inbox@apr March 2004
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February 2004
AFGHANISTAN •
Overseas support to Scouting
Hong Kong. Hong Kong
Scout leaders, Mr Ronald Mak Sak-hong and Mr Manson Chan Man-kit, completed
their volunteer mission to Kabul, funded by the Scout Association of Hong Kong,
from 14 December 2003 to 16 January 2004. Passing through India (with warm
hospitality and arrangements by Bharat Scouts & Guides), the team was
received in Kabul by Lt Col David Ross who is the Venture Adviser of Canadian
Venture Unit and of the UN Peace Keeping Force. They discussed the mission at
length with Mr Saboor who is the Director of Afghan Scout Society.
The volunteers report that there were no formal troop/pack
meetings and no progressive badge system in place. Even without any formal
training, there were four campings in 2003 that consisted of ball games,
dancing and singing. The Government grants little financial support. Apart from
the larger problems of limited budget and resources, a basic problem is
communications, as some Scout members could not understand English. With the
absence of award and activity badges system, the volunteers drafted an interim advancement
scheme for Scouts and Cub Scouts. Afghan Scouts also received activity packages
provided by the APR office that include a troop meeting plan and reference
notes for leaders.
After almost a month in Kabul, the volunteers consider it a
good start and were impressed by the
Afghans’ positive learning attitude of knowing more than what were
already given. Afghan
Scout members expect the continuous flow of sending a team of trainers by the
Asia Pacific Regional office.
Germany. German-based Afghan leaders are considering the production
of a leaders handbook in Afghan language, using the packages sent by the Asia
Pacific Regional Office to Kabul. Dr Siegfried Riediger International
Commissioner of DPSG, Germany continues to work on sourcing funds for these
projects and in coordinating the work between APR office and former Afghan
Scouts in Germany.
PAKISTAN • Promoting Literacy for
Girls and Women
UNICEF
commends the conspicuous role of Boy Scouts in eliminating illiteracy
specifically prevailing amongst the womenfolk in Pakistan. A report was also given by The State of the World’s
Children Report 2004
(SoWC) which is UNICEF’s annual flagship publication that focuses on
girls’ education as one of the most crucial contemporary issues. UNICEF in the presence of the Noble
Peace Prize Laureate, Dr Shirin Ebadi and several other dignitaries from around
the world, launched the report in December 2003 in Geneva. At the launch, UNICEF invited a
14-year-old Boy Scout from Balochistan, Pakistan who is an active member of the
‘Brothers Join Meena’ for promoting girls’ education, to
represent the world’s children and his country and to speak about the
importance of girls’ education as a cornerstone of development.
SoWC
2004 contains latest economic and social statistics on the countries and
territories of the world, with particular reference to children’s well
being. Under sub-heading ‘Boys as strategic allies’ (p. 65) a
reference is made to Pakistan in the context of adolescent boys being actively
involved in promoting the rights of girls and women.
REPUBLIC OF CHINA •
APR Finance Sub-Committee Meets
The
APR Finance Sub-Committee met in Kaohsiung, Taiwan with the generous hosting of
Scouts of China and the Buddha Light International Association (BLIA). The
meeting proposed three fundraising activities to take place, namely in Hong
Kong, Malaysia and Japan before the regional conference in December 2004. A
guideline on the protection of intellectual properties in Scouting is being
prepared as well as a resources management handbook to aid NSOs in capitalizing
on their resources. At this meeting, members met the Master Hsing Yun, head of
BLIA, who expressed the support of BLIA and the Buddhist Community to Scouting.
REGIONWIDE • Youth Programme
Resource Group
The
APR Scout Committee approved the creation of a Youth Programme Resource
Group whose task is to integrate
the Renewed Approach to Programme (RAP) into adult leader training based on the new International Handbook for Cub/Scout
Leaders. The group will prepare practical tools and materials for use in adult
leader training in implementing the elements of RAP. Members of the resource group were appointed from amongst
the participants of the KL workshop, as recommended, and acting on individual
basis. They are Mr John Lim Boon
Beng (Malaysia), Ms Lau Hooi Lin (Malaysia), Ms Noraini Mohamed (Singapore), Mr
Ahmed Shiran (Maldives), Mr Rogelio Villa Jr (Philippines), Ms Helen Lim Hwee
Wah (Singapore), and Mr J V Nanda Corea (Sri Lanka).
REGIONWIDE •
Asia Pacific Region Scout Photo Contest
Combining technical skills and message reflecting the values of
Scouting, 41 best photo entries were selected by professional photographers in
Manila as final entries for the 2nd Asia Pacific Scout Photo Contest
to be held in Tokyo this early March.
APR OFFICE • New version of APR website
The APR website has a new look bearing the visual identity of the
World Organization of the Scout Movement and an easy-to-navigate format. Each
web page has white background making it eye friendly to surf. Revised
information and other updates on Asia-Pacific Scouting were added in most of
the pages. See www.apr.scout.or.jp.
