Mop Bulletin Issue No.14

Messengers of Peace

ASIA-PACIFIC

QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER

Issue No. 14 APRIL - JUNE 2016

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.

what’s inside

3rd MOP GATHERING: NEW INITIATIVES AND LEARNING

2

SCOUTING FOR YOUNG PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

3

INTERNATIONAL PEACE DAY -21st SEPTEMBER 2016

7

SCOUT CELEBRATES BIRTHDAY WITH COMMUNITY IN NEED

8

3rd MoP Gathering: New initiatives and learning This time The Bharat Scouts & Guides, in collaboration with the World Scout Bureau, hosted the 3rd APR Messengers of Peace Coordinators Gathering on 20-24 April 2016.

Most

National

Scout

Organizations

in

the

Asia

Pacific

Region were represented at the gathering, 24 participants in all, with local Scout leaders and four international resource persons.

Since the last gathering happened two years ago in Indonesia, new initiatives were introduced that necessitate updates and a fresh approach to promote and run MoP projects.

Brainstorming exercises and practicum were used to extract diverse ideas and experiences, resulting in an action plan for 2016 onwards.

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MONGOLIA

Scouting for young people with Special Needs

Awareness is key and knowledge is essential in handling children with special needs especially so in the action-packed events of Scouting.

Scout Association of Mongolia engaged 24 volunteers and staff for a workshop designed to handle young people with special needs. The training camp took place in Batsumber, Tuv, Mongolia from 25-29

3

June 2016.

For four days, participants learned about disabilities of children with special needs such as autism and blindness, among others. They learned the nature of each disability, its history and causes, and the best way to handle them with simulation activities.

With the presence of doctors and therapists onsite,

hands-on activities included reading Braille, assisting a blindfolded person identify objects, appropriate reaction to a person who has seizure, how to perform CPR, among others.

Peter Blatch of Australia, World Scout Committee member and Syd Castillo of the APR Support Centre, assisted the training camp. “The workshop was a great learning experience for all involved. It was valuable to share differ-

ent ways to involve people with special needs into Scouting. The energies and experiences shared at the workshop will assist making Scouting available to all young people in Mongolia. The creativity and commitment of the leaders in attendance will make Scouting even stronger,� said Blatch.

Heading back to their communities and Scout troops, participants are expected to spread their newly acquired awareness and knowledge in safely engaging young people with special needs into Scouting.

4

THAILAND

Thai Scouts to plant 100,000 fruit trees in two years

Thai Scouts Promotion Foundation is supporting the Fruit Tree Reforestation Project with 225 volunteers.

•

Cooperate

with

the

Paramotor

Scouts

Team

to

bring

the

seeds and saplings to scatter at the targeted location.

This project addresses the main environmental problem

–

fires

and

deforestation

–

that

are

rapidly

destroying forests in Thailand. This Scout group raised the idea of planting fruit trees with the following activities:

•

Request

from

the

Department

of

Royal

Rainmaking

the free usage of airplanes and helicopters to scatter the seeds

by

air,

followed

by

artificial

rain,

if

necessary.

•

Cooperate

with

the

Department

of

Forestry

and

Department

of

National

Parks

Wildlife

and

Plants

to

locate suitable environments to grow certain types of trees.

•

Raise

at

least

100,000

Baht

for

the

purpose

of

buying seeds and saplings, logistics and transportation, and other costs.

•

Conduct

research

on

a

suitable

process,

tree

species, and proper preservation of the seeds to reduce damage from worms, insects, squirrels, etc.

Participating organizations and institutions in this project

are

Minburi

Technical

College,

Donmuang

Technical College, Samutsongkhram Technical College,

Jiantongpittayakom

School,

Chaiyaphum,

Office

of

Non

Formal

Education

at

Tak,

Samut

Songkhram,

Prachinburi, Kaengkrachan Scout Camp, Petchburi and Paramotor Scout Club, Minburi.

•

Collect

fruit

seeds

and

saplings,

either

by

donation

or purchase at cheap price. (Papaya seeds, for example, are donated by Thai Airways, Indian gooseberries from

the

Department

of

Forestry,

Mimosa

seeds

from

Chulalongkorn University)

Expected

outcome

is

an

increased

number

of

at

least

100,000 fruit trees for consumption of humans and animals, such as tamarind, longan, lychee, jackfruit, cassia, etc.

•

Cooperate

with

the

Department

of

Non-­Formal

Education to prepare the ground operation.

Duration

of

the

project

is

two

years

from

May

2016

to

May 2018.

5

INDIA: Youth

development and leadership camp

The Bharat Scouts & Guides Railway State organized the regional youth development and leadership camp for Scouts & Guides, Rovers and Rangers on 7-11 March 2016 with 134 participants.

Sessions offered at the camp were introduction of Messengers of Peace and youth forum on social issues such as Free Being Me and Stop Violence.

