NEWS NFO SCOUTING IN THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGION
OCTOBER-DECEMBER 2019
VOLUME 51, ISSUE NOs. 10, 11 & 12
APR joins Scout Jamboree in the Philippines, puts up Better World Tent
(Story on page 2)
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6 Scouts join call to stop hate speech
16 World Scouting holds training for WOSM consultants
APR participates in UN-Habitat’s assembly for young people
COVER STORY APR joins Scout Jamboree in the Philippines, puts up Better World Tent Over fifteen thousand Scouts experienced
dynamic place showcasing World Scout-
fun, learning and adventure at the APR Better
ing’s programmes, services and initiatives,
World Tent during the Boy Scouts of the Phil-
provided a space to discover how Scouts
ippine’s 17th National Scout Jamboree held
are creating positive change around the
early in December 2019.
world with local projects and international networks. The tent showcased variety of
The APR Better World Tent, an all-in-one
Photo © World Scout Bureau Asia-Pacific Region
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initiatives, programmes and calls to action
inspired National Scout Organizations and
opment Goals (SDGs) through community
Scout groups/units to align the community
service. This is possible because of the
service element of their Scout projects with
exciting opportunities our NSOs’ Youth
the SDGs and education for
Programmes offer young people to learn
sustainable development.
about the needs of their local communities and take their first steps to creating a better
An average of 3,000 visitors enter the exhibit
world.
each day, exploring and learning about World Scouting’s programmes on the sustainable de-
Inspired by TEDx Talks, Scout Talks were also
velopment goals, environment, development,
conducted at the exhibit, featuring speakers
spreading awareness on gender equality,
carefully selected to discuss specific topics
creating a culture of peace through dialogue,
and/or programmes of World Scouting, includ-
and much more. It also included a station for
ing inspiring projects and insights from young
Scouts to know more about Scouting in the
Scouts.
Asia-Pacific Region. Scouts who completed all stations, and atAs active citizens, Scouts worldwide contribute
tended a Scout Talk were given Better World
every day to achieving the Sustainable Devel-
badges, courtesy of the Asia-Pacific Region.
Photo © World Scout Bureau Asia-Pacific Region
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Photo © World Scout Bureau Asia-Pacific Region
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OUR REGION Scouts join call to stop hate speech With reports from Patrick McCormick (Scouts Australia)
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VIENNA, Austria – Five Scouts from the Asia-Pacific and Interamerican Scout Regions joined nearly 200 prominent religious leaders, theologians, diplomats and representatives from intergovernmental organisations (IGOs) and non-government organisations (NGOs) from around the world for two days in Vienna for a conference that focused on discussing and sharing ideas on countering hate speech.
Power of Words: The Role of Religion, Media and Policy in Countering Hate Speech” provided an opportunity for the delegates to share their experiences on hate speech and discuss efforts on how to counter it and to at least lessen its spread. Emphasis was placed on insights from the Arab Region, highlighting testimonies from Christian, Druze, Jewish, Muslim and Yazidi communities.
Hosted by King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID), “The
The two days were packed with speeches, panel discussions and workshops, culminating in the formulation of recommen-
dations to help the media, religious and policy sectors to collaborate in tackling hate speech. The World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) was represented by Juan Lucas Russiani (Argentina), Patrick McCormick (Australia), David Beraha (Brasil), Ee Yeng Lim (Malaysia) and Kaung Myat Htoo (Myanmar). In his address, Adama Dieng, the United Nations Secretary General’s Special Advisor for the Prevention of Genocide, spoke on how hate speech targets our universal human values. “We have to bear in mind that hate speech is an attack on diversity,” he said. “It is an attack on tolerance, it is an attack on peace, it is an attack on the principles and values which are the backbone of the United Nations charter. And the same values we find in each and every religion.” Representatives from the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) also weighed in when asked how young people could help counter hate speech. “As Messengers of Peace, we should be at the forefront of dialogue, of reaching out to other people. We will continue to work together to reach our goal – to create a better world,” said Juan Lucas Russiani from Scouts de Argentina.
