News on Marginalised People
Over 4 years, 800 young people from the Roma community have joined Scouting in Slovakia. The Roma community, often referred to a 'gypsies' is seen as a problem in most Eastern European countries, due in part to their nomadic nature and their 'exotic' culture. The community is EuropeÕs most marginalised and vulnerable minority. Roma Scouting however is fully integrated into Slovensky Scouting but it also retains aspects that meet the particular needs of the Roma community. Read more about the story in this Promising Practice. (August 2004)
BSA's first-ever Spanish web site to reach out the nation's growing Hispanic American/Latino community has been developed. Latino parents will now be able to learn about the benefits of the Scouting programme along with their children in the comfort of their own homes.
21 participants from six associations took part in a seminar on Children in Especially Difficult Circumstances in Nairobi from 1-7 June 2003. They shared information on the situation and needs of homeless young people in their countries, identified the approach Scouting can take, shared methods of fundraising and developed strategies to extend the work. There was also an opportunity to visit Scout Troops in Nairobi which are part of the Kenya Scouts Association Extension Scout Programme. Two of the participants at the seminar are members of the Sunrise Project in Uganda. Funding for the seminar was provided by the Schneider Foundation of France. (August 2003)
Danish Scouting responds to increasing diversity in the Danish population - Danish Scouting has responded to the increasing diversity in Denmark by producing a welcome leaflet for Scouting in ten languages. The leaflet encourages young people to join Scouting and offers Scouting as a means of strengthening participation and communication between young people of different backgrounds and cultures. The ten languages are Danish, English, Turkish, Somali, Tamil, Bosnian/Serbian/Croatian/, Farsi/Persian, Arabic and Urdu/Pakistani. (August 2004)
Scoutreach's general web-site has been designed to give professional and volunteer Scouts, as well as the general public, an up-to-the minute overview of the latest information and resources provided by The Scoutreach Division to impact Scouting in urban and rural communities and to provide compelling testimonials on the relevance of Scouting in underserved communities.
The Overture Network is an informal network which helps to grow Scouting beyond its traditional boundaries through exploring intercultural issues and dealing with questions that many associations in Europe are facing e.g. immigration, refugees and marginalised youth. There are meetings twice a year which provide an opportunity for discussion and sharing of best practices. At a recent meeting in the Hague (The Netherlands) there was a discussion on Equality in Partnership with the North/South Network and a visit to The Colourful Hague Project - a project which has resulted in the establishment of several new groups of non-Dutch origin. (August 2003)
Scouts de France and União dos Escoteiros do Brasil work in partnership and use the Scout Method to support young people in the favelas - Scouts in France and Brazil are working in partnership to improve the lives of young people in the favelas in Brazil. Of 32 million children under the age of 10, around 20 million are living on the streets of which around half spend their entire lives on the streets. The project in Fortaleza, in the northeast of Brazil, focuses on working with children and mothers to improve child health and set up Scout groups to help young people stay off the streets. Read more about the project in the Promising Practice 'Let's Celebrate Life'. (August 2004)
The World Seminar on Scouting and Child Labour was held in Cairo International Scout center – Cairo, Egypt from 4-10 February 2005.
Scout Australia Queensland Branch is reaching out to the indigenous community to help integrate young people into Australian society and combat some of the social problems faced in these isolated communities.
Diana's and Ibrahim's Stories - Two Scouts from Sunrise Village in Uganda attended the recent seminar in Nairobi on 'Children in Difficult Circumstances'. They told their stories of how Sunrise Children's Home had changed their lives. Read their accounts in STRATEGY News - a new format to bring you information on results in each of the strategic priorities. (October 2003)
