This week: October 24, 2025 - Kim Bettcher Ph.D - Entrepreneurship in Frontier Markets
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October 24: Kim Bettcher Ph.D - Entrepreneurship in Frontier Markets
October 31: NBRC - Zoom Only

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(New location)

Barry Thompson – Disaster Aid

May 20th

In response to a magnitude 7.3 earthquake that shook parts of Nepal Tuesday, May 14, collapsing buildings and killing at least 79, Barry Thompson talked about 2 temporary disaster housing (tents) that can shelter 8 to 10 people for up to one year: SHELTER BOX USA and Rotary affiliated DISASTER AID USA. The first disaster housing approach was SHELTER BOX USA which provided a tent plus sup-plies that come in a box and costs $1000. Within Rotary District 7620 and alternate, DISASTER AID USA, was developed that offered an improved tent with two partitions plus pots and pans etc. for $750. A SKY HYDRANT water filter was added that can filter muddy water into drinkable water in 3 hours


Shadi Mokhtari – After Abu Ghraib: Exploring Human Rights in America and the Middle East

May 14th

Shadi Mokhtari is Assistant Professor at the School of International Service at American University. She specializes in human rights, Middle East Politics, and Political Islam. She talked mostly about the creation of Israel and the resulting victim status of the Palestinians. Prior to WW2 Palestine was made up of mostly small farms. As a result of the 1948 war, Israel was created and Palestinian farmers were displaced. Israel was attacked in ’67 and ’73 and occupied Gaza and the West Bank. Professor Mokhtari said that Americans view Israel’s security concerns and she sees the human rights concerns of the Palestinians. In the absence of a two state solution, Israel keeps expanding with new settlements and building more walls which separate Palestine into unconnected partitions thus violating their human rights.


Dr Bruce Fowler – A Taxi-Based Travel to Work Program for Disabled Individuals

May 6th

The N Bethesda and Chevy Chase Rotary Clubs in partnership with Cornerstone Montgomery and Barwood Taxi have supported a taxi service for persons with disabilities to travel to work, through a Rotary District 7620 grant. This program, which became active in October 2014, has helped a total of 12 Cornerstone Montgomery clients become newly employed, 4 employed clients with travel safety issues get to work safely and 17 clients get to job fairs or interviews to date. The program has received local and Pennsylvania media attention and requests for presentations at PA Rotary Clubs and the National Conference on Ending Poverty in Washington, DC. We need additional Corporate and Montgomery County funding support before the District Rotary grant runs out in July 2015.