February 2005

Kiwanis International Update 2005:
To Sustain Universal Salt Iodization

BY EYJOLFUR “EDDIE” SIGURDSSON
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, KIWANIS INTERNATIONAL AND KIWANIS INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT 1995–1996

The commitment of Kiwanis International to help eliminate iodine deficiency disorders in the world did not happen overnight. Founded in 1915, Kiwanis today is a worldwide association of more than 8,000 clubs and 280,000 members. The Kiwanis clubs actually remained limited to the United States and Canada until 1962 and Kiwanis service has always been focused on the local community. Since 1962, Kiwanis has chartered clubs in 92 additional nations. But until 1994, all Kiwanis service remained local service. The Kiwanis Club of Kansas City served in Kansas City, while the Kiwanis Club of Vienna, Austria served mostly in Vienna.
Kiwanis International was a worldwide organization without a worldwide mission.
Then Kiwanis leaders recognized the opportunity of a worldwide service project which could target an important need of children and strengthen the organization
by giving Kiwanians in every nation a common goal and shared experience. A global project would also raise the visibility of Kiwanis International as an organization that serves the world’s children and its network of partners could amplify the impact and reach of Kiwanis service. In selecting a goal for the first Kiwanis Worldwide Service Project, the first priority was to find a mission
that met an important need of children. The goal also had to be achievable and provide ways for Kiwanis clubs everywhere to participate. The World Health
Assembly and the United Nations World Summit for Children in 1990 had identified the elimination of iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) as such an urgent
need. The solution to eliminate endemic iodine defi- ciency was known and achievable. It was just a question of resources, organization, and commitment.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) already had the organization on a global scale. Kiwanis could provide the extra resources. Both organizations
shared a commitment to the world’s children. So when Kiwanis leaders proposed to partner with UNICEF to protect the world’s children from the leading preventable cause of mental retardation, the club representatives at our 1994 Kiwanis
International Convention voted overwhelmingly to adopt the project. The primary goal of the Kiwanis Worldwide Service Project (WSP) was to raise US $75 million,
which was estimated at that time as the amount of money needed to meet the challenge of IDD. Kiwanis International didn’t undertake this mission alone. Continued >> (1Mb PDF)

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