Eurofax 43 (April 1996)
Ray Saunders (rsaunders@EUROSCOUT.KNOOPPUNT.BE)
Tue, 2 Apr 1996 16:42:49 +0100
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.
Looking Wider - the Founder's view
My mountain says 'Look wider; look higher; look further ahead, and a way
will be seen.'
Robert Baden-Powell, 1939
At the dawn of the Third Millennium, our Movement needs more than ever to
implement the words of the Founder, in order to prepare itself to meet the
many challenges it faces.
Looking Wider - the 6th World Youth Forum
The 6th World Youth Forum will take place in Moss, Norway, 2-5 July 1996,
immediately preceding the World Scout Conference. Under the theme Looking
Wider, the forum will include examination of the two key questions to be
addressed during the World Scout Conference: "Scouting for what?" and
"Scouting for whom?" Issues of interest to the participants will be
discussed, in particular the subjects on the agenda of the World Scout
Conference. The forum will prepare inputs and recommendations for
presentation to the World Scout Conference, World Scout Committee or
National Scout Organizations. The event provides an opportunity for young
adults to develop the necessary practical skills to enable them to take
part more effectively in decision making in Scouting and in society. The
=46orum ends on Friday 5 July with a joint session with the World Programme
Committee, World Adult Resources Committee and members of the World Scout
Committee.
Eduardo Esteva Fischer, from Mexico, is a resourceful member of the forum
planning committee. As a young leader himself, he has been using electronic
mail and the Internet to gather views directly from members around the
world in relation to the two key questions to be addressed. He writes, "At
present, I am posing questions that will be used to help the work of the
World Youth Forum. We need all your help, all your opinion, no matter if
you are not a young adult, it is very useful." If you would like a copy of
the questions and to add your opinions to those gathered by Eduardo, you
can send him an email at <efischer@colossus.rhon.itam.mx>, or write to him
at Apartado Postal 74-270, 09081 Mexico DF, Mexico.
Looking Wider - the 34th World Scout Conference
The 34th World Scout Conference will be held in Oslo, Norway, 8-12 July. It
will continue the work of the previous conferences, in Paris and Bangkok,
on the "Strategy for Scouting", placing a new emphasis on the mission of
Scouting. In a departure from the working methods of the previous
conferences, two commissions, each lasting a full day, will examine the
mission-related questions of "Scouting for what?" and "Scouting for whom?"
These new working method ensure more delegate participation in the business
of the conference. In a return to Scouting's roots, discussion groups for
the first commission will meet out-of-doors in the natural surroundings of
Oslo's Sognsvann Park. More than 100 of the youth forum's 150 participants
will remain in Norway as part of their associations' conference delegations
- a welcome increase in the number of conference participants aged under 26
years.
New Perspectives - 29th World Conference WAGGGS
The 29th World Conference of WAGGGS will be held in Wolfville, Canada, 16 -
23 July 1996. The theme of the conference is "New Perspectives": an
appropriate theme which takes into account WAGGGS' activities over the past
triennium to look for new ways to operate and plan for the next millennium.
The keynote speaker will be Dr. Roberta Lynn Bondar, Canada's first woman
astronaut, who travelled on the space shuttle "Discovery" in 1992. She has
been a Brownie, Girl Guide and Ranger. Her experience of viewing the world
from an unusual perspective will surely help to set the tone for the
discussions about the 'WAGGGS' Way of Work' proposals, one of the main
topics of the Conference. There will be a presentation, a consultation
session, discussion groups, reporting back and a voting session about the
proposals and the constitutional changes. The goals for the next triennium
are formulated in 'WAGGGS' strategic plan', with clear objectives,
strategies and measures of success. The consequences for finances and human
resources are outlined. Ideas will be presented and groups will review the
possibilities and problems for implementation on global, regional and
national levels. Participants will also hear about the important work of
the Youth Committee during this triennium and discuss how to make the
strong recommendation of the Youth Committee, supported by the World
Committee, that is "to have young women represented in all decision-making
bodies at all levels in the organization", a reality. The Europe Office
WAGGGS team hopes that all Member Organizations can return from the
Conference with a clear idea of how to make the mission of WAGGGS, which is
to enable girls and young women to develop their fullest potential as
responsible citizens of the world, a reality. An official ceremony for new
Member Associations is included in the conference.
Gender identity development
Thirty-seven representatives from 16 European Scout or Guide associations
came together in Norway, 4 - 10 March, to examine how Guiding and Scouting
can ensure the development of the gender identity of their members. The
participants reported that in their associations, in both leader training
and in the educational youth programme, emphasis is placed on developing
the character and skills of the Guides and Scouts with almost no work being
undertaken on gender identity development. A report will be published
shortly.
Sunrise City 1996
Organisers of the Sunrise City project were doubly pleased to receive the
first financial contribution from Scouts this year. Sunrise City is a
project organised by Scout groups belonging to Savez Izvidaca Hrvatske
(Scout Association of Croatia) in the towns of Zagreb, Split, Rijeka and
elsewhere in Croatia. The Scouts provide summer camps and longer-term
support for young victims of the wars in the Balkans, with support from
psychologists and other specialists. For many of the young victims, this is
their first opportunity to begin to repair some of the psycho-social damage
suffered during the conflict. Some children have lost everything, including
home and family.
