New NSO Partnerships Between the European and Eurasia Scout Regions

(Prague/WSB-ERO) – Nearly fifty participants and facilitators have just returned from Prague, where they had participated at the 2nd Europe Eurasia Meeting. The following text reflects impressions of João Armando Gonçalves, who attended the meeting as member of the World Scout Committee:

“One of the things that I value very much in Scouting is collaboration. In the days we live in, to exchange with others, to share ideas and to build things together is of crucial importance. Especially, because everyone has something to contribute.

This was one of the reasons I enjoyed so much to participate in the recent Europe Eurasia Meeting: to actually see people with no fear of sharing their challenges and successes and to look for ideas, support and useful expertise.

During the weekend, 34 participants from 16 NSOs from the two Regions worked hard and openly to establish partnerships they were convinced to be beneficial for the partners involved. For the Eurasia Scout Region, the participants came from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, the Russian Federation and the Ukraine. Scouts from Denmark, Finland, France, Italy, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Spain and Switzerland attended as members of the European Scout Region.

Scouts from Europe and Eurasia Discussing New Partnership Projects

The exercise of mapping needs and strengths of NSOs was particularly helpful in order to understand where each association currently stood. A good number of participants (from both regions) mentioned issues related to Adult Volunteering (including recruitment, management, training systems), programme development for the Rover age section, as well as retention strategies for the 12-18 age range as principal needs in their NSOs.

Attending the Meeting as member of the World Scout Committee, I shared our understanding of the concept of Global Support, which was aimed at answering specific needs of NSOs and NSAs, and gave an update on the Messengers of Peace initiative.

Apart from the many fruitful exchanges I noticed in and outside meeting rooms I am very happy to have witnessed the initiation – by the end of the meeting – of a number of new partnerships between NSOs from the European and Eurasia Scout Regions. To name but a few:

• Lithuania & Georgia – development of national youth policies
• Poland & Azerbaijan & Denmark & Georgia – troop leaders training (Woodbadge)
• Finland & Armenia – exchange of Rovers (activities and programmes)
• France & Moldova – capacity building (sending a French volunteer to Moldova)
• Poland & Belarus & Ukraine & Russia – school of trainers

I congratulate the two Regional Committees and the two Regional Offices for having provided suitable conditions and an environment for National Scout Organisations to fruitfully meet and progress together in a collaborative way.”

For more information:

European Scout Region on the web and on facebook
Eurasia Scout Region on the web

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