Joint Work with the European Scout Region
As many of the Member Organizations of the Europe Region WAGGGS also belong to the European Scout Region, there are many areas of work common to our two Movements and projects on
which we can work together.
At the 12th European Guide and Scout Conference held in Portoroz, Slovenia, in May 2007 a major step forward was taken in the joint work between WAGGGS and WOSM. Prior to this conference, when it came to the joint work, both regions had prepared their own plans and then a third plan was produced which was known as the joint plan. The reality was that the two regional plans and the joint pan were not integrated as well as they could have been and this meant that at times the actions in the joint plan were not given the priority they deserved. Both regions tried to find ways to improve this situation and there was generally much better co-ordination of the joint work even with this ‘third plan’ situation. However, in looking forward to 2007 – 2010, there was a desire to find a new way.
The European committees made a new proposal; there would be no joint plan. Rather, the two regions would look at the proposed separate plans and identify areas where there is overlap and agree to develop actions for these needs jointly. The emphasis would then be on the best use of available resources, non-duplication of effort and on actions rather than plans.
Both plans were ‘overlapped’ and seven key areas of common interest emerged. Aims and Objectives for each area were compiled from the aims and objectives of the two regional plans thus making it easy to cross reference the joint actions with the regional plans. The 12th European Guide and Scout Conference worked on the proposal and some initial activities were proposed. The newly elected European committees worked further and in addition a very productive session was held with the working groups of each region, working jointly for the first time, in January 2008. The outcomes of all of this work by many dedicated volunteers were finalized at the joint committee meeting in February 2008 and have resulted in the agreed common actions listed below. ALL of these joint actions are built into the two regional plans and will be fully integrated into the work plans and resource management of each region. The joint actions meet the needs of both regions and more importantly, should meet the needs of all Member Organizations and National Scout Organizations in both regions.
We identified three key themes that will shape our work in this triennium:
WORKING TOGETHER – by working together we will achieve more – and we will provide a better service to our Member Organizations and National Scout Organizations. We will benefit from each others strengths and from the experiences we have in each area. We will avoid duplication and share resources wherever possible. We will share the spirit of Guiding and Scouting to develop and empower young people as committed, responsible, autonomous and supporting members of society.
LEARNING TOGETHER – we know that new trends arise that we need to respond to and that new circumstances arise in Associations that need to be supported. We are a learning organization but we are a non-formal one. We learn as we do, and we learn from each other. We all need to be open to new ways of doing things and to understand the different projects and activities that already take place in Member Organizations and National Scout Organizations – and how these can be shared and learned from throughout the region.
GROWING TOGETHER – we may be quite an old organization, but there is still some growing to do. We can reach more young people and more adult volunteers through developing our programmes and trainings. This development will lead us to specifically address the needs of boys and girls. But it is not just about numbers – it’s also about quality. We can work together to develop and grow the quality of our Guiding and Scouting and this will lead to more engagement from adult volunteers and from young people.
The actions you will read in the overview are being planned and implemented. There are some events, some tools and some other actions that will all take place in the coming years. We have included a draft calendar of events which will be confirmed in Seminars and Events each year.
The committees and volunteers will take the lead in the implementation of each activity and will be supported by the professional teams in both offices. Our Regional Directors will be working together to ensure that the right resources are allocated to each action.
The Committees will continue to monitor and review the
implementation of the actions and will propose adjustments
where necessary. We wish to develop the involvement of the
working groups of both regions and so have agreed that the
various groups in both regions will always meet over the same
weekend and in a location that allows for a common session to
develop the joint actions. In 2008, 2009 and 2010 this will be
Switzerland and at either Our Chalet or Kandersteg
International Scout Centre.
We are also shaping our work in line with the various recommendations adopted at the 12th European Scout and Guide Conference and these have emerged as transversal themes in our Joint Actions. At all times we will be looking at how to organize our events to ensure maximum participation, encourage youth participation, provide information on funding opportunities and participate in policy discussions affecting Guiding and Scouting. We will also be working to ensure that needs of girls and boys, men and women, are met in all of our work.
We will also be developing the recommendation on languages in the Europe Region and the Committees have appointed a task force to take this forward.
We are very excited about the actions and believe it shows the increasing commitment to joint work that both regions have. We pledge to you that we will ensure its implementation and look forward to your continued support in achieving that.
Both Regions support Associations who have developed informal networks on specific areas of Guiding and Scouting such as the North-South Network and the Overtures Network.
We also work together to influence and contribute to issues affecting young people in Europe today.