Cub Scouts from the 'twinned' packs of the 26th Odiham (Hampshire) group in
the United Kingdom and Pack 77, from Cleveland, Ohio, in the USA, each held
sales of donated second-hand goods to raise funds to help sponsor a patrol
of young victims to attend the camp. GBP 850 was raised. Ken Millington,
Akela of the 26th Odiham, wrote to the organisers, "We very much admire the
work undertaken at the Sunrise City camps=8A We wish you every success in
your undertaking and our prayers and thoughts are with you." Bonny Bosnjak,
secretary to the project, told us that this was the first donation received
this year and, at the same time, was the very first example of Scouts in
other parts of the world taking part in the 'Patrol Patronage' scheme,
which was created in 1994. "Sometimes it seems that all our information
gets stuck in some 'higher' levels. Therefore, it makes us even more happy
when a group gets involved like this, wishing to make contacts and
undertaking actions in direct support of the children," she said.
Graham Usher, a member of The Scout Association (UK), who visited last
year's camps, wrote recently that these children "=8Ahave been deeply scarre=
d
by what they have seen and smelt and heard. Working with these child
victims of war is one of the most amazing projects run by Scouts. Sunrise
City camps brought a new ray of sunshine to the lives of over seven hundred
children during the summer of 1995 - providing hope and new lives for these
children affected by war."
Over USD 100,000 is needed for Sunrise City 1996. Theo Brenner, Director of
the Johann Jacobs Foundation, one of last year's donors, wrote of last
year's report: "It is an excellent report, comprehensive in the scope of
the multiple activities promoted in the various locations, and focused on
the central goal of bringing together Scouts and traumatised children. I
was also moved by the personal stories of some of the children with whom
you worked, from Marko to Vileta and Josip. I appreciate very much that you
provided these personal portraits=8A They underscored the lasting validity o=
f
the project."
We hope that many more Scouts and their leaders will be inspired sponsor a
patrol of young victims. For more information, or if you have knowledge of
any Foundations which might support this work, please contact: Sunrise City
Project, Scout Group 'N B Debo', 10020 Novi Zagreb, PB 26, Siget 18b/111,
Croatia. Tel/Fax: (+385.1) 52 92 21.
Under the legal age - but still with rights
A few places are still available for this European seminar on children's
rights, to be held at the European Youth Centre in Strasbourg 13 - 19 May
1996. Associations interested in participating should send applications to
the European Guide and Scout Office, as soon as possible.
ZHP member of WAGGGS
Zwiazek Harcerstwa Polskiego was re-admitted as an Associate Member of
WAGGGS, in March. ZHP was one of the founder members of WAGGGS. It had to
resign for political reasons at the 13th WAGGGS World Conference in 1950.
ZHP is a "Scout and Guide National Organization" in accordance with the
Statement on Relationships between WAGGGS and WOSM. In mid-March, Dominique
B=E9nard, Regional Director of the European Scout Region, and Marianne
Karstensen, Executive for Europe Region WAGGGS, were in Poland to welcome
the new association to their respective Regions, and to discuss plans for
future work together.
Green Scouts may not be
In recent years, self-styled and self-named "Green Scouts" have appeared in
some countries, creating confusion in the minds of the public, of
governmental authorities and of intergovernmental or non-governmental
international organizations. These pseudo-Scouts use and abuse our name
(and sometimes our emblem) for fund-raising purposes. Some of them are of
doubtful intent and origin, while others - despite their misuse of the name
of Scouting - have worthy objectives, genuinely related to the protection
of the environment. Indeed some who have chosen that name for themselves
have done so in good faith, not realising that the words "Scout", "Boy
Scout" (as well as for the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl
Scouts' "Girl Scout") are protected both nationally and internationally. In
every case, the World Organization of the Scout Movement has clearly stated
its firm opposition to their illegitimate use of our name, whatever their
purposes may be. We have made our position equally clear to all
international organisations (governmental and non-governmental) involved
with the environment (such as the United Nations' Environment Programme and
the World-Wide Fund for Nature). "There is room for all in the fight to
protect nature and the environment," explained Jacques Moreillon, Secretary
General, recently, "but there is no room for creating confusion between
that fight and the broader purposes of an established educational
organisation such as World Scouting and its duly authorised member
associations around the globe."
Indaba - advance notification
The Administrative Board of Indaba has announced that the General Assembly
will be held in Brussels, 9 June. National associations wishing to join
Indaba are invited to send their applications to the European Guide and
Scout Office before then. More information will be provided in Europak.
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The above message is from
Ray Saunders <rsaunders@euroscout.knooppunt.be>
Director of Communications, European Scout Office,Tel: (+32.2) 346 16 86
299 Avenue Moliere, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium Fax: (+32.2) 346 00 07
(Member of the Internet Society)
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