inbox@apr June 2004
inbox@apr is published monthly by the Asia Pacific Region of the
World Scout Bureau in Manila.
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MAY 2004
FIJI • The South Pacific
Connection
At the strategic planning workshop of the Council of
the South Pacific Scout Associations in Lautoka, Fiji in May, a vision called “A New
Horizon 2013” for the South Pacific was designed. The vision incorporates
a 3-year strategic plan having six priorities, which are youth programme, adult
resources, Scout brand (image of Scouting), communications, management, and
finance. Executives of the World Scout Bureau/Asia Pacific facilitated the
events with Fiji Scouts Association as host.
The Council is a cluster of countries and territories that
are either members of world Scouting or associate or potential members.
Participating Scout leaders were from Fiji, Cook Islands, Papua New Guinea,
Vanuatu, Tonga, Solomon Islands, French Polynesia and Kiribati, with the
special participation of Scouts Australia, and Scouting New Zealand. It was a
historic meeting and considered an exercise worth undertaking. The council
elected Tabwea Teitiniman of Kiribati as new Council chairman and Iteni Helu of
Tonga as vice-chairman. The secretariat, formerly based in Fiji, is now in
Kiribati.
The formation of this Council goes back to 1992 when the
Regional Scout Conference in Jakarta adopted a resolution establishing the
South Pacific Emerging National Scout Associations (SPENSOC) as it was called
then, for the primary reason of encouraging mutual cooperation and support from
outside organizations, as well as for establishing lines of communication.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA • New targets for Scouting
Regional Director Abdullah Rasheed
embarked on a series of visits to South Pacific countries starting in Papua New
Guinea. With the dynamism and foresight of the new Chief Commissioner, Capt.
Sere Kala, new targets are set for Scouting in PNG. These include the extension of Scouting to areas not covered
particularly the schools, churches and new settlement areas; a more proactive
involvement of Scouting in community work especially during critical situations;
and the promotion of gender equality in leadership.
Collaboration is being formed with the Australian
Institute for the involvement of Scouts in the prevention of HIV/AIDS, with
AIDS being an emerging social concern in PNG.
NEW CALEDONIA • Where Scouting thrives well
After 70 years of Scouting in the country, a Regional
Director visited New Caledonia for the first time. New Caledonians expressed
their joy to belong to a large worldwide movement despite their small number.
There are a little over 300 Scouts in territory under Scouts de France. The
main island of Noumea has two groups, all church based, and another group is in
the largest island, Lifou with the tribal community.
The territory has an established national structure for
Scouting with a national council of ten members led by Chief Commissioner
Michel Riverce, and having a two-storey office building owned by the
association. It is in Noumea that the Secretariat of the Pacific Community
(SPC) is based, for which coordination could be made by Scouts around the
Pacific Rim particularly with the SPC youth division.
VANUATU • Looking into the development of Scouting
Vanuatu is one of the emerging Scouting countries in the
South Pacific. This was also the first visit of a Regional Director to this
independent country where Scouting has been in existence for more than five
decades. There used to be two Scouts groups in the country (one group was
attached to Scouts de France and the other group with UK Scouts). In 1999,
these groups merged and are now governed by one constitution.
At the gathering of old-time Scouters in Vanuatu with the
Regional Director, discussions focused on ways to strengthen Scouting in the
country. They assured to look into pressing issues of Scouting and to raise
these issues to the national leadership.
SOLOMON ISLANDS •
Scouting back on track
Having gone through ethnic tension in early 2001, Scouting
suffered serious setback that likewise pervaded the development and social life
in the island.
After the tension, Scouting was slow to pick up momentum
until April 2004. By then the Scouts of Solomon Islands managed to hold their
AGM and a new council was put in place. Support continues to come from the
government particularly the Ministry of Planning and Human Resources Development,
the Ministry for Home Affairs, Women, Youth and Sports and the Governor General
and Chief Scout Sir John Ini Lapli who has always been active in Scouting. The
British High Commissioner, Mr Brian Baldwin, who himself was an active Scout,
committed to support Scouting.
A project is underway for establishing a National Youth
Centre complex in Honiara, funded by EU together with UK, with sports
facilities and as a ‘home’ for the youth of the country, where all
other youth related activities including Scouting and other NGOs could be
represented.
BRUNEI • National Youth Programme Workshop
The APR programme team led the
national workshop in Bandar Seri Begawan from the 29th to 31st
of May. Here the participants
discussed the characteristics of the evolutionary development of young people
and how Scouting responds to these characteristics and young people’s
needs. The 30 participants are a
heterogeneous group of young people and senior commissioners.
Programme Sub-Committee chairman
Paulus Tjakrawan, member Peter Blatch, PPNBD National Programme Commissioner
Pg. Mahdi Pg. Hj. Salleh and Syd Castillo of APR office run the workshop.
JAPAN • Preparatory Meeting for APR ICT-Programme
Workshop
The Scout Association of Japan
invited Regional Director Abdullah Rasheed for a preparatory meeting for the
proposed ICT and Programme Workshop in October 2004, to be held at the Olympic
Memorial Youth Centre in Tokyo. A
national symposium will be integrated in the workshop, specifically designed
for around 40 local executives.
