inbox@apr
July
2003
Monthly e-Newsletter of World Scout Bureau
Asia Pacific Region
inbox@apr is published monthly by the Asia Pacific Region of the World Scout
Bureau in Manila.
For free subscription, simply send an email to publications@apr.scout.org
Having faced the challenge of the SARS
outbreak for a couple of months, it’s time to break free. Our friends in
Hong Kong give the good news that not one of HK’s 90,000 Scouts has been
infected with SARS. Both the World
Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Centre for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) have lifted the travel advisory placed on the territory. Scouts in Hong Kong once again offer
their caring and responsible hospitality to visiting Scouts from all over the
world.
The situation in Taiwan has improved
significantly as well, as WHO suggests that SARS is no longer a potential
threat to international travellers to Taiwan. Visit the WHO website www.who.int for more information. Heads of
Contingents visiting Taiwan on 3-6 August 2003 in Hualien for the 12th
World Scout Moot 2004 are reminded to register as soon as possible. For more information, visit www.moot2004.org.tw.
BRUNEI • Young
People’s Forum
Young people will speak and be heard at the
Regional Youth Forum followed by the Regional Scout Conference in 2004. To prepare
for that, a steering committee meeting composed of the forum director, the past
youth forum chairman, and the host committee is planned for May 2004 in Brunei
where the regional youth forum and regional conference will be hosted. The
report of the last Regional Youth Forum in India (2001) can be viewed at www.apr.scout.or.jp.
When size speaks, Australia has the word for it: gigantic. For its geographic size, Scouts Australia operates through its three main branches – in Queensland (Brisbane), in New South Wales (Sydney and National Scout HQ), and in Victoria (Melbourne). All three branches were visited by Asia Pacific Regional Director Abdullah Rasheed in early June, with a meeting with Scouts Australia’s Chief Commissioner John Ravenhall, International Commissioner Brendan Watson, Regional Scout Committee Vice-Chairperson Ms Kirsty Brown, National Chief Executive Richard Miller, and the three Branch Chief Commissioners – James Priest in Brisbane, Graham Fordham in Sydney, and Alston Park in Melbourne, including the young chairman of National Rover Council John Weaver.
Recently, Queensland branch promotes Scouting by picking up the theme Escape
to Scouting, and having it
visibly painted with the Scout logo in mobile PR vehicles that go around on
field visits, carrying a full video equipment, showing what Scouting is all
about. Sydney is where the newly
established National HQ is located, as well as the site of the 1988 World Scout
Jamboree at Cataract Scout Park. In Melbourne, it’s worth going to the
historic Gilwell Park at Gembrook, spreading over 600 hectares (about an hour
drive from Melbourne city), which was visited by BP himself in 1931. The oak
tree that BP planted there has become an important landmark in the camp that
has a long history dating back to 1925. The new Victoria Branch HQ is at Mt
Waverly in Carlton, which the branch has just acquired. Snowgum Scout shop is at the heart of
Melbourne, an entity created by some branches for the provision of Scout
supplies across Australia.
Support to Scouting in South Pacific. Looking farther, Scouts Australia has been a big supporter of Scouting in the South Pacific. Back in the 1990s, branch associations assist South Pacific countries in various forms, for example, Solomon Islands is assisted by Queensland Branch, Vanuatu by NSW Branch, Kiribati by Victoria Branch, Nauru by Victoria and Papua New Guinea by Queensland.
FIJI
• The South Pacific Connection
Miles and miles through the South Pacific, the Regional Director visited another member country for the first time - Fiji. In recent years, Fiji has been the focal point for countries in the South Pacific, being the birthplace of an informal organization called the Council of South Pacific Scout Associations (CSPSA), currently headed by Fiji Scouts Association (FSA) Chief Commissioner Chandra Shekhar.
Isolated as it is, electronic communications is FSA’s major necessity,
including computerization and the development of its own website for it to be
connected to the rest of the Scouting world. FSA also shows keen interest in taking up the earlier
project to redevelop the NHQ site which is in a very prominent location in the
city. The earlier blue prints of the project may however need to be revised and
a proper business plan prepared.
Fiji Scout Association (FSA) maintains strong
relationship with the Parliament, with its head, Mr Jonetani Kaukimoce being
the President of FSA. The Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Youth
support Scouting particularly in the allocation of full-time staff and
training.
One remarkable site in Fiji is the Jean Murray
National Training Centre which has a capacity to lodge about 60 campers in 8
cabins established with bilateral funding made available to FSA, including one
from Iran. It has a sizable meeting hall, and all of which need upgrading in
order to make it resource worthy. It is ideally suited for camping as it is
situated just outside Suva with greenery and nature for hiking and tracking.
Regional Scout Conference.
In a working visit of APR Executives to Brunei for the third preparatory
meeting of the 2004 Conference, much anticipation of an interesting conference
is being generated. A conference
secretariat will be functional by the first of July 2003. The International
Convention Center is booked for the conference, so with the Games Village where
the regional youth forum will take place.
Eight hotels in all - Orchid Garden, Grand City Hotel, Traders Inn,
Sheraton, Brunei Hotel, Anggrik, River View, Center Point and Terrace have been
confirmed. Final discounted rates
will be announced about six months before the conference.
As a special event, APR Foundation
promotional activities are planned including a fundraising dinner for new local
recruits, sale of first day covers, special conference souvenirs for sale such
as necktie, tiepin, car stickers, mugs, porcelain plates, pen, T-shirts, etc.
