Programme sub committee meets in Kaohsiung

Very good attendance and productive discussions concluded the first formal meeting of the Programme Sub-Committee held in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Dr Ie Bin Lian chaired the meeting. Among the attendees were Mr Wendel Avisado as adviser, incoming Regional Director JR Pangilinan and outgoing RD Abdullah Rasheed.

The regional plan was the centerpiece of discussion where many upcoming activities are outlined.

In addition, the sub-committee reviewed the Youth Forum recommendations (Dhaka) and the details of the environment workshop that will open after the meeting. They noted the status report of the 30th APR Regional Scout Jamboree to be held in Japan from 1-7 August with the solidarity programme going very well to ensure wide participation from developing countries and from other regions. Another point of interest is the upcoming Scout Congress in Hong Kong and every member has been asked to attend. Regional Chairman Dr Chao Shou-Po met the members and commended the good participation.

To show its support, the sub-committee members attended the opening ceremony of the APR Workshop on Environment on 2nd June 2013, being held in conjunction with the World Environment Day under the theme “Scouts' Accountability to Environment”, focusing on four basic elements: conservation, protection, promotion and sustainability.

The opening ceremony of the workshop was officiated by the Founder of Fo Guang Shan Master Hsing Yun in the presence of Chairman Dr. Chao Shou-Po. After the opening ceremony, four members of the expert of panels on various aspect of environment conducted a forum and responded to questions from the participants chaired by Dr. Lin, Director of the New Taipei City; with Master
Hui-Chuan of Fo Guang Shan; Dr. Lee, Professor of National Taiwan university; Ms. Tsai, Deputy Director of Environment Protection Administration of Taiwan; and Mr. Li, Director General of the Council of Agriculture Forest Bureau.

South Sudan joins World Scouting family

The World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) welcomes South Sudan as its latest member. The membership became official on 1 May 2013. The National Scout Organization, South Sudan Scout Association will be ceremonially welcomed at the 40th World Scout Conference in Slovenia (2014). World Scouting is one of the first global youth organisations to accept the full memebrship of South Sudan

Scouting was active since the 50s as part of Sudanese Scouting. After independence of South Sudan, 7 groups out of 10 states met and held elections of a constitutive Board to establish the new National Scout Organization recognised by the national authorities and submit an application to become a member of WOSM. In accordance with the requirements of the Constitution of WOSM, the World Scout Committee considered this application at its meeting on 28 September–1 October 2012, and recommended that it be accepted following due constitutional procedures.

South Sudan Scout Association today:
• About 2,000 members and covers all the 10 states of the country.
• Good experience on community services like polio eradication campaign; sensitization against river blindness; burying the dead and healing the wounded during the war; tree planting and canal building, going to hospitals, cleaning campaigns, leprosy elimination, first aid, etc.
• The Association has been working on its policies and strategic plan – drafts of its Youth Policy (including child protection), the Association Strategic plan and programmes are under development.
• Strong support by Government and local authorities, community reliance on Scouting, families seem very proud to be parents of Scouts.
• Leadership and management teams comprised of people of high calibre, an excellent approach regarding youth participation, gender balance as well as religious, languages and ethnic origins.
• Already a partnership with neighbours’ NSOs (Uganda, Kenya and Sudan) to get more exposure and is planning to attend wood badge training there
• The South Sudan Scout Association has relatively decent headquarters and a number of properties.
The Constitution of the South Sudan Scout Association has been checked thoroughly and approved by the Constitution Committee of WOSM. A fact-finding visit by a World Scouting team to South Sudan was undertaken from 5th to 9th November 2012. The conclusion was that the South Sudan Scout Association fully meets the requirements for admission to WOSM membership.
In becoming a Member of WOSM, South Sudan Scout Association has become, as it desired, a member of the Africa Scout Region and will also be supported by the Arab Scout Region due the linguistic reality of the country. The Association operates in English and Arabic (7/10 states are Arabic speaking but English is the official language of the country).
Fast Facts about South Sudan
• The total Population of South Sudan is 8.26 million
• The total Area of South Sudan is 644,329 sq. km
• More than half (51%) of the population is below the age of eighteen.
• 72% of the population is below the age of thirty
• 83% of the population is rural
• 27% of the adult population is literate
• 51% of the population live below the poverty line
• 78% of households depend on crop farming or animal husbandry as their primary source of livelihood
• 55% of the population has access to improved sources of drinking water

