MoP Bulletin Issue No. 19

Messengers of Peace

ASIA-PACIFIC

QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER

Issue No. 19 JU LY - SE PTEMB ER 2017

Messengers of Peace quarterly newsletter is an initiative of the Asia-Pacific Support Centre of the World Scout Bureau highlighting the projects of National Scout Organizations under MoP Initiative.

Better World Village in Nomad’s land

Story on page 2

what’s inside

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Better World Village in Nomad’s land

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Bringing MoP programmes to the Scout units in Nepal

Scouts swift to help flood and landslide affected communities

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International Peace Day – 21 September 2017

Rovers brave the water, save families

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airamdal’s vast landscape turned out to be a tent city for 4,000 Scouts participating in the 31st APR Scout Jamboree on 27 July to 2 October.

At the heart of Nairamdal was the Better World Village (BWV) featuring 14 modules developed to inspire young people

on projects and initiatives of the Messengers of Peace (MoP), World Scout Environment Program (WSEP) and Scouts of the World Award (SWA).

MoP modules covered activities such as MoP networking, sharing ideas and registration on the website “scout. org”. Environmental activities

named “Scouts Go Solar” fully engaged the Scouts in solar art. Scouts of the World heightened the awareness of young people on the impact of community service and involvement.

The Village formally opened on 28 July 2017 in the presence of World Scout Committee member Peter Blatch,

Better World Village in Nomad’s land

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Regional Scout Committee Chairman Paul Parkinson, Regional Director JR C. Pangilinan, and Scout Association of Mongolia (TSAM) Chief Commissioner Baigalmaa Lkhagvasurren.

MoP Coordinator and volunteers ran the modules at the Village, headed by Bayasgalan Bold and supported by local

leaders, young volunteers and 12 overseas IST’s from Australia, France, Finland, Hong Kong, Sweden, Malaysian and United Kingdom. MoP Coordinators were Madhusudan Alwa (India), Yasser Sarona (Philippines), Lerchanta Ally Seeluangsawat (Thailand), and S. Prassanna Shrivastava, Director for Development Support and Finance, and Rosario Talaguit

from the Asia-Pacific Support Centre.

Participants were coming from Australia, Bangladesh, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Macau, Malaysia, Mongolia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Sri lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom, USA, Slovakia and Vietnam.

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Better World Village

MONGOLIA

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Bringing MoP programmes to the Scout units in Nepal

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epal Scouts took a step to bring the Messengers of Peace (MoP) where Scouting is at its best – the Scout units.

On 8–11 July 2017, MoP Local Coordinators met in Lakeside Pokhara with a common goal to

promote MoP and expand its network to the different districts of Nepal.

Forty-two Scout leaders were introduced to WOSM’s Better World Framework and prepared them to take pivotal roles in advancing the MoP to the schools and communities. They were

oriented on globalization of network, project management, how to inspire and encourage their Scouts to be Messengers of Peace ,and initiating peace actions wherever they are.

A field activity was held in a secondary school as a practicum for the MoP local coordina-

7 tors. They delivered modules by inspiring and encouraging over 100 students to become Messengers of Peace. As a start, many of them created their profile on scout.org to join the network.

Twenty-seven districts of Nepal were represented at this

gathering: Jhapa, Parsa, Bara, Katmandhu, Bhaktapur, Lalitpur, Chitawan, Nawalparasi, Lamjung, Guimi, Kaskhi, Arghakhachi, Bajura, Kailali, Gokkha, Surkhet, Makawanpur, Dolakha, Sankhuwasabha, Ramechhap, dhanusha, Kaski, and Dhading.

The Mayor of Pokhara-Lekhnath Metropolitan City, Mr Man Ba-

hadhur G.C., graced the meeting and offered his support to Scouting and the MoP Initiative.

Supporting World Scout Bureau Asia-Pacific Support Centre in running the event was National Program Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhattarai with support from the staff of Nepal Scouts.

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International Peace Day - 21 Sept 2017 For three years now, Scouts and leaders around the world joined the global celebration dubbed as “International Peace Day” on 21 September 2017. Guided by the theme “Together for Peace: Respect, Safety and Dignity for All”, the event covered these main elements: • Peace Culture (and all its elements) • SDG’s goal 16 and 17 • Dialogue (Intercultural, interreligious, Intergender, intergenerational, etc.)

• Social impact in our communities Scouts in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Fiji India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Taiwan and Thailand actively participated in the global celebration through various activities such as peace rallies and marches, peace run and walk, tree plantation, blood donation, youth forums, community service, clean-up campaign, health and hygiene, commitment posts, among many others.

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Scouts swift to help flood and landslide victims After the vast flooding and landslide in 15 districts of Sri Lanka on 18 - 20 May 2017, Scouts and leaders distributed clothes, blankets, food and drinking water, as well as medicine to many affected families living in Matara districts.

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In another area, school equipment were

donated to the Home Science Laboratory in Pitabaddara Dudley SeNanayaka Maha Vidyalaya benefitting 260 students.

Heavy rains caused flooding and landslides which got worst when cyclone Mora hit several districts, leaving thousands of people displaced and homeless.

Rovers brave the water, save affected families When river Rohin, situated across Balapur village near Gorakhpur City in Uttar Pradesh, overflowed and submerged houses along the banks, Rovers near the area quickly assisted local authorities in moving people to safer places and eventually transferring them to relief camps. While in camps, Rovers helped distribute food, water, stoves and medicine to 30 families. When the flood recedes, Rovers commit to help in the rehabilitation program to help the families recover.

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MOP Regional Team REGIONAL DECISION COMMITTEE Peter Blatch Chay Hong Leng J. Rizal C. Pangilinan

REGIONAL OFFICE COORDINATOR S Prassanna Shrivastava Director, Development Support & Finance

REGIONAL SUPPORT TEAM J. Rizal C. Pangilinan Regional Director S Prassanna Shrivastava Director, Development Support & Finance Luz Taray Director, Communications and Strategy Nancy P. Ladores Assistant, Development Support

MoP NATIONAL COORDINATORS Australia: Johnathan Raymond Morey

Malaysia: Amir Hamzah bin Aman Maldives: Ibrahim Rasheed

Bangladesh: Mohammad Atiquzzaman

Myanmar: Kaung Set Hein

Bhutan: Nawang Gyaltshen

Mongolia: Uyanga Erdenebulgan

Brunei Darussalam: Liyana Binti Haji Salleh

Nepal: Ram Prasad Bhattarai New Zealand: Michael Jeffrey

Cambodia: Chek LIM Pakistan: Zahid Mahboob Scouts of China: Sherman Sheng, Hsiao-Ming

PNG: Vagi Clergy Waru Vagi

Fiji: Kailash Vimal Pillay

Philippines: Carmelo B. Francia

Hong Kong: Peggy TAM Siu-lan

Singapore: Tan Sijie Sri Lanka: Prabath Kularathna

India: Krishnaswamy R. Thailand: H.E. Dr. Poldej Worachat Indonesia: Venny Indri Christiyanti Japan: Katsuhiro Takahashi

Macau: Tang Chon Meng, Jacky Scout Polynesia: Raiarii Benjamin Tama

Korea: Kim Su Yeon Kiribati: Mataiti Bwebwe

Timor Leste: Viriato Da Costa Seac

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For any information or for submitting your MOP initiatives, please contact Asia-Pacific Support Centre Tel: (+63 2) 818 0984/ 817 1675 Fax: (+63 2) 819 0093 Website: www.scout.org/asia-pacific Email: asia-pacific@scout.org Facebook: Scouting in Asia-Pacific Region