According to Ee Yeng Lim from Persekutuan Pengakap Malaysia, “We have been too long, too modest to act. Now, we must act!” “Through WOSM’s Scouts for SDGs initiative, we [Scouts] can all play a role in helping to address SDG Goal 9 (Reducing Inequality) and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions). The conference provided us with an amazing opportunity to more about countering the spread of hate speech and to hear about the ways religious, political/diplomatic and media leaders are working to reduce and end hate speech in their communities, “ said Patrick McCormick, the Assistant National Commissioner for Sustainability of Scouts Australia. Around the world, hate speech is on the rise and requires a coordinated response from religious leaders, policymakers, journalists, general public, as well as Scouts – both to address the main drivers of hate speech and to provide a coordinated response which upholds the fundamental rights and inclusion of all communities and individuals. In the same conference, KAICIID also announced that in support of the United Nations Plan of Action on Hate Speech, it is allocating 1.5 million euros for initiatives to counter hate speech in 2020.
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Fijian President meet with Asia-Pacific Scout leaders
President Jioji Konusi Konrote of the
the Fiji Scouts Association (FSA). They agreed
Republic of Fiji met with the delegation
on several areas for mutual cooperation includ-
from WOSM’s Asia-Pacific Region at the
ing driving membership growth, governance,
Borron House on November 25.
youth programme and adults in Scouting. The Asia-Pacific Region will also work closely with
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As part of the meeting, they discussed on
FSA to develop its strategic directions over the
strengthening the government’s support to
course of the next two years.
They discussed on strengthening the government’s support to the Fiji Scouts Association (FSA). They agreed on several areas for mutual cooperation including driving membership growth, governance, youth programme and adults in Scouting.
The delegation from the Asia-Pacific Region was headed by Hiroshi Shimada, First Vice Chairman of the APR Scout Committee as part of the NSO visits and monitoring programme. He was joined by J Rizal C Pangilinan, Regional Director and Rajalingam Ramasamy, Chairman of the APR Strategy and Monitoring Task Force.
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World Scouting holds training for WOSM consultants Imelda E Songco | World Scout Bureau Asia-Pacific Support Centre
Forty-six consultants from 32 National
Humanitarian Action, Partnership, Safe
Scout Organizations (NSOs) across the six
from Harm and Youth Engagement.
Scout regions of the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) attended the
Throughout the training, the consultants
fifth edition of WOSM Consultants Training
were thoroughly briefed about essential
held on 9-12 October 2019 at the Assump-
information about WOSM, consultan-
tion University in Bangkok, Thailand.
cy skills, service-related skills and the WOSM services platform. Prior to the
Seven WOSM services were covered during
on-site training, the consultants were
the training – Better World Framework,
asked to complete several online induc-
Diversity and Inclusion, Good Governance,
tion courses.
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OUR NSO BSP names 10 Outstanding Scouts Public Relations and Communications Office | Boy Scouts of the Philippines
The Boy Scouts of the Philippines (BSP) an-
in October as one of the highlights of the
nounced on October 25, the winners of this
Scouting Month. The competition is for Senior
year’s Search for the Ten Outstanding Boy
Scouts (aged from 15 to 17 years old), who
Scouts of the Philippines (TOBS). The winners
are Filipino citizens, currently registered
were selected from the 26 regional finalists,
member of the BSP, of Venturer or Eagle
coming from the 2.8 million member Scouts,
Scout Rank and has not reached the age of
who hurdled the unit, council then regional
18 at the time of the nomination at the Local
level selection before they reached the finals
Council Level.
to meet the panel of interviewees for the last leg of the competition – the interview.
The search aims to recognise Scouts who worked hard to progress in the advancement
The winner will receive a two-year college
ladder, who live up to the ideals of Scouting
scholarship, cash prize and tokens, and the
and who best epitomise sterling qualities in
chance to be selected as the country’s rep-
school and community leadership, academic
resentative in the 8th Asia-Pacific Regional
excellence and good moral conduct. It also
Award for Outstanding Scouts in 2021.
provides an avenue for improving the image of the BSP as an effective tool for character
The nationwide search begins in July and culminates in the awarding ceremony held
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development and citizenship training.
