Scouting Around - Issue 20 - August 2017

Gearing Up For the new School Term

Upcoming Activities

The July/August vacation period usually sees scout groups camping locally and internationally but for many it is a time to rest and prepare for turning a new leaf come September with the start of the new school term.

August 31 — Independence Day 31 — Fireworks Night Over (@National Scout Centre)

September 10 — Leaders’ Indaba (Venue TBD)

headquarters@scouts.tt

Set up some gadgets, do some exciting activities, show your Scouting spirit!

At ScoutsTT, we have been working to provide groups with the support they need to run their programs efficiently and effectively.

This can be both a happy and sad time for groups as youths enter Secondary School.

For Cub Scout leaders, it means saying goodbye to those moving on, while for Scout Leaders it means saying hello.

Following the launch of the new programs earlier this year, we are developing the new proficiency badge requirement books to be unveiled in September.

For Scout Groups, this is the best time to recruit new members. It is a great opportunity to make an impression that leaders should not let pass by.

Also set to launch in September is The Quality Scouting Assessment, which is a tool to track and monitor the progress of individuals, groups and district.

You should have a strong presence in the first week of school by ensuring your senior members are visible and interactive with the newcomers, not just at your first meeting, but during school as well.

Our commissioners got some insights from Jesus Arenas and Jose Gabriel of the Interamerican Regional Office and are rearing to go.

1(868) 624-7271 www.scouts.tt

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Commissioners pause for a photo during the Commissioners’ Conference (July 29-30, 2017)

Scouting Around the World

41st World Scout Conference Azerbaijan 2017 — August 14-18

Leadership from 167 National Scout Organizations representing over 40 million Scouts will convene on Monday for the World Scouting’s ‘general assembly’, the World Scout Conference in Baku, Azerbaijan. The Conference will take place from 14-18 August 2017 at the Baku Congress Centre.

comes in a critical moment to position the Movement in the current global context, and to reinforce its educational profile and unity,” said João Armando Gonçalves, Chairperson of the World Scout Committee.

The triennial event will draw the largest delegations yet – 167 National Scout Organizations (NSOs) across the Scout Movement’s Africa, Arab, Asia-Pacific, Eurasia, European and Interamerican Scout Regions.

Themed ‘Together for Positive Change’, the Conference will provide delegations the opportunity to consider the policy and standards of the Movement, and decide on issues of concern to the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM). The Conference will also review the progress made towards achieving the Movement’s Vision 2023.

“This particular World Scout Conference

The Conference will also witness a record

number of young delegates who are currently attending the 13th World Scout Youth Forum in Gabala. They will join the Conference and present the outcomes of the Forum which will conclude today.

The previous World Scout Conference took place in 2014 in Ljubljana, Slovenia where Vision 2023 for Scouting was adopted. The Vision aims to accelerate the growth of the Movement and deepen its impact and influence by empowering 100 million Scouts.

WOSM Secretary General, Ahmad Alhendawi said, “as the world’s leading educational youth movement, the World Scout Conference offers the platform for our Movement to review the progress made in the past triennium and discuss current trends affecting Scouting worldwide. As our governing body, the Conference is expected to decide on various issues and deliberate on our collective effort to achieve Vision 2023”.

The Conference will also include the election of the 2017-2020 World Scout Committee, which is the executive body of WOSM. Functions of the Conference also includes the admission of new member countries, and the selection of the venues of forthcoming World Scout Events, namely the World Scout Jamboree, World Scout Conference and the World Scout Youth Forum.

NEW FROM WOSM The World Organisation of the Scout Movement (WOSM) used the opportunity of the 41st World Scout Conference in Baku, Azerbaijan to unveil their newly updated website (www.scout.org) and mobile app.

UN’s SDG 16, Youth, Peace and Security Workshop By: Mikael Hepburn (6th Trinidad Sea Scouts) On the 29th of July I attended the U.N. Sustainable Development Goal 16 Youth Peace and Security workshop. The overarching aims of this workshop were to introduce interested persons to the Youth Peace Building project and to get volunteers to help this initiative succeed.

