| EUROFAX 79 | |
| April 1999 | |
"Eurofax is the monthly newsletter of the European Scout Region. It is produced by the European Scout Office and is distributed to all member associations in the European Region, and others. Reproduction of articles without alteration is encouraged but Eurofax should be acknowledged as the source of the information."
"Dear friends,
In spite of all the efforts from many sides, the situation in our country is
such that we are at the beginning of quite an unexpected and unpleasant period.
Unfortunately, peace has lost the battle, and the forthcoming days will be sad
for our country and Scouting in Yugoslavia. I write to you just to inform you
that we shall continue our work according to the circumstances that will be
around us. Whenever it will be possible, we shall try to work fully and
participate in international events.
We shall try to stay in contact with you. Our e-mail addresses are:
scoutyu@classroom.opennet.org (The Yugoslav Scout Association);
ztpbginv@eunet.yu (International Commissioner, Marko Petrovic). Fax +381 11
3616816, or +381 11 3110526. You can also reach us via the Yugoslav Red Cross,
where we have good friends, and where our new Vice-President, Dr. Radovan
Mijanovic, is President.
I hope that this nightmare will end soon.
Yours in Scouting, Milutin Milosevic, Acting Secretary General"
Let us not forget that we have brothers and sisters in Yugoslavia who take concrete action on a daily basis to promote democracy, good relations between communities and peace. The European Scout Region will do everything possible to support the Yugoslav Scout Association throughout this ordeal, and prays for a quick return to peace and stability in the Balkans.
"We are going to tell the story of Vladimir and Ewa. But it could just as well be the story of Mircea and Dîna, Piotr and Ewa, or even Boris and Anna, Maimu and Tonu, or Myriam and AhmedŠ We have in fact put together several true situations, in order to bring the characters of our story to life. These characters really do actually exist.
We have met them in their hundreds in all those parts of Europe where Scouting is re-emerging and developing. They both men and women are in their 20s and 30s, or perhaps older, and have an ardent interest in the education of young people. They realise that education is the way to pass on the values by which they live to young people, as well as to renew and improve society by enabling young people to fulfil their full potential and gain awareness of themselves. They have chosen Scouting as their tool. They do not speak empty words, but act with patience and perseverance in their day-to-day lives.
We want to recount their story and their discoveries, in the hope that you can learn something from them for your own activities."
If you would like to find out how the newly established national programme team of an eastern European country faces the challenge of designing its new programme using RAP, you can now download chapter 1 of the Green Island from the European Scout Region's web site. The book will be published in instalments and we hope that this will stimulate debate in your national team.
This key event for members of national programme and adult resources teams is to be held in Malta from 29 May - 5 June 1999. The deadline for registration was 26 March. If you missed the deadline, but wish to be considered if places are still available, please send your application to the European Scout Office in Geneva as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
This major Euro-Arab cooperation project is for young men and women aged 18-25, selected from youth organisations in the countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. Applicants may join one of the four training sessions each lasting 12 days, between 5 August and 21 September 1999, on board the "Black Knight". Information and application forms have been sent to all national Scout associations and national youth councils in eligible countries and are also available upon request from the European Scout Office. The deadline for application is 23 April. For more information, contact Richard Amalvy or Anna Keep in Brussels: peace.cruise@euro.scout.org
The 2nd International Youth Gathering for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage will take place at the Cairo International Scout Centre from 1-11 September 1999. It will be organised by the Arab Scout Region in cooperation with UNESCO and the Egyptian Antiquities Authority. Participants should be male Rovers aged 18-25 and speak good English or French. The programme will include workshops on techniques for preserving antiquities and monuments, participation in projects to preserve the pyramids and sphinx, and visits to the Egyptian Museum and several cultural sites. Accommodation, food, transport and programme expenses within Egypt will be covered by the organisers. Participants or their youth organisations should pay for their travel to Egypt. For more information, please contact the Arab Scout Office, fax +202 2633314, e-mail wosomo@idscl.gov.eg
The committee met in Kandersteg from 12-14 March. The Europe Committee WAGGGS also met there and the two committees held their usual joint meeting on the Saturday to review plans for cooperation and joint events. As usual, the two Chairmen are issuing a letter to associations after the meeting. The committee considered reports from our working groups and were particularly interested in the final plans for the Forum on Youth Programme and Adult Resources Forum in Malta. The financial arrangements for the Peace Cruise were discussed in detail and the committee also received a progress report on the planning for the project itself. Members were delighted to hear that fundraising for the Peace Cruise had been very successful, thanks to the efforts of the European Scout Office team and the excellent advice and personal involvement from Jacques Moreillon.
A major and difficult task for the committee was the consideration of the 35 applications received for financial support from the European Scout Centenary Fund. Throughout the lengthy selection process, the committee was guided by certain principles:
The committee took some time to evaluate the way in which it works and to think of ways of improving this. It is developing its own charter, which will be presented to associations soon.
From 5-11 March, the second management seminar was held in Kandersteg, with 32 participants from 19 associations. The main topics were: organisational theory, structures and systems; introduction to the strategy for Scouting; how to develop a youth programme; how to design a system for managing adult resources; long-term planning tools; analysing the culture of an association; managing the finances of an association; growth; marketing. The European Scout Region plans to organise a similar management seminar each year.
The north-south and overture networks met at Courrière in Belgium from 19-21 March. The hosts, the Catholic Federation of Scouts in Belgium, prepared a wonderful 10th birthday party for the north-south network, which first met in Belgium in January 1989. This network brought together 20 participants from 15 associations in 10 countries. An update on associations' current projects enabled new trends to be identified: most associations now focus on a long-term partnership with one other country; the educational objectives of development projects are considered carefully. The network reviewed the Marrakech Charter, which provides a good framework for partnership, and decided to develop practical tools to aid its implementation. It also discussed follow-up to the World Scout Jamboree, in particular the Global Development Village, and preparations for the World Scout Conference.
The overture network brought together 14 participants from 10 associations in 7 countries. It welcomed Denmark and Norway as new members. It reviewed projects underway to make Scouting more open to young people of all social, ethnic and religious backgrounds. With the help of an external expert, it discussed the criteria for successful intercultural learning. The next meeting of both networks will be in Copenhagen from 22-24 October, hosted by the Danish Baptist Scout Association.The dates chosen for 2000 are: 17-19 March, Lisbon, AEP; 20-22 October, Helsinki, GSF.
Are you a Scout or Guide representative in your national youth council or in international structures? Are you interested in how you can represent Scouting and Guiding alongside other youth organisations in your country? If so, the annual network meeting for Scout and Guide representatives could be for you. The date for this activity has been changed to 22-24 October 1999. Look out for information on the venue and how to apply in Europak soon.
This programme financed by the European Union enables young volunteers aged 18-25 to gain work experience abroad, on either short-term placements (minimum 3 weeks) or long-term placements (6-12 months). You can download further information from the Web on www.europa.eu.int or contact your national Youth For Europe agency.
This year, the Youth Directorate of the Council of Europe is organising courses on: organisational management; standards and quality in youth information and counselling; training for trainers; Euro-Mediterranean cooperation. Participants should be aged 18-30. Information and application forms are in this month's Europak.
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