Scouts come together for Global Road Safety Week

Scouts around the world are joining hands together this week to strengthen global forces against the number one cause of death for young people, road accidents. Annually, over 1.2 million people die on roads in a cause that can easily be tackled with joined up action. The Second UN Global Road Safety Week (every five years) is taking place from 6 to 12 May 2013. On 6 and 7 May, 30 Rover Scouts and leaders from 14 countries came together for a series of events at the United Nations premises in Geneva on the invitation of Scouting Ireland, Scouts of Greece and the Greek-Hellenic Road Safety Institute ‘Panos Mylonas’. The events were supported and hosted by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). 2011 to 2020 is also the ‘Decade of Action for Road Safety’ promoted by the United Nations.

Every year millions of people die or are seriously injured in road crashes. In addition to personal tragedies and tremendous human suffering, road crashes are estimated to cost society some $500 billion a year. The vast majority of road traffic deaths and injuries occur in low-income and middle-income countries. Globally, road traffic crashes have become the leading cause of death for young people aged 15-29 years and hence the number one killer of Scouts around the world.
Scouting for Global Road Safety, a one-day workshop for Rover Scouts and leaders took place on 6 May. In the morning, participating Scouts learned about UNECE’s road safety activities and legal instruments administered by its Working Party 1. In the afternoon session, Scouts participated in an interactive lecture by Professor Claes Tingvall, a respected world authority in road safety from Sweden and the Director of Traffic Safety for the Swedish National Road Administration.

To make the event dynamic and particularly meaningful for the Scouts, Professor Tingvall challenged the Scouts to consider how the pedestrian related aspects of the Convention on Road Traffic of 1968 might be revitalised or updated in a modern context, with a focus on youth and young adults. The outcomes of discussions, debates and recommendations coming from the Rover Scouts will be further opened to other Scouts around the world, including at the World Scout Moot in Canada (August 2013), and submitted to the Working Party as inputs for their review process.

Prof. Tingvall was enthralled by the engagement of Scouts on the issue and said ‘I have heard so many great ideas (today). This is the first time in my work that I have seen so many young people caring for Road Safety and taking part in deliberations at such an important level.’ At the closing session, UNECE officials reiterated their commitment to work with World Scouting. Speaking on the ocassion, Jim Sharp, Global Director of Corporate Services for World Scouting said ‘Listening to everything that was said today, I am convinced more than ever before that Road safety is very much a key component of Child Protection in Scouting and fits well into our policy called Keeping Scouts Safe From Harm. We have a huge potential in contributing to this good cause through education, awareness raising and contributing to decision making processes like the one our Rover Scouts started today.’ A Scout delegation has been invited to attend the 66th session of Working Party 1 scheduled for 23-25 September 2013, and to present the outcomes of deliberations from the workshop.

Scott Teare, the Secretary General of WOSM also visited the event to encourage Rover Scouts. John Lawlor (Sr), the Chief Executive Officer of Scouting Ireland and Vassilis Birtsas, the Deputy International Commissioner of Scouts of Greece and Vassiliki Danelli-Mylona of Greek Hellenic Road Safety Institute were the key people promoting Scouting's engagement with the issue at international level. Vassiliki in particular has been a leading inspiration having dedicated her life to the cause of road safety after losing her 22-year-old son, Panos Mylonas in a tragic car accident. On the occasion she said, ‘Scouting is the largest youth organization on the globe with a history of 106 Years, and continuously growing - with an immense power in changing the society - promoting what is best in human behaviour for good citizenship and leadership. It is important and timely that scouting should take a stand to help safeguard road safety.’
On 7 May, Scouts merged with top decision makers in Road Traffic Safety to commemorate the ‘International Level Crossing Awareness Day’. World Scouting’s flagship initiative Messengers of Peace, which has been promoting the Global Road Safety Week on its online platforms and to its Network of Scouts around the world, was represented on both days through exhibits and talks.