The first conference bulletin has been issued, and three succeeding issues will
come out at regular intervals, second issue in October 2003, third in April
2004, and the last in October 2004.
4th APR Youth Forum.
Dates are changed to 30 November to 03 December 2004. Games Village will be available for
free to participating young people. Sponsorship for young people from
developing countries in Asia Pacific and other regions is seen as a
possibility. Home hospitality will
be arranged for three nights and two days immediately after the closing of
Youth Forum up to the opening of the conference.
APR Course for Leader Trainers.
Around 20 ALTs from PPNBD will participate in the course. PPNBD is making arrangements by
conducting a National Course for Assistant Leader Trainers, two advanced courses
and four basic unit leader training so that by November 2004, ALTs should have
fulfilled the requirements and be eligible to participate in the regional CLT.
National and Regional Events.
For those interested to go to Brunei earlier than the conference, here
are Scout events to consider:
• National Course for ALTs, 8-14
September 2003
• 4th Preparatory
Meeting, 6-7 December 2003
• National Strategic
Planning Workshop, 8-12 December 2003
• APR Workshop on Training
System Development , 13-17 December 2003
Such meeting of WSB executives and
project officers is taking place in Geneva from 26 to 28 June 2003 with the
theme "Strengthening Partnerships to Develop Scouting for a Better
World". The meeting is an occasion for the external representatives of
WOSM to the United Nations and to Regional Youth Platforms to co-ordinate their
participation and positions in the global youth policy field, and to be
informed on the WOSM projects to be financed.
In recent years, Asia-Pacific has
maintained a participatory consultative relationship with external bodies,
mostly with United Nations agencies and international organizations. The region
and National Scout Organizations have also created partnerships for grassroots
work in the areas of non-formal education, youth participation, disadvantaged
youth, information society, AIDS and health, environment and sustainable
development, peace, and many others.
What’s ON!
JULY 2003
A network of collaboration and support is expected to take place at the planned meeting on Scouting in Afghanistan in Geneva on 5-6 July 2003. Intentions to help have been received by the Asia-Pacific Regional Office from National Scout Organizations interested to assist, in various forms, to this endeavour. World Scout Bureau (Geneva and Asia-Pacific) has the lead role in coordinating all initiatives related to the re-introduction of Scouting in Afghanistan, a former member of WOSM.
With a sizable
list of participants, both full-time professionals and volunteers, Pakistan Boy
Scouts Association is organizing the 44th APR Management Course for
Scout Executives to be held on 20 July to 4 August 2003 with the assistance of
Asia-Pacific office and a resource person from Boy Scouts of the Philippines,
and the participation of a Scout leader from Malaysia. The course will be held
at the Pakistan Scout Cadet College in Jungle Mangal at the Northwest Frontier
province of Pakistan.
BHUTAN • Strategy Review Workshop
As announced
last month, Bhutan Scouts Association will have a planning review workshop this
July to evaluate its priority areas, i.e. Youth Programme, Material Resources,
Image of Scouting.
AUGUST 2003
MONGOLIA • 2nd
Mongolian Rover Moot
The Rover Moot in Mongolia is on at “My Camp”,
located at the foot of pine mountains 110 kms from Ulaanbaatar, on 1-8 August
2003 for the Rover Moot. More details on the Moot can be found at www.apr.scout.or.jp under circular no. 7. For information, email
scout@mongol.net.
SRI LANKA • Kandy JIM
The international Scout event called RAJANS JIM to be held at the Lakeview Park International Scout Centre in Kandy this July has caught the interest of Korea Scout Association to initiate plans for their contingent for a community development project in Kandy. Sri Lanka Scouts Association gladly accepts the offer. For information on the Jamboree, email rajansjim@ispkandyan.lk. Simultaneously, a Strategic Planning Workshop will be organized for Scout leaders on 10-14 August .
SEPTEMBER 2003
World Scout Bureau (Geneva and Asia-Pacific) and Gerakan Pramuka will
organize this international event at Cibubur Scout Camp in Jakarta, Indonesia
on 2-6 September 2003. Invitation
is extended to NSO representatives who are involved in resource mobilization
and financial management. For
enquiries, email kwarnas@central.net.id or
wsb@apr,scout.org
EGYPT • 6th
International Youth Gathering for Cultural Exchange
Shifting to the Arab world, the regional office in Cairo, in cooperation
with UNESCO, extend invitation to the 6th International Youth Gathering for
Cultural Exchange in Cairo and Minia Governorate in Middle Egypt slated for
1-12 September 2003. This is a
cultural event for Rovers all over the world, males aged 18-22 years, whose
application should be approved by his National Scout Organization. They will be engaged in intercultural
dialogues concerning the 21st century and will have the opportunity
to visit the cultural heritage of Egypt. For enquiry and information, email wosmo@arab.scout.org and visit
http://www.arabscout.org.
BANGLADESH • National Workshop on Expansion of Cub Scouting
With a similar theme “Expansion of Cub Scouting: Right Strategy
for strengthening the Movement,”
Bangladesh Scouts is organizing this workshop on 26~27 September 2003 at
the National Scout Centre in Mouchak, Gazipur, around 42 kilometers north of
Dhaka City. Workshop fee is
US$50.00 which will cover inland transportation between Dhaka International
Airport and the workshop venue, food and accommodation from 25~28 September
2003. And who are invited?
National key leaders (one or two) who are directly associated with the Cub
Scouting Section. For more information, please contact scouts@bangla.net
Please check your calendar and mark this date:
15
August 2003 – reply for participation in the 1st International Seminar
on Resources Development and Management
llt/30-06-03