| EUROFAX 95 | |
| August 2000 | |
"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."
From 12-23 July, the Scouts of Mexico hosted 3,107 young people, aged 18-26, and 1,647 staff from 71 countries. The theme of the Moot was "Tradition for Tomorrow" - a challenge to young people to rescue and use the richness of our past in order to contribute to the development and enrichment of our common future. The event gave participants opportunities to discover the nature, culture and people of Mexico through an action-packed programme of cultural and artistic, outdoor and service activities in 5 regions of Mexico. Participants lived and travelled in international teams of ten. A Global Development Village (GDV) was prepared on the theme of non-formal education for youth, in partnership between national Scout associations, various United Nations agencies and non-governmental organisations working with youth. This youth encounter and interactive exhibition was open to the public and offered workshops and activities on topics such as: education for health and hygiene; education for human rights; education for peace; education for cultural exchange; communication; environmental education; applied technology. It was our chance to show the contribution which Scouting is making to society at all levels worldwide, and to inspire young people to plan and manage innovative projects in their own communities. The European Scout Region gives its heartfelt thanks to the Scouts of Mexico for all their hard work and warm hospitality, and above all for having given so many young people this fantastic opportunity to broaden their horizons and build friendships throughout the world. We also wish the Scouts of China (Taiwan) good luck in planning the 12th World Scout Moot in 2004.
A seminar on this topic is planned from 18-24 November, in Prague, Czech Republic. It is designed for prospective young delegates to the 17th European Scout Conference and the 10th European Guide Conference, to be held in Prague in July 2001. Its aims are: to prepare prospective delegates to participate actively in their national delegations; to further understanding of how the Conferences function; to improve the skills required as a young delegate to the Conferences. Participants should be aged 18-30 and able to communicate well in English or French. The invitation and application form can be found in July's EuroPak and on the European Scout web site.
The Committee met from 16-18 June in Geneva to consider a wide variety of issues:
Chairman, David Bull, will produce a joint letter with the Chairman of the Europe Committee, WAGGGS, for inclusion in EuroPak. The next meeting will take place in Kandersteg from 3-5 November.
The European Jamboree, called FuturoScout, is being organised by a partnership of several European Scout associations and was originally planned for 2001. The organisers are keen to ensure that this event takes place in the best possible conditions for young people. On account of recent storm damage to the site at Jambville near Paris, resulting in the destruction of hundreds of trees, they have decided to postpone the event until 2002. More information will be sent to national associations as soon as possible. The European Scout Region supports this action and looks forward to a great event!
Due to the depletion of stocks, the Passport for Europe (English version) is currently being reprinted and the EuroSteps promotional video is being reproduced. Applications for the EuroSteps 2001 booklet are eagerly awaited, as are applications from national associations to host RoverWay in 2003.
The new World Programme Committee (WPC) and World Adult Resources Committee (WARC) met for the first time in Geneva from 23-25 June. These technical committees support the work of the World Scout Committee, by formulating WOSM's policies relating to youth programme and adult resources. They are expected to be proactive, develop concepts and instruments, and produce practical guidelines and tools for the benefit of national Scout associations.
The WPC has six members: Gualitiero Zanolini (Chairman, Italy); Ralison Andriamandranto (Madagascar); Hector Carrer (Argentina); Ophelia Chan (Hong Kong); Jean-Pierre Darimont (Belgium); Lidija Pozaic (Croatia). A youth programme action plan has been developed for the period 2000-2002, based on the key challenges identified at the 35th World Scout Conference. The main fields of action selected are: research and development; networking and dissemination; educational partnerships.
Research and development work will focus on adolescents and specific issues such as gender education, youth involvement, personal growth areas, education for human development and the complementary relationship between Scouting and schools. Networking will be developed with the Regions and national Scout associations, in order to mobilise all available expertise and disseminate new ideas and useful materials more effectively. Educational partnerships will be established in order to have WOSM's expertise better recognised and obtain more resources for our work.
The WARC is composed of five members: Kirsty Brown (Chairman, Australia); Carlos Albicker (Mexico); Thérèse Bermingham (Ireland); Goodenough Dlamina (South Africa); Mahmoud Omar (Egypt). With the focus on supporting the implementation of the Adults in Scouting policy, the committee reviewed the publications available to national associations. The new Management Handbook has just been completed and the Adult Resources Handbook is at the review stage. The committee will give the completion of this handbook high priority in the coming year. Information Exchange will also continue as a monthly publication for the next twelve months.
The next meeting of the North-South and Overture Networks will take place in Helsinki from 20-22 October 2000. The North-South Network will discuss intercultural education, and the Overture Network will examine the impact of minorities on youth programmes. A reminder that these networks aim to encourage national associations to share experiences, materials and information on projects and to develop closer co-operation in fields of common interest. The participation fee is FIM 500. For further information, contact the Guides and Scouts of Finland: international.secretary@sp.partio.fi.
If your national association has not yet sent back its completed 1999 census form or paid both its world and European membership fees for 1999-2000, you are kindly requested to do so as quickly as possible. Your contribution is indispensable to enable WOSM to continue its activities and balance the budget.
In July's EuroPak, you will find the provisional agenda for the Conference (the programme grid is on our web site). The Committee calls for additional agenda items to be sent to the European Scout Office by the deadline marked below. You will also find a list of proposed workshops relating to the European Scout Plan 1998-2007, and you are invited to enrich the list by proposing other topics. Finally, there is a call for candidates to the European Scout Committee and guidelines to assist national Scout organisations in selecting good nominees who will be able to contribute effectively to the work of the Region.
The European Scout Region is pleased to welcome Elena Grimaud Ineichen, who will work as Publications Officer for the European Scout Office in Geneva, from 7 August. With dual Canadian and Swiss citizenship, Elena has studied journalism, public relations and business. She has a solid professional experience, working as a Communication Officer for an important Swiss multinational company, and as a free-lance writer in London. We wish Elena every success in her new post!
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