It was also an opportunity for key
leaders of SAJ as well as Asia-Pacific committee members to confirm
Japan’s representation in all upcoming regional events, both involving
young people and adults. Discussions with the Chiba Council highlighted the
10-year youth exchange programme between the Chiba Scout Council and the Quezon
City Council of Boy Scouts of the Philippines.
TAIWAN • World Scout Moot
With
barely two months to go before the World Scout Moot in Taiwan, a regional
circular was issued announcing that the organizers are accepting last minute
registration, especially from Scout associations in the Asia-Pacific
Region. Taking the opportunity of
the proximity of Taiwan to its Asia Pacific neighbours, participation is highly
encouraged as this happens only every four years. More information on the Moot can be viewed at
www.moot2004.org.
PHILIPPINES • Visit of Vietnamese Scout Leader
On the 28th of May, the APR
staff received Mr Thuat Nguyen, Chairman of the International Central Committee
of Vietnamese Scouting, at the Manila office. Mr Nguyen is based in Australia. He and his wife, also a
Scout Leader, were on a series of travel to Europe and to the United States to
promote the interests of Vietnamese International Scouting. In Vietnam, the
Minister of the Interior issued legislation for new associations in Vietnam in
January 2004. At WOSM, the new
legislation is being studied and would proceed with the revival of Scouting in
Vietnam with prudence and undergo necessary stages.
BANGLADESH
• 2nd
APR Unit Leaders Roundtable
The Executive Committee of
Bangladesh Scouts has expressed interest to host the 2nd APR Unit
Leaders Roundtable on 7-12 October 2004.
Details are being worked out and will be announced soon.
NEPAL • SAF Camp Rescheduled in October
The SAF Camp originally set last
April but was postponed, for security reasons, is now reset to 31 October
– 05 November 2004 in Nepal.
Scouts from the SAARC sub-region are expected to this event. The sub-region includes Bangladesh,
Bhutan, India, Nepal, Maldives, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. The Goodwill Ambassador of the South
Asia Foundation is sponsoring the camp.
FIJI • New Leadership
Following the resignation of
Chandra Shekhar, a new acting Chief Commissioner has been appointed – Mr
Ron Jorgensen – who had served as CC in previous years, and has been
active in regional events.
What’s ON
JUNE 2004
BRUNEI • Regional Scout Committee
All is set for the 5-6 June meeting of the
Regional Scout Committee in Bandar Seri Begawan to thoroughly discuss the
mechanics of the upcoming Regional Scout Conference and to visit the venue of
the conference – the International Convention Centre.
BRUNEI
•
Foundation
Management Committee
A meeting of the APR Foundation Management Committee takes place
this 4th of June in Brunei to tackle capital investments,
recruitment, and the selection of project grants for this year. Attending the meeting are Mr Herman Hui
(Chairman), and members Dr George Huang, Mr Mohammad Khalid and Mr Sutham
Phanthusak.
TIMOR LESTE • First Annual
General Assembly • National
Strategic Planning
Scouting
will make history in Dili this June when Scout leaders will approve the
national Scout constitution and elect an interim leadership. To follow immediately is a 5-day planning
meeting to envision the future of Scouting and to design the national
association’s priorities.
THAILAND • 25th APR Jamboree Preparatory
Meeting
For
the second time, the planning committee will meet in Bangkok for an update on
the 25th APR Jamboree preparations on 3rd June, to be
hosted by the Minister of Education, Dr Kwang Ronkob, Vice-Minister of
Education. He will be joined by Dr
Prapatpongse Senarit, Secretary under the state of Education Ministry, the Host
Steering Committee, APR Scout Committee Chairman Anthony Thng and Regional
Director Abdullah Rasheed.
AFGHANISTAN • Training for Leaders •
Drafting national Scout constitution
Having visited
Afghanistan on two different occasions, and with the assistance of
Afghanistan-based Col. David Ross, re-starting Scouting in the country is an
enormous challenge. The good news
is, there’s a huge youth potential there. And the big challenge is, there’s not enough leaders
to take on the task. This July, an
APR led training team will organize a basic training for unit leaders that will
provide them the proper perspective of what Scouting is, and to explain the
concept of volunteerism in Scouting.
Simultaneous
with the training course will be a meeting with national leaders on the
drafting of a national Scout constitution for Afghanistan.
The natural
attractions of one of the world’s landmarks of Scouting – Mt Sorak
– await Scouts, girls and boys, this 5-11 August 2004. All participating countries are invited
to make traditional performances and bring materials for display of their
unique traditions and cultures. For inquiries, contact Korea Scout Association
at scoutshq@scout.or.kr.
Mark these dates on your calendar:
• 30 June 2004
– submission of replies for the 2nd Asia-Pacific Poster Competition
–
submission of replies for the APR Course for Leader Trainers
- submission of
replies for the 4th APR Youth Forum
• 31 July 2004
- submission of
nomination form for the 2nd Asia-Pacific Regional Award for
Outstanding Scout
• 30 September
2004
- submission of
entry form for the APR Scout Golf Tournament
LT/WSB-APR
01/06/04