairman@round-table.org

EDITORIAL & STORIES

28 WE ACT AGAINST POVERTY

By Mr PAUL DIPPENAAR

32 A TABLER'S 30 ACTS OF KINDNESS - IN RETROSPECT

By Mr PAUL HOEKSEMA

34 A FIREWORK OF NEW DEVELOPMENTS

By Mr THOMAS MENNECKEMEYER

36 ROUND PLAYBLE

By Mr MIKAEL HEDMAN

38 THE HISTORY OF FPS GAMES

By Mr DAVID JOE WILLIAMS

40 LADIES' CIRCLE

By YVETTE CORNELISSEN

42 THE INDIVIDUALS OF SUPERIOR DISCONTENT

By Mr GRAHAM CORNELISSEN

44 THE POWER OF CONTINUOUS GIVING

By Mr PAUL DIPPENAAR

58 GROOMED OR DOOMED

By Mr PAUL HOEKSEMA

56 PLAYING THE COIN GAME

By ROUND TABLE INTERNATIONAL

58 HOW MUCH LEADERSHIP IS NEEDED?

By Mr MARC GERMESHAUSEN

61 A PRATICAL TOKEN OF LEADERSHIP

by Mr OWAIN RAW-REES

56 WEARING YOUR BLING

By Mr PAUL HOEKSEMA

68 BEAING MORE THAN A TREASURER

By Mr ROBERT KERINS and Mr GRAHAM CORNELISSEN

70 WRITING A KILLER ARTICLE

By Mr GRAHAM CORNELISSEN

WE ACT AGAINST

AGAINST

POVERTY

By Mr PAUL DIPPENAAR, Round Table International CSO

The community service of RTI and the good we do as tablers are divided into 5 different pillars. Poverty and reducing the impact of this on people's lives are one of these pillars. Poverty is widely described as the lack or absence of something. The first thing most think of is the financial aspect. Although economic poverty contributes to about 80% of it, as a collaborative, poverty goes way beyond just the immediate absence of money.

ACCORDING TO UNICEF, 22 000 children die every day due to poverty, the lack of basic living conditions, or povertyrelated illness. These children mostly die in some poor, remote villages far away from the conscience and watching eye of the world. Poverty is divided into the following 4 main segments in terms of type:

ABSOLUTE POVERTY is the worst kind related to the complete lack of food, clean drinking water, essential health, and a place to stay. People generally living under these conditions struggle to stay alive. The most common causes of child deaths are preventable and include diseases like Malaria, Cholera, and other waterrelated diseases. This type of poverty is usually longlasting and passed from generation to generation. This type of poverty is more likely in underdeveloped third world countries than in developed countries.

RELATIVE POVERTY is where comparisons are drawn between individual lifestyles within a community. If a family does not have the funds to go on vacation or buy presents for one another, where the rest of the neighbourhood has. They might get subsidised by the government and still have enough to eat, good and clean drinking water, and access to essential health and basic education.

SITUATIONAL POVERTY can be described as families who got poor due to factors outside their control. This is typically connected to natural disasters like earthquakes or floods, where they might have lost their residence. This could also include illnesses like Covid 19 where many people lost their jobs etc. Usually, people can get themselves out of this situation reasonably quickly with the help and assistance of somebody as the cause of this poverty is linked to an unfortunate event.

GENERATIONAL OR CHRONICLE POVERTY is described as a much more complex form of poverty

that is passed on from one generation to the next. This type is almost impossible to escape from. People in this situation have virtually no access to any tools to help them escape this situation. The poorest countries in the world affected most by generational poverty are situated in Sub-Sahara Africa, South Asia, and Latin America. The poorest of them all is Sub-Saharan Africa. Out of the 22 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, 310 million people are classified as chronically poor, with 150 million living on less than 1 USD per day. The countries include Angola, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Somalia, Sudan, and Zambia. Latin America had about 25 million in South Asia, about 200 million people living under the 1USD mark per day.

The World Bank released a statement in 2015 that they estimate that 700 million people globally live on less than 1.90 USD per day. This is better than the 1 billion people reported in 1990, but still too much. These people were characterised by the UN as a group that was severely deprived of basic human needs, including food, clean drinking water, basic health, sanitation, and the prospect of education.

WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON CAUSES OF POVERTY?

High Unemployment rates compounded by overpopulation

Lack of availability of proper basic education

Warfare and Conflict

Natural disasters caused by weather and climate change

No or limited access to food and clean water

Lack of infrastructure

Lack of government support and a failing system due to corruption

Lack of primary healthcare and rising disease rate of Malaria and HIV Aids

High inflation rates caused by a struggling economies

Inheritance of generational poverty

The impact of poverty is far-reaching and could be considered a vicious cycle. Apart from the obvious economic challenges caused by absolute poverty, where people cannot buy food and water or afford a basic shelter or pay for primary healthcare, usually associated with failing economies. The absence of money also creates the problem of not being able to pay for education where you could learn skills, get a job and elevate yourself from poverty.

Generational poverty or Absolute poverty leads to extreme hunger or even starvation due to malnutrition. These people, especially children, are much more vulnerable to diseases like cholera and TB. Due to their natural state, they will soon enter the market as sex workers or fall victim to human trafficking. (Prostitution) This is very common among young girls, whereas the young boys typically join gangs or extremist rebel forces. Both boys and girls are easily caught in a web of crime, possibly also fuelled by drug abuse.

HOW CAN WE HELP?

As one can see, the problem is far more extensive than most of us realise. Now it is time to act to help reduce poverty in our local communities. During June, the RTI Board would like to encourage every association to grab this opportunity and get involved in fighting poverty. We all experience poverty in our local communities or Associations to the same extent.

No matter where you are from, you can make a difference in the life of someone less fortunate.

Some examples of club or association wide projects are as follows:

Teach a person a new skill which they can use to earn an income

Help set up a small vegetable garden with seeds to feed a family in need

Clean out your closets or your residence and donate clothing or goods

Drive someone to an interview that would otherwise not have the opportunity

Offer someone employment, even if only for a short term. Be available then as a reference for future employment

Approach local restaurants or supermarkets to donate good food to the needy that would otherwise go to waste.

Help someone draft a professional CV and then float this in your networks

Help with the construction of housing or educational centres

Should there really be no need in your local community or association, look beyond your borders to where the need is great. Consider reaching out to associations that do projects in this regard. Most of the associations in AMI and ASPA run projects aimed explicitly at poverty alleviation. Should you choose a side by side option, Ladies' Circle International Service Project caters to the homeless in Morocco.

It really doesn't matter how we get involved. AS LONG AS WE DO!!!!

A TABLERS 30 ACTS OF KINDNESS

IN RETROSPECT

RETROSPECT

By Mr PAUL HOEKSEMA RT 32, Southern Africa

AN OLD SAYING GOES, "giving benefits the giver more than the recipient". Anyone that actively sets out to give their time to better the lives of others will attest to this statement. It is not always possible to plan and coordinate a large-scale fundraiser, but we all have the will inside us to change the world one small act at a time. April 2022 marked a unique opportunity for Tablers across the world to display their kind and compassionate nature. In one of the most challenging stretches of human history, our aim was to create our own "pandemic of goodwill" - The Round Table International 30 Acts Of Kindness.

The first of its kind campaign, launched on all major RTI social media platforms on the 1st of April, ran consecutively for 30 days. Each day had an allocated "act" that covered topics ranging from mental health, environmental acts to reconcilement. These small acts were designed to be easily achievable and to set positive change in motion. Our list of acts encompassed the diverse spread of our membership. It focused on areas both internal and external to the individual.

It was truly inspiring to see so many Associations and individuals spreading kindness by supporting the initiative. We hope that these small acts lightened up some difficult days or, better still, planted a seed for positive & continuous betterment. As a small token of our appreciation, the RTI Public Relations Team designed & distributed 30 Acts certificates & a social media flyer to commemorate the efforts of individual Members and Associations that actively set out to promote and take part in the movement. Our sincere thank you, and we trust that the campaign has been an investment in yourself and others.

Of course, one month should never be enough to show compassion. Keep spreading kindness daily, and remember to be kind to yourself too.