Participating Scouts also enjoyed several social moments during and after the sessions in the UN. Over lunch time, Scouts were invited to join a poster signing activity alongside other high level delegates from the Global Road Safety Week in the UN to commit 'We do not drink and drive'. In smaller group discussions during the sessions, Scouts engaged in activities and games to bring the 'Learning by Doing' approach from the Scout Method to road safety awareness and education.

A pre-event briefing meeting, and visits to the World Scout Bureau and the United Nations was organised for Rover Scouts coming from outside of Geneva on 5 May. Evening programmes included a campfire and dinner on 6 May hosted by Scouting Ireland at the campsite where Rover Scouts were based over these days - Les Perouses Scouts Centre (Satigny) of Geneva Scouts Association (l'Association du Scoutisme Genevois) - located amidst picturesque vineyards and Rhone riviera overlooking the Swiss mountains on the outskirts of Geneva. Several Rover Scouts from l'Association du Scoutisme Genevois participated in the various events making the best of an opportunity to represent Scouting at the UN premises in Geneva.

Although in the past various Scout associations across the globe have been working on road safety in partnership with their national or local road safety organisations, World Scouting’s engagement with this subject at the global level and association with UNECE began recently at the 22nd World Scout Jamboree in Sweden (2011). UNECE pioneered road safety activities in the UN system 60 years ago and to this day – the Working Party on Road Traffic Safety – continues to be the only permanent body in the UN system that focuses on improving road safety. In addition, UNECE has been actively involved in the regional and global implementation of the ‘Decade of Action for Road Safety, 2011-2020’. In the context of the Decade, UNECE has made plans for a series of road safety activities to educate, raise awareness, induce action and create dynamic and effective responses.

UNECE has recently partnered – largely to achieve synergies - with various organizations to enhance road safety and to promote constructive action during the Decade of Action for Road Safety. Based on the work done by the Irish and Greek Scouts in advocating road safety to their Scouts, and based on their joint workshop at the Global Development Village and a special event (Joining Hands) on road safety at the 22nd World Scout Jamboree in Sweden in 2011, a UN General Assembly Resolution in 2012 has commended the efforts of WOSM - ‘United Nations General Assembly Resolution on Improving global road safety (A/66/260) - (23 May 2012)’. The Resolution on improving road safety commends recent road safety advocacy campaigns of UNECE, including the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM), the Hellenic Road Safety Institute “Panos Mylonas”, Scouting Ireland and Scouts of Greece. UNECE strongly believes that there is value for both UNECE and WOSM – as well as to the cause of road safety - to continue working together in the area of road safety.

The 14th World Scout Moot will take place at Awacamenj Mino Camp, Québec, Canada from 8 - 18 August 2013.

The host organization, l'Association des Scouts du Canada, is eagerly preparing to welcome up to 5,000 young adults from around the world to Canada for this once-in-a-lifetime Scouting experience! Participation is open to members of all National Scout Organizations between the ages of 18 and 25 inclusive. Those aged 26 and over are encouraged to attend the Moot as members of the International Service Team.
For further information and promotional material, see the Moot website

Regional team meets with Timor Leste President to strengthen Scouting

During the current visit of the regional team to Timor Leste, the team met with the Patron of the Scout Association and President of the Democratic Republic of Timor Leste His Excellency Taur Matan Ruak at his office together with the key leaders of the national scout organization, Uniao Nacional dos Escuteiros de Timor Leste (UNE-TL) from 7th to 10th May 2013, finding ways to strengthen the ongoing partnership being undertaken to keep Scouting in the country in progression.