APR OFFICE • Deputy Secretary General visits Manila
On his way back from
Taiwan, Mr Jean Cassaigneau, Deputy Secretary General of WSB, visited the APR
office in Manila for a meeting with executives and the Secretary General of Boy
Scouts of the Philippines. Mr
Cassaigneau gave an overview of the thrusts of WOSM, an update of the upcoming
World Moot in Taiwan and various issues of regional interest.
What’s ON
MARCH 2004
JAPAN • SAJ Invitation Programme and International Youth Forum
What’s going on in Japan is the
invitation programme from 29 February to 8 March 2004. The programme includes Scouts from Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan,
Brunei Darussalam, Scouts of China, Fiji, French Polynesia, Hong Kong, India,
Indonesia, Kiribati, Korea, Macau, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, New
Zealand, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka and
Thailand. Participants are having sightseeing tours in different parts of Japan. Towards the end of the programme will
be the opening of Friendship Programme between the Scout Association of Japan
and Boy Scouts of America and an International Scout Forum of 200 Scouts from Japan and from 26 countries in
APR. Dr Evelina Vicencio from the
Philippines (research consultant of Image of Scouting in APR) will give the
keynote address.
FRENCH
POLYNESIA • Tahiti Forum
For the first time, Asia Pacific Regional Director Abdullah Rasheed will visit French Polynesia in the far south on the occasion of the 1st Polynesian Scouting Forum this 10-11 March. The forum will tackle issues of Scouting in Polynesia starting with a historical review, a look at the present state of Scouting, and planning their future. French Polynesia was accepted as an Associate Member of the Asia-Pacific Region in 2002.
NEPAL • Strategy Review
Workshop
Nepal Scouts will organize a national strategy
review workshop in March.
Pertinent information and experiences on membership, programme
activities, leadership, financial situation and world policies will be
integrated for discussion at this workshop. Following the first workshop in
Bhutan, this is the second of a series of review workshops organized and run by
the APR office.
APRIL 2004
NEPAL • SAF Scout Friendship Camp
Kathmandu awaits Scouts from neighbouring countries to join the SAF Scout Camp on 15-21 April 2004. Budhanilkantha will be camp site, located 8 kms north of Kathmandu, the base of Sivapuri hills of 2400 m altitude. Campers are encouraged to trek the summit of Sivapuri where they will have a magnificent view of snow peaks and valleys. Apart from the educational, touristic and cultural programmes, participants will be taken to the Nepal Scouts International Jamboree site and Human Resource Development Centre that is under construction. A plan is being arranged to plant thousands of trees, with each participant planting one tree to mark the occasion of the 3rd SAF Scout Camp. The camp seeks to promote friendship amongst young people in SAARC areas, i. e. Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, including Afghanistan.
The South Asia Foundation (SAF), led by Mr Madanjeet Singh, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, provides travel subsidy while Nepal will host all participants. For the first time, Afghan Scouts will join a regional event after 23 years.
HONG KONG • Learning Organization Seminar
Hong Kong will be the meeting
place on 9-13 April 2004 for the first APR Seminar on Learning Organization
jointly organized by Geneva and APR.
Who are welcome? NSO
leaders who are keen on bringing about greater awareness on the importance of
learning at organizational level, given the ever changing circumstances
prevalent in the knowledge based economy today and keeping abreast of
contemporary issues affecting the organizational environments as viewed from
the scouting perspectives. For details, visit www.apr.scout.or.jp under circulars.
BRUNEI • Adults in Scouting Seminar
Leaders in Brunei are organizing a
national seminar for Adults in Scouting on 17-18 April in Begawan.
APR OFFICE • Staff
Management Conference
Executives of the World Scout
Bureau in Manila will have an annual review of administrative issues and
regional performance this 27-30 April at the APR office.
FIJI
•
Meeting of South Pacific Scout Countries
A number of events of South
Pacific Scout Countries are being planned for the first part of May where Fiji
will most likely to host. Events
include a meeting of South Pacific Scout Countries, to be followed by a
strategic planning workshop, and a seminar for adults in Scouting. WOSM member countries in the South
Pacific include Fiji, Kiribati and Papua New Guinea. Scouting also exists in Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and
Vanuatu.
REGIONWIDE • Involvement of NSOs in the APR Scout Conference
For the APR Scout Conference in
Brunei this December, APR office just issued circulars to national Scout
organizations for their proposals, if any, to amend the regional constitution
and by-laws, the conference rules of procedure, and proposals for conference
recommendations. National Scout
Organizations are also requested to give their nominations for the APR Scout
Committee membership (2004-2010) and to APR Sub-Committees and Task Forces
(term 2004-2007), and to offer their bid to host the APR Scout Conference in
2007.
Please
mark this date on your calendar:
• 5 June 2004
– deadline for submission of proposals for amendments of
the regional constitution and by-laws, rules of procedure, and proposed
conference resolutions
– deadline for submission of nominees for APR Scout
Committee, APR Sub-Committees and Task Forces
– deadline for submission of offer to invite the
Asia-Pacific Regional Scout Conference in 2007.
LT/WSB-APR
01/03/04