NEPAL: Massive

campaign drive for MoP Like a marathon, Scouts in Nepal are hitting the road from district to district to promote the Messengers of Peace.

So far they have covered the districts of Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, Lalitpur, Nuwakot, and Gorkha.

Not far from the horizon are the districts

of

Sindhupalchok,

Dhading

and

Makwanpoor districts.

INDONESIA: Scout

Journey for Peace

Using the train at this symbolic journey, the Scout Journey for Peace is a project of Gerakan Pramuka to promote peace to passengers at train stations and inside the train. Initiated in 2014, this project has gained the support of several organizations including Fajar

Cirebon

Daily

News

and

PT.

Kereta Api Indonesia.

of peace from train to train through social and humanitarian services.

Activities in the train include: - MoP promotion - Read peace - Letter peace - Gift peace - Hug peace - I am Scout. How about you?

- Peace starts with me - Helping parents and children - Visiting historical places

A Scout leader named Kak Zeze came up with this idea after completing the MoP Gathering in Jakarta two years ago.

The idea is to spread the message

This project is also supported by Messengers of Peace Indonesia, West Java State Headquarters and Gerakan Pramuka National Headquarters.

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GLOBAL

International Peace Day – 21st September 2016

International

P eace

D ay

i n

2 016

has the theme “Building blocks for Peace”. All National Scout Organizations are encouraged to celebrate peace through active community involvement.

of service hours contributed by young people in one day to the scout.org. All Scouts are encouraged to participate in a community development project that supports the ideology of peace.

Why is it important for Scouts to be involved in International Peace Day?

These projects will vary per country, but we will all be contributing to the same goal, of creating a better world.

Scouting as an organization is all about enabling young people to create positive change in their communities based on shared values. Through International Peace Day,

w e

c an

m otivate

y oung

people, Scouts and non Scouts to become global active citizens.

Our Vision for International Peace Day 2016: To produce the largest amount

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Some ideas for your NSO’s celebration of International Peace Day: Peace Run – A charity event for peace awareness, dialogue and social entrepreneurship. Invite Scouts and non Scouts to attend, and ensure you get community support.

Trees for Peace – Scouts are encouraged to plant trees to support the sustainable development goals, and encourage young people to be aware of conservation efforts.

Youth Speech for Peace – Organize the local community to come together and listen to young people within the community who have organized messenger of peace projects, to share, inspire, and engage the community in contributing to peace culture.

Peace Pledge

–

Encourage

Scouts

to

take

selfies

holding

a

sign

that

says “Peace Starts with Me” and post it onto Scout.org with their peace message. On this day, encourage Scouts to go to www. scout.org and see peace actions happening around the globe.

Other things to note: •

Gather a team together to help coordinate activities in your country so that all Scouts from across the country can participate in locally organized peace events.

•

Organize a media event or invite the media to cover your International Peace Day

event.

•

Provide them a press kit with relavant information on Scouting and Messengers of Peace.

•

Encourage

creativity

and

get

Scouts to help plan events.

•

Remember to share and record your activity on Scout. org with photos to inspire other young people from across the globe.

If you need any support please don’t hesitate to contact your NSO Coordinator for Messenger of Peace who is aware of International

Peace

Day

and

will

be

able to support your ideas.

INDIA

Scout celebrates birthday with community in need A young Scout, Ashvanee Srivastav, as part of his group’s peace action, celebrated his birthday to teach other children in his community.

He said, “On the occasion of my birthday I decided to celebrate with our Peace Action Group (Smile Roti Bank) to serve the children”.

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

S Prassanna Shrivastava Regional Office Coordinator

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

MoP NATIONAL COORDINATORS Australia: Johnathan Raymond Morey

Malaysia: Amir Hamzah bin Aman

Bangladesh: Mohammad Atiquzzaman

Maldives: Ibrahim Rasheed

Bhutan: Nawang Gyaltshen Brunei Darussalam: Liyana Binti Haji Salleh

Mongolia: Uyanga Erdenebulgan Nepal: Ram Prasad Bhattarai Pakistan: Zahid Mahboob

Cambodia: Chek LIM Scouts of China: Sherman Sheng, Hsiao-Ming Fiji: Kailash Vimal Pillay Hong Kong: Peggy TAM Siu-lan

PNG: Vagi Clergy Waru Vagi Philippines: Carmelo B. Francia Singapore: Tan Sijie Sri Lanka: Jerome De Silva

India: Krishnaswamy R. Indonesia: Venny Indri Christiyanti

Thailand: H.E. Dr. Poldej Worachat Macau: Tang Chon Meng, Jacky

Japan: Reiko Suzuki Korea: Kim Su Yeon

Scout Polynesia: Raiarii Benjamin Tama

Kiribati: Mataiti Bwebwe Log-in

to

scout.org.

Create

your

profile.

Share

your

stories.

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

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