The President appreciated the support of the Asia-Pacific Regional Office of the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) and Scouts Australia, and acknowledged the efforts facilitated to improve the present Scout membership of Timor Leste (TL).
The regional team is comprised of Scouts Australia Chief Commissioner Mr Reg Williams, National Chief Executive and APR Scouting Profile Sub-Committee Chairman Mr Richard Miller and Regional Director Mr Abdullah Rasheed, who are in Dili, capital and largest city of TL.

At the beginning of the visit, the regional team met with the President of the Scout Association Ms Idelta Maria Rodrigues at her office and discussed the actions to be taken to strengthen Scouting in TL and establish a Scout office, which is currently operating in Becora, Dili. Joining the discussion were Chief Commissioner Mr. Mateus Maya de Jesus, International Commissioner Ms. Filomena Barros dos Reis, Chief Executive Mr. Isolino Vas de Alegria S.G Amaral and Adult Resources Commissioner Mr. Angelino Melo da Acosta.
Scouts Australia, with the request of the Asia-Pacific Regional Scout Committee has been partly supporting TL through the Messengers of Peace programme for further development that will empower TL to meet the criteria for WOSM membership. Since 2005, the country had established the National Scout Organization and elected group of officers, though the challenge of further adult training and establishing a national office still unresolved.

Recently, a group of adult leaders underwent specific training and formed a national training team. Among the main discussions tackled were the need for a full-time staff to handle day-to-day office work; need for free hold land for the national Scout training centre; need to complete the annual census and annual reporting. On the possibility of acquiring land for the training centre, the team made an ocular visit to a one hectare of land in Metinaro, accompanied by the Vice-President of the association Mr Carlos, which is about 25 km outside Dili -- considered a suitable land for future Scout training centre.
The regional team joined the Deputy Minister of Education in inaugurating the community project done by Scouts Australia with the help of a number of Australian partners led by the Chairman of the Rover Council of Scouts Australia Ms. Nicole Strachan who have put up the toilet block in a local school also in Dili.

Maldivian Scouts take part in blood donation

The newly formed National Scout Youth Council (NSYC) of the Scout Association of Maldives organized a blood donation camp to mark the National Thalassemia Day to promote and foster a culture of blood donation and encourage new donors to come forward. The event held on 4th May 2013 at the Central Blood Bank was in collaboration with the Maldivian Blood Services.

With Maldives, being a country with high number of thalassemia, NYSC recent efforts is to promote blood donation and increase the members of the current donor pool.
A total of 108 volunteers, out of which 64 passed the blood screening. Out of the 64, 44 were first time donors.
NSYC was formed on the 1st National Scout Youth Forum held last November 2012.

PARSA Institution recognized for developing Scouting in Afghanistan

Currently, the second series of advanced Unit Leaders Training Course is running at PARSA Scouts Training Centre in Kabul from 20th to 26th May 2013.

With the establishment of Scout units in PARSA orphanages since 2009, an increase in Scout membership is evident. PARSA works with the government by coordinating Scouting activities and events with the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Social Affairs and other non-government organizations in Afghanistan.

Orphanage Director General Said Abdullah Hashimi inaugurated the course. Also present at the ceremony were PARSA Executive Director Marnie Gustavson, Country Director Dr Mohd Yasin Farid, and other NGO representatives.
Due to various challenges, 28 participants are attending the course, who are mostly from PARSA and some government departments.

Facilitating the course is Mr Thian Hiong-Boon from the APR office as Course Leader, assisted by Brajesh Kumar from India and supported by Scout executives of PARSA.
At the same function, Wood Badge certificates were awarded to seven Scout Leaders who have completed the requirements and are very active in Scouting.
At the opening ceremony, PARSA was presented with a plaque of appreciation for its continued collaboration with the World Organization of the Scout Movement, Asia-Pacific Office for the development of Scouting in Afghanistan.