Rotary clubs and disinformation

As a part-time journalist, I get a lot of emails and forwarded posts, and some 30% of them are fake news or disinformation. These are much lesser now as it was 50% in 2016 to 2021 during the Duterte administration leading to the 2022 election, and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Disinformation has brought enormous problems to the world in both developed and underdeveloped countries. The ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, the rebellion in Myanmar, Brazil, and Cambodia, the persecutions in Iran and Venezuela, and the demonstrations in Peru and many other countries are fueled by disinformation. The January 6 attack in the US Capitol and the attacks on racial minorities were consequences of fake news. A lot of elections in many countries were/are bombarded by disinformation and undesirable officials and governments are elected, including in the Philippines. George Santos, a New York Republican congressman-elect admitted faking all his credentials, his ancestry, his educational and work experience, posted it online and he got elected. So, it does not only happen in the Philippines. Last week, Japan created a sub-ministerial department to manage disinformation from within and from outside Japan.

After many years as a Rotary Club member and held various positions, I was recently appointed/elected co-director for public affairs in our club, so I got to thinking about the role of Rotary Clubs in today’s multi-media cyber online environment. Rotary International and many rotary clubs have websites and other online presence that details their projects and achievements, but most narratives are passive. Then, it struck me that a most active way for Rotary to impact the World would be to push for the “4-Way Test” of Rotary Clubs. These are: 1.) Is it the truth? 2.) Is it Fair to All Concerned? 3.) Will it Build Goodwill and Better Friendship? 4.) Will it be Beneficial to All Concerned?

All Rotary Club meetings include the recitation of these “4-Way Test” at the beginning of the meeting. These are reminders on the values and ethics that Rotarians are to live by or at least try to live with. These are not easy tests and Rotarians have been expelled or resigned from their clubs for blatant disregard of these tests. In the US, there was a famous Rotarian involved in a multi-million financial scandal who was expelled, and anecdotal resignations are aplenty of Rotarians in the Philippines and other countries. This is probably also the reason that only a small percentage of politicians and government officials in many countries are Rotarians, even if there is a public service classification open for them in all clubs.

On deeper reflection, the “4-Way Test” is not just a way to resolve conflicts and disputes but are actually guidelines for good governance for an orderly and progressive society. The test are also sequential in that truth is primordial and the tests number 2 to number 4 will follow. There can be no fairness without truth, and goodwill and benefits follow justice. Disinformation and fake news are against peace and progress and will be the ruin of society. Paul Harris, who founded Rotary in Illinois on Feb. 23, 1905, figured this out long time ago.

There are more than 46,000 Rotary Clubs in 200 countries with more than 1.4 million members. An estimated 32.6% of Rotarians are in Asia, 28% are in the US/Canada/Caribbean, 24.8% are in Europe/Africa/Middle East, 7.6% in Central and South America, 3.6% in Great Britain and Ireland, and 2.9% are in Australia/New Zealand/Pacific Islands. There are 800 Rotary Clubs in the Philippines, 16 Rotary clubs in China, 80 in Russia and 62 Rotary clubs in Ukraine. These distribution is somewhat indicative of the level and relevance of the Rotary 4-Way Test in the governance and disinformation in these countries.