Our speakers next Monday (20 August) are Charles Lambert and Jimmy Griffith from ShelterBox NZ. ShelterBoxes are similar to the Pacific Emergency Response Kits; but are geared for colder climates. ShelterBox was set up in the UK by Rotary in 2000 and provides emergency shelter and tools for families who have lost just about everything due disasters. Charles is a member of the Rotary Club of Nelson West and Jimmy Griffith is a ShelterBox Team Response member, who has recently returned from Rohingya Refugee Camp in Bangladesh. For more information go to
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The Rotary Club of Auckland’s Jubilee Scholarship provides a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for young self-starters to achieve a level of advanced study that should have the potential to make a profound impact on their lives and would not be possible without financial assistance. The following report is from Sam Bookman, who was a 2017 Jubilee Scholarship Recipient:
It’s been quite a year! Thank you so much for making it possible for me to pursue my LL.M. studies at Harvard Law School. I graduated from the LL.M. program in May. Over the course of the year, I completed the maximum number of credits, and took several not-for-credit classes. My experiences ranged from the “black-letter” US constitutional law classes; classes in critical race theory and criminal justice reform; a seminar exploring the constitutional implications of the Trump presidency (taught by Professor Laurence Tribe, arguably the United States’ leading constitutional scholar); and hands-on experience in the Harvard International Human Rights Clinic, where I helped litigate several cases relating to the involvement of US corporations in human trafficking.
The quality of the education has been outstanding. Not only are the faculty world-leaders in their fields, but the innovative educational methods (such as strict application of the Socratic method, and clinical education) have been engaging and thought provoking. Given my intention to one day enter academia, this exposure has been particularly useful. My master’s thesis explored the issue of prisoner voting rights in countries without entrenched bills of rights (particularly, New Zealand and the United Kingdom). I explored how the issue has caused significant constitutional friction in both countries and theorized some of the reasons for it. I hope to publish my thesis in the near future.
I also participated in a range of activities outside the Harvard classroom. In my second semester, I led a team of both US and international students filing a complaint against a large corporation for its activities in violation of international law. Although I cannot say much more about the subject of that litigation, it was an incredible experience to sharpen both my research and practical skills under the watchful eye of senior practitioners! I have also worked as a research assistant to two professors: Professor Lawrence Lessig, working on a monograph relating to US constitutional history; and Professor Chris Bavitz, working on a project concerning predictive technologies in the criminal justice system. The latter project has some important implications for New Zealand, which I intend to publish shortly.
Looking forward to the next year, I have accepted an offer to further develop my expertise in international human rights as one of three Harvard LL.M. students to be awarded the Kaufman Public Service Venture Fellowship. I will be working at the Cyrus Vance Center for International Justice, a small human rights law firm based in New York City. After the completion of my fellowship, I will be returning to Harvard to begin the S.J.D. doctoral program, as one of four students accepted from my cohort. My research will focus on comparative constitutional law, evaluating the performance of the “weak-form” model of constitutional review pioneered in New Zealand and Canada, and theorizing future frontiers for its application. One of my supervisors is Professor Jeremy Waldron of NYU, arguably the most internationally prominent New Zealand legal scholar. I am hopeful that the combination of a Harvard doctorate, closely New Zealand-focused subject matter, and outstanding supervision will help me secure employment in New Zealand academia at the completion of the degree!
Once again, I would like to thank you for your financial assistance in making this year an extraordinary experience. It would not have been possible without it.
Last weekend the Rotaract Club of Auckland City held a Cooking Class fundraiser with Vanessa Baxter, a 2013 NZ MasterChef finalist, to raise funds to build a new
primary school library in Fiji, which was destroyed by Cyclone Winston. Monika Levinson represented the Club and had a great time honing her cooking abilities.Thanks to everyone who helped make this year’s exhibition a resounding success (more details will follow over the next few weeks). The following link provides photos taken on the last day of the exhibition and thanks to Monika Levinson for helping organise this visual record:
The next Rotary International Service Information evening is planned for 6.30 pm to 8.30 pm on Tuesday 18th September at the Kolmar Centre, Papatoetoe. If there are any issues you would like to know more about in this area, then this is the event for you. If you would like to know more information about this event, then please contact Jacqui in the office
The Australia New Zealand Rotary Conference (formerly the Rotary Zone Institute) will be held in Hobart, Tasmania on the weekend of the 14 – 16 September 2018. This will be a combined conference for Australia and New Zealand and came about due to the merging of Rotary Zones from 1 July 2018, so there is now only one zone (Zone 8) for all of New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific. For more information about this event, please go to the following link: http://www.rotaryinstitute.org.au/
You are invited to attend the 2019 District 9920 conference to be held at the Napier Conference Centre from 10 - 12 May 2019. Registrations will open on 1 September 2018 and earlybird registrations will be available until 30 November 2018. There are a range of accommodation options available at the Scenic Hotel Te Pania, Art Deco Masonic Hotel and Expressotel and also events outside of the conference. Please go to the following link for more information https://rotarydistrict9920.org/page/district-9920-conference-2019
The 2019 Rotary International Convention will be held from 1 to 5 June in Hamburg, Germany. For more information please go to the following link: http://www.riconvention.org/en