The search aims to recognise Scouts who worked hard to progress in the advancement ladder, who live up to the ideals of Scouting and who best epitomise sterling qualities in school and community leadership, academic excellence and good moral conduct.
Part of criteria for the selection of winners are
of the TOBS National Selection Committee.
community service, which refers to leadership
The winners, three of whom are girls, were
or membership involvement in school-related
announced in a ceremony held at the
or community activities; character develop-
Philippine International Convention Centre
ment and bearing; academic standing; and
in Manila.
interview which includes communication skills and personality.
The awardees are Venturer Scout Carl Andre F. Santiago, Tarlac Council; Eagle Scout
“This year’s batch of finalists is probably
Jason James Isada, Negros Occidental Council;
one of the best since the search started in
Eagle Scout Dave Joshua C. Dy, Tacloban City
1989 (30 years anniversary). Our judges had
Council; Eagle Scout Rasheed Jared D. Royo,
difficulty naming the winners because they
Capiz Council; Eagle Scout Celeste G. Cananua,
were all good in the interview and the docu-
Batangas City Council; Eagle Scout Jaya Mae
ments they have submitted were too good to
R. Sarte, Cotabato Council; Venturer Scout Via
be ignored. However, there should only be 10
Marie D. De Vera, Baguio City Council; Eagle
winners and we believe we have chosen the
Scout Vince Dylan G. Visey, San Pablo City
best candidates,” BSP Chief National Commis-
Council; Eagle Scout Renibon P. Galvez, Zam-
sioner Cedric G. Train said, also the chairman
boanga City Council; and Venturer Scout Ghio A. Gatlabayan, Antipolo City Council.
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Scouts attending a camp in the Philippines take action for the environment Thousands of Scouts present at the 8th National Scout Venture Camp of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines (BSP) in Iligan City, north of Mindanao came together to plant 3,000 tree seedlings at the National Steel Corporation Compound. The tree planting activity is part of BSP’s Scouts Go Green Project that seeks to plant at least five million trees annually. As part of the regular modules in the camp,
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the participants were asked to take action and participate in tree planting and cleanup activities in designated areas. While the Scouts are helping the environment, they are also able to complete their requirements to earn the World Scout Environment Badge (WSEB) under the World Scout Environment Programme (WSEP). Towards the end of the camp, the World Scout Environment Badge was awarded to 5,057 Scouts for completing all the neces-
sary requirements under the environment education framework. According to the BSP National Office, they have already conferred the World Scout Environment Badge to 25, 244 Cub Scouts, Scouts and Rovers since 2016. The World Scout Environment Programme encourages young people to connect with nature, to think about how they interact with the environment, and to take action to protect it. The leadership of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines is attributing the growth in the number of WSEB awardees to the simplified process in earning the badge as a result of its full integration into BSP’s advancement programme. “We try to bring the WOSM World Programmes closer to more young people. In fact, just this year, we have fully launched our Revised Advancement Programme were the Messengers of Peace Programme, Scouts of the World Award Programme and the World Scout Environment Programme has been fully integrated,” said Rogelio S. Villa, Jr., BSP’s secretary general. “This tree planting activity, coupled with some activities under the World Scout Environment Badge is our commitment to the environment,” he added further. On another note, Scouts Go Green Project focal person Carmelo B. Francia said that the Scouts really worked for their award. “These young Scouts really worked hard for their award. But more than the award itself, it’s their contribution to the environment that inspired me the most. Young as they are, they are already aware of the looming effects of climate change, and they are already taking action!” The Scouts Go Green Project requires all of BSP’s Local Councils to plant indigenous and endemic trees for forest and watershed areas, flower and fruit-bearing trees for schools, homes and public places, and mangrove trees for coastal areas.
