| EUROFAX 99 | |
| December 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."
The "Bosnia 2000 Pax An" project from the German verb "anpacken" (to tackle) brought some 250 Scouts aged between 16 and 25 together in Bosnia and Herzegovina this summer. Four national Scout associations took up the challenge and worked together for a whole year: the Scout Association of Federation Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Scout Association of Republica Srpska, Scouts de France and the Deutsche Pfadfindershaft Sankt Georg (Germany). The aim of this co-operation was not to give lessons about peace, but simply to show that something can be done despite the war, and that a common future is still conceivable, despite the wounds. The participants from the three different countries lived and managed their daily activities in tri-national teams. This big summer camp was split into three stages: participation in the Mlinska Rijeka Jamboree in Republica Sprska, four days of immersion in 11 towns, and the final gathering at Lake Boracko, in the Croat-Muslim Federation. Now, many of the young people and leaders involved are pursuing their interaction. We wish them a lot of shared projects (Excerpt from the "Crossing Borders, Spreading Peace" document published by Scouts de France in December 2000. More information on this project can be obtained from any of the four associations concerned.)
On 4 October, an agreement was signed in Geneva to formalise a partnership project between UNICEF (Regional Office for Central and Eastern Europe, CIS and the Baltic states) and WOSM (European Scout Office). The first aim of the project is to produce a Discussion Guide for Young People, as a follow-up to the UNICEF report on "Young People in Changing Societies". This research report focuses on the situation of young people in that particular area of Europe following the social changes of the post-communist period. Six extensive chapters trace the impacts of these social changes on young people's lives: Youth in Transition, Growth and Health, School Years, Professional Life, Young People in Conflict with the Law, and Young Citizens. The discussion guide will be published in March 2001, and we will distribute it in EuroPak. Other areas of co-operation are on the agenda for UNICEF and WOSM: round tables, the launch of the discussion guide, co-operation in youth-related projects. Some exciting plans to follow with interest. If you are interested in the aforementioned research document, you can download it http://www.unicef-icdc.org/monee7/index.html
Today, all national Scout associations welcome girls and boys in their units, and the need has often been expressed for more educational tools to be provided by the European Scout Office, notably in the Youth Programme sector. As a result, the European Scout Region has decided to conduct research on gender approach (taking account of the multiple needs of each individual, which can be linked to the fact of being male or female) in education. The project is being undertaken in close co-operation with the Educational Methods Service of the World Scout Bureau, under the leadership of Jacqueline Collier, Deputy Director of Programme. A contract pertaining to the research was signed with the University of Oslo in November. A researcher who is known to the European Region, Harriet Bjerrum Nielsen, will be involved in interviews and meetings with young people in local Scout groups in five countries (four in Europe and one in Eurasia). A steering committee will be set up to monitor the progress of the research and to analyse the impacts in terms of our youth programmes. Thérèse Bermingham will be represent the European Scout Committee on this body. (More details about this ambitious project will be sent out in January's EuroPak. In the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact us for further information.)
The European Scout Office team will soon be complete and in a position to serve the national Scout associations more effectively. First of all, the Brussels satellite office has a new External Relations assistant, Pascale Boulanger, from Belgium. On the Geneva side, we are pleased to announce the appointment of Radu Stinghe as Director of Youth Programme for the European Scout Region. Radu comes from Romania, where he has held the position of National Youth Programme Commissioner, as well as being a member of the Regional Youth Programme Working Group. A new post has also been created, to offer closer support (in terms of geographical proximity) to the Scout associations of South-Eastern Europe. Milutin Milosevic, former Secretary General of the Yugoslav Scout Association, has been appointed as the European Scout Office¹s representative for South-Eastern Europe for a two-year period. He will be based in Belgrade and work in close co-operation with the European Scout Office. We welcome Pascale, Radu and Milutin into European Scouting¹s development plans.
An error has been found in the EuroSteps 2001 booklet published in October 2000. On pages 86 and 89 EthnoStep and Stepart in Slovenia the cost should read 50 EUR per week/person, and not per day. Quite a difference!
We will be starting the New Year with our 100th edition of EuroFax. 100 months without interruption is worth celebrating. We will be taking a look at how this communication tool came about.
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