The Sustainable Development Goals are a continuation and furthering of the Millennium Development Goals which the U.N. set out to accomplish in previous years.

The SDGs were officially adopted in 2015 with 17 Goals that are geared towards sustainable growth in countries across the world regarding various issues. This workshop focused on SDG 16 which has an overall goal of “The promotion of peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.” Within this goal there are 11 sub-goals with indicators to measure them.

The workshop served as an introduction to some of the initiatives that were being planned and to gather people to become volunteers. Throughout its course there were many activities and discussions that

were geared towards illustrating many of the goals that SDG 16 aims to improve on and achieve.

For example there was a line of tape in the room where they had two people stand on either side. The exercise was intended to get people to see a different point of view in order to “win them over”. Another was a group exercise where participants were asked a question and were told to either agree or disagree. However, this exercise involved movement to a specific side of the room based on your response. Participants could have stood in the middle to represent a neutral standpoint, thus creating a continuum of answers. Most memorable was a discussion on “gun free zones” in which there are areas of the countries people cannot bring weapons into, for example, parks.

through the use of proxies in absence of direct measures. This is where the outreach to youths come in. Besides the volunteerism and youth involvement to help propel the SDGs, they would like more youths to come and be involved in indicator and policy crafting for specific countries to make the set of recommendations and policies to be handed to the U.N. or various government bodies to help bring the Sustainable Development Goals further within reach.

The workshop was concluded with a drawing exercise which involved the participants drawing a ‘’path’’ on a large page showing how they all got to the point of coming to the workshop and a few pictures were taken of the group.

Overall, the workshop was a very fun and enlightening experience as I worked alongside other people in a relaxed atmosphere whilst we enjoyed ourselves thinking about pertinent issues. The project itself is a worthwhile endeavour and most importantly, the U.N. is always looking for volunteers to help. For more information about this and similar projects in the Caribbean we were directed to www.2030caribbean.org and www.unv.org .

Toward the end the discussion, focus was placed on the subject of indicators. It was explained that these were the U.N.’s way of determining if the various goals set out are being met or at least improving. Another way they intend to track it is indirectly,

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Scouting and The Sustainable Development Goals Originally published on www.scout.org One of the key topics featured on the second day of the 13th World Scout Youth Forum was the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and how they are relevant to Scouting.

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Goal 2: Zero Hunger

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Goal 11: Sustainable Communities

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Goal 4: Quality Education

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Goal 13: Climate Action

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Goal 5: Gender Equality

“The Scouts can be the organisation that can mobilise the largest number of young people towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals,” said Ahmad Alhendawi, Secretary General of the World Organization of the Scout Movement. ‘I hope that all Scouts and young people taking positive steps to create a positive impact in their communities recognise that they are contributing towards achieving the SDGs. I believe that they are helping to drive and hasten the progress as well!’

Cities

and

This panel session invited leaders and young people in Scouting to discuss important issues and trends affecting the world and our daily lives today and in the future.

Scouting, as one of the world’s leading educational youth movements, contributes most effectively towards (the SDG) ‘Goal 4: Quality education’ through its non-formal education that empowers young people to develop their full potential.

Additionally, with the Movement reaching and engaging over 40 million Scouts and young people around the world as active citizens, it is perfectly positioned to not only support the achievement of many SDGs but accelerate the progress as well.

Scouting, since its inception 110 years ago, started with the mission to respond and address the needs of the community.

Throughout the world, Scouts work towards creating positive change and establishing peace in their communities in many ways – from imparting social entrepreneurial skills; advocating gender equality, peace, human rights and environmental conservation; to facilitating conflict resolution; and providing emergency response.

Unknowingly, these positive contribute towards SDGs such as:  Goal 1: No poverty

actions

Following the panel discussion at the Forum, the participants agreed to explore ideas and concrete actions aligned to the SDGs that can be implemented in their communities back home.