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PARTNERSHIP STORY APR participates in UN-Habitat’s assembly for young people In the midst of the growing clamour of involving the youth in policymaking and ensure that young people have a stake in the society, the World Organization of the Scout Movement’s (WOSM) Asia-Pacific Region sent Mori Cheng, youth advisor to the World Scout Committee, to attend UN-Habitat’s Children and Youth Assembly to share how World Scouting is providing a space for young people to engage in meaningful exchanges on initiatives relating to the sustainable development goals.
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Co-organised by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP), the UN Major Group for Children and Youth (UN MGCY) and the Malaysian Ministry of Housing and Local Government, the Children and Youth Assembly was held in Penang, Malaysia on 13-14 October 2019. The event gathered about 500 young people aged between 15 to 30 years old, comprising a mix of local participants from Penang and other
Through this engagement, we are sharing how World Scouting is providing opportunities to young people to participate in programmes, events, activities and projects that contribute to their growth as global active citizens.
Malaysian cities, and from Asia-Pacific countries. Mori Cheng introduced Scouts for SDGs to the participants, World Scouting’s latest initiative for sustainable development, and how it is mobilising more than 50 million Scouts for the world’s largest coordinated youth contribution to the sustainable development goals. “We did an interactive session that showed these young people that Scouting in not only limited to camps and games. We want to show them the extraordinary things that we are doing in Scouting. Through this engagement, we are sharing how World Scouting is providing opportunities to young people to participate in programmes, events, activities and projects that contribute to their growth as global active citizens,” said Cheng. During the session, participants had the chance to discuss what they can do to contribute to the SDGs, starting from their local communities. Emphasis was placed on Goal No. 11, Sustainable Cities and Communities. Just as more than half of the world’s population are living in urban areas and the need to make sure that cities are safe, inclusive, and sustainable for everyone, especially for women, children and the disabled people, the session anchored on a “My Goal 11 To-Do List”, a set of actions that can be done by young people in their local communities lifted directly from World Scouting’s #Scouts4SDGs Hub, https://sdgs.scout.org. Towards the end, the session focused on how youth should be prepared for 2030 by way of looking at what they need to build up in themselves to face the 2030 Agenda - capabilities, knowledge and attitude. The participants raised that in order to cope with the challenges that lie ahead, every young person must start by empowering oneself and to maintain a positive and proactive attitude towards changes. Mori Cheng is from the Scout Association of Hong Kong and his participation was fully supported by the World Scout Bureau Asia-Pacific Support Centre. During the sessions, Nur Sharifah Nurul Atik binti Baharuddin of Persekutuan Pengakap Malaysia served as facilitator.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
2-8 FEBRUARY 2020
22nd International Adventure Programme
BS&G National Adventure Institute, Pachmarchi, Madhya Pradesh, India
The International Adventure Programme will be held for seven days, gathering Scouts and Adult Leaders aged between 12 to 45 years old. It will include series of physically challenging and high-adventure activities covering land, sea and air.
The gathering seeks to brings Scouts from all over the world to get to know about the authentic Arab cultural heritage and exchange experience. Furthermore, it aims to introduce the mechanism of enhancing and promoting the culture of tolerance in Scouting.
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8-14 FEBRUARY 2020
2nd Community-Based Scout Camp
Sabrang Tourism Park Tekhnaf, Cox’s Bazar Bangladesh
The camp is expected to gather Scouts, Rover Scouts and Adult Leaders for a week of community development activities and services.
The National Rover Conference is an annual significant gathering for Rovers all over TGA Scouts of China. It provides the young people with an avenue to enhance their skills in decision-making at the institutional level of Scouting and offers opportunities for Rover Scouts to take part in youth involvement, and to discuss and express their opinions about different issues.
