Eurofax 63 (December 1997)
Ray Saunders (rsaunders@WORLD.SCOUT.ORG)
Thu, 4 Dec 1997 13:41:50 -0800
Eurofax is the monthly newsletter of the European Region. It is produced by
the European Scout Office and is distributed by fax to all member
associations in the European Scout Region and the Europe Region WAGGGS, and
others. This text-only version is distributed as an additional service to
members. Reproduction of articles without alteration is encouraged but
Eurofax should be acknowledged as the source of the information.
World Youth Organisations Launch Education Initiative for the New Millennium
The Chief Executive Officers of five of the largest worldwide, non formal
education organizations have shared and published their vision of the non
formal education of young people into the next century.
The World Alliance of Young Men's Christian Associations (YMCA), The World
Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA), The World Organization of the
Scout Movement (WOSM), The World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts
(WAGGGS) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent
Societies today collectively involve more than 100 million young people and
have together contributed to the education of more than a billion young
people this century.
The Chief Executives of these organizations believe that it is necessary to
recognize the universal validity of the non formal education of young
people. The purpose of education as a whole is to contribute to the full
development of an autonomous, supportive, responsible and committed person.
Education is provided through a number of channels; formal (e.g. schools),
informal (e.g. family, media, peer groups) and non formal (e.g. youth
movements and organizations). All these channels are complementary and
interdependent but a major problem today is that, with the increasing
pressure on young people to perform and achieve, very often the formal,
academic education is seen as the only essential part of education. Thus
non formal education, which is best equipped to prepare young people to
cope with social changes, is often underestimated and its benefits
undervalued.
Under the Chairmanship of HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, Chairman of the
International Award Association, the Chief Executives came together to
express their vision of the education of young people both now and into the
next century. In the coming months, this Statement, entitiled The Education
of Young People: A statement at the dawn of the 21st century, will be
presented personally to world leaders including Federico Mayor of UNESCO
and Emeka Anyaoku, the Commonwealth Secretary General.
Copies of the Statement (published in English, French, Spanish and Arabic)
have been distributed to all national associations. Further copies may be
obtained from the World Scout Bureau or the World Bureau WAGGGS.
Building European Citizenship, 1-8 March 1998
"Europe is ancient and modern at the same time. It's name may be 25
centuries old, but the area is still in the stages of development. Will our
"old Europe" be able to meet the challenges it faces today? Will its great
age be a source of solidity or weakness? Will its history facilitate the
finding of a place in the modern world?"
Jacques LeGoff
Are these questions we Guides and Scouts should be asking ourselves and
will the answers we find contribute to the development of Europe? This
seminar aims to identify how Guiding and Scouting can contribute to
building European citizenship and to manage the change taking place. It is
addressed to national and regional leaders working on programme
development, leader training or the promotion and development of Guiding or
Scouting in their own country. The Council of Europe will sponsor and
support the event which will take place at the European Youth Centre in
Budapest, a perfect location for this seminar. The invitation and
application forms have been sent to all Member Organizations and the
planning team will be pleased to receive your applications by 15 January
1998.
Europe For You ! seminar, 18-24 April 1998
There will be a European seminar on Europe For You ! in Pappenheim,
Germany, from 18-24 April 1998. The seminar aims to provide an introduction
to the Europe For You ! programme, to encourage the creation of new
EuroSteps and to improve the quality of existing projects. The seminar
programme will include: analysing the needs of young people aged 16-22 in
different countries, sharing ideas and experiences from existing EuroSteps,
evaluating current projects and developing new project ideas and materials.
Participants should be members of national programme teams responsible for
developing programmes for young people aged 16-22 and organisers of
EuroSteps. They should be committed to developing and supporting EuroSteps
in their own country. There is no age limit for this event. The working
languages will be English and French. The invitation will be sent in the
next Europak.
Euro-Arab Meeting
The 3rd Euro-Arab Meeting was held in Kuwait, 25-30 October. There were 46
participants, representing 23 Scout Associations as well as the World, Arab
and European Regional levels, including the World Scout Committee, Arab
Scout Committee, European Scout Committee, Arab Scout Office, European
Scout Office and the Arab Union of Former Scouts and Girl Guides. It was
agreed to share educational materials, as well as invitations to youth
events and leader training courses, and to work together to better meet the
needs of young people from ethnic communities in both regions. Several
associations used the meeting to establish new bilateral partnership
agreements or to review existing ones. A Euro-Arab camp for young people
aged 16 to 22 will take place in Tunisia from 1-10 August 1998 on the theme
of coastal protection. Countries represented in the meeting were Austria,
Belgium, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Kuwait, Lebanon,
Morocco, Netherlands, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Tunisia and the United
Arab Emirates.
Informal networks
=46rom 7-9 November, the 'North-South' and 'Overture' networks met in
Toulouse, France, hosted by the Scouts Musulmans de France. 42
representatives from Scout and Guide associations in 11 countries attended:
Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway,
Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. The two networks started their work
with a joint session to review participation in the Global Development
Village of the next World Scout Jamboree. Most of the associations
represented confirmed their intention to run workshops, stands or
activities in the GDV. Key topics on the agenda of the Overture Network
were the preparations for the European seminar on marginalised youth and
the sharing of strategies and tools to promote Guiding and Scouting among
ethnic communities. The first issue of the Overture newsletter was
produced. The North-South Network reviewed the work done by participating
associations in the field of peace education. Some topics were examined in
more depth in small groups, including the Mediterranean Peace Cruise, the
plan of action of the Co-ordination Committee of the Scout Associations of
the Great Lakes region (Africa), Scout partnerships in the context of
twinned cities, youth exchanges and training. The next meeting is scheduled
to take place in Portugal from 20-22 March 1998, hosted by Corpo Nacional
Escutas.
Marginalised Youth Seminar
29 participants from 18 associations in 12 countries attended this seminar
at Ranmoor Hall in Sheffield, United Kingdom, from 22-28 November 1997. The
aim of the seminar was to encourage national associations to promote equal
opportunities for all young people and to undertake innovative and
experimental work with disadvantaged young people. It focused on the needs
of young people aged 12-22 in inner cities and provincial towns, who have
limited access to education, employment and responsibilities in society due
to their socio-economic or ethnic background. The seminar gave participants
opportunities to share different approaches to youth work, compare projects
in different countries, analyse tools to improve youth programmes, adult
recruitment and support or establish groups in new areas, as well as the
chance to discover several ethnic communities and Guide and Scout groups in
the local area. The report will include recommendations for follow-up by
national associations.
WAGGGS' World Citizenship Award
Mary Robinson, High Commissioner for Human Rights at the United Nations,
has received a WAGGGS' World Citizenship Award. She was selected for her
humanitarian work worldwide and her determination to further the peace
process in Northern Ireland. This is only the second such WAGGGS' Award to
have been presented. The first was given to Nelson Mandela. The award was
presented to Mrs Robinson during the recent launch of Building World
Citizenship - The WAGGGS Perspective, a project which will be the driving
force behing Girl Guiding/Girl Scouting for the next six years.
The final word=8A
'Educational youth organizations offer opportunities to establish a real
partnership between young people and adults in a situation where both are
volunteers and recognise that they can learn from each other. This
partnership implies reciprocal appreciation and mutual respect. There are
very few places where such a youth-adult relationship can develop in a non
authoritarian manner and voluntary youth organizations are the most
significant of such places.'
The Education of Young People: A statement at the dawn of the 21st century
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Ray Saunders <rsaunders@world.scout.org>
Director of Communications
European Scout Region
World Organization of the Scout Movement
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