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SCOUTING IN ASIA-PACIFIC
NEWSiNFO EDITORIAL and DESIGN TEAM
JANUARY 13th APR Scout Moot/ 21st Australian Rover Moot 30 Dec-10 January, Australia National Strategic Planning Workshop 10-13 January, Afghanistan BWF PH Workshop 13-16 January, Philippines
J. Rizal C. Pangilinan Regional Director
Corporate Services Thematic Team meeting 19-23 January, Malaysia
Luz Taray Director, Communications and Partnerships Theresa E. Quine Assistant, Communications and Partnerships Neil Christian C. Bolandrina Assistant, Communication and Information Services Kenny Ralph S. Fernando Project Officer, Communications
National Adults in Scouting Workshop 3-6 May, Cambodia
BWF PH-WMR Workshop 7-10 February, Philippines
BSP 14th National Rover Moot 3–9 May, Philippines
9th Sharjah Intl Scout Gathering Sharjah 10-19 February, UAE
BSP ANCM 16-19 May, Philippines
SAPSC Board meeting 18–20 February, Korea Founder’s Day 22 February Comms & Partnerships Thematic Team meeting 24-28 February, Malaysia Visit to Myanmar 26-28 February
asia-pacific@scout.org
W
www.scout.org/asia-pacific
@ScoutinginAPR
10th APR Scout Leaders Summit 19-22 April, Rep. of Korea
FEBRUARY SAANSO 2nd Adventure Camp 2-8 February, India
9th South Luzon Regional Jamboree, 28 Feb-3 March Philippines MARCH National Workshop on Financial Management and Controls 2-5 March, Myanmar
1st SAANSO Rover Moot 10-16 August, Pakistan International Youth Day 12 August Gerakan Pramuka Day 14 August 14th WSYF 17-21 August, Egypt
APR Scout Committee meeting 18 April, Rep. of Korea
MAY AIS Sub-Committee Meeting 2 May
MoP District Coordinators Workshop 14-18 February, Sri Lanka
(+63 2) 8818-0984
SMT Residential Meeting 5-10 April, Malaysia
National Strategic Planning Workshop 20-24 January, Bhutan
WOSM Triennium Plan 2020-23 Workshop 14-16 February, Malaysia
COMMUNICATION AND SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS
World Scout Committee Meeting 27-29 March, Malaysia APRIL 10th National and 4th SAANSO Scout Jamboree 4-9 April, Sri Lanka
SAANSO CALT 19-23 August, Maldives 42nd WS Conference 24-28 August, Egypt SEPTEMBER SAANSO Painting Competition and Exhibition, 4-8 September Bangladesh Better World Framework Workshop 7–10 September, Maldives International Day of Peace 21 September OCTOBER APR Scout Committee meeting Bangladesh
National Youth Involvement Workshop 16-19 April, Pakistan JUNE APR Youth Leadership Training Course 1–6 June, Myanmar Communications and Partnerships Meeting 10 June, Maldives National Youth Involvement Workshop 11–14 June, Bangladesh 2nd EDUFOR 25–28 June, The General Association of the Scouts of China CSPSA 26-29 June, Fiji JULY 1st Jogja International Scout Camp 5-11 July, Indonesia National TTL Workshop 12–15 July, Bangladesh
BWF PH-EMR Workshop 11-14 March, Philippines
2nd SAANSO Woodbadge Reunion 17-19 July, Afghanistan
6th World Scout Interreligious Symposium 12–15 March, France
AUGUST International Scout Scarf Day 1 August
JOTA/JOTI 16–18 October NOVEMBER SAANSO Chief Commissioners Conference, 16-18 November Bhutan World Children’s Day 20 November SAANSO Environment Workshop 20-24 November, Pakistan SAANSO CLT 20-27 November, Bangladesh 7th ASEAN Jamboree 25–29 November, Singapore BSP 61st ANSEC 27-30 November, Philippines DECEMBER International Volunteer Day 5 December
The APR NewsInfo provides an outlet for great Scout stories, news and updates in the Asia-Pacific Region to be told and shared to the world. Do you have inspiring Scout stories that you want to share? Is your troop doing something to create a better world? Does your Scout project impact the lives of other people? If your answers are yes, we want to publish your story in our monthly newsletter. To submit, simply email your article or your story in word format (.doc or .docx) to aprcomms@scout.org
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