About WAGGGS & WOSM

Letzte Aktualisierung dieser Seite: Okt. 2005

Diese Seite widmet sich der Organisation & dem Management der Weltverbände der Pfadfinder und Pfadfinderinnen. Für Fragen des Selbstverständnisses und nach der grundlegenden Idee des PfadfinderInnentums siehe die Seite "Scouting Fundamentals" und die Seite "The History of Scouting".

Für die Bemühungen auf dem Gebiet der Zusammenarbeit der beiden Weltverbände siehe die eigene Seite.

Siehe auch World Scouting Report »
 

World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts

Siehe auch:

Constitution and By-Laws

www.wagggsworld.org/about/index.html (27.07.2004)

What is Girl Guiding/Girl Scouting?

WAGGGS’ Mission is: ‘to enable girls and young women to develop their fullest potential as responsible citizens of the world’

What does this mean? As responsible world citizens, we are responsible for ourselves, our communities and for the world at large.

How does WAGGGS achieve this mission? Through its Member Organizations, WAGGGS provides a high quality non-formal educational programme that provides dynamic, flexible and values-based training in life skills, leadership and decision making.

WAGGGS offers projects and programmes at an international level that enable Girl Guides and Girl Scouts to be responsible world citizens through action and activity in the community.

Girl Guiding/Girl Scouting is...

FOR GIRLS AND YOUNG WOMEN
Girl Guiding/Girl Scouting is open to all girls and young women without distinction of creed, race, nationality, or any other circumstance.

The World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts believes that the education of girls, as well as the education of boys, includes ‘education for equal partnership’. Young men and young women are taught to recognize their differences and their similarities, and to respect each other as individuals.

Each WAGGGS Member Organization chooses how it believes it can best promote this, taking into account its culture and the needs of its young people. Some choose to work with girls alone in a single sex environment in order to break down stereotypes and to give girls and young women the confidence to take their place in society. Other Member Organizations prefer to work with mixed groups to enable young women and young men equal partnership within their units. Some Organizations choose to mix co-educational and single sex approaches according the age and the preferences of the young people. Whatever approach is chosen, it is always chosen in order to fulfil the Mission of WAGGGS, to enable girls and young women to develop their fullest potential as responsible citizens of the world.

VALUES-BASED
Girl Guiding/Girl Scouting is based on a core set of values that are found in the Girl Guide/Girl Scout Promise and Law. Each Girl Guide and Girl Scout promises to do her best to her faith and to others, and in so doing she realizes her fullest potential as a responsible citizen.

VOLUNTARY
The organization relies on over 100,000 volunteers around the world to implement exciting and relevant programmes for Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, and to give girls and young women support and leadership.

The World Board is made up of volunteers from around the world and governs the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts.

INTERNATIONAL
There are over 10 million Girl Guides and Girl Scouts in 144 countries. Girl Guides and Girl Scouts from around the world can meet each other at international events at one of the four World Centres. There are many opportunities to attend international events run by the UN or other Non-Governmental Organizations on behalf of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts.

EDUCATIONAL
Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting uses non-formal educational methods. Non-formal education is organized educational activity outside schools and colleges.

What are the key components of non-formal education youth organizations?

Values-based
Young people can develop life skills and attitudes based on an integrated value system

Peer Education
Young people learn from each other.

Experiential learning
Young people learn through activities and practical programmes that are created by young people for young people

Voluntary
Young people volunteer to join non-formal education organizations that are led also by volunteers. This ensures commitment and maximum learning.

YOUTH-CENTRED
Each Girl Guide/Girl Scout defines her own progress and development according to her needs and aspirations within the framework programme provided. This contrasts with many formal education systems where young people must fit themselves into a rigid structure with little recognition of individual needs and differences.

The Girl Guiding/Girl Scouting method can be used equally effectively with girls of all ages, abilities and backgrounds.

What is the Girl Guide/Girl Scout Method?

"Our method of training is to educate from within rather than to instruct from without; to offer games and activities which, while being attractive to the girl, will seriously educate her morally, mentally and physically." Girl Guiding by Lord Baden-Powell (1918)

The Girl Guide/Girl Scout method is the specific way we work with girls and young women to achieve the mission of WAGGGS. It is an integrated approach with certain key elements:

  • Commitment through the Promise and Law
  • Progressive self-development
  • Learning by doing
  • Teamwork though the patrol system and training for responsible leadership
  • Active cooperation between young people and adults
  • Service in the Community
  • Outdoor activities
  • Symbolism

Girl Guides and Girl Scouts are trained in leadership and decision-making, and are encouraged to participate in the governance and leadership of WAGGGS.

DEMOCRATIC
The World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts is an organization run by women for girls and young women. Each individual unit is democratically run with Girl Guides and Girl Scouts actively involved in leadership and in decision making. Members Organizations of WAGGGS are independent of any political organization or any political party.

The World Board is made up of 17 active members from around the world who are democratically elected by all Member Organizations at the World Conference and which includes the Chairmen from each of WAGGGS’ five Regions.

RELEVANT
The World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts provides girls and young women with excellent training and programmes addressing their intellectual, spiritual, mental and physical needs. Girls and young women are equipped to become leaders and decision-makers. Girl Guides and Girl Scouts can enjoy exciting international projects with influential partners. The Building World Citizenship (Triennial Theme 1996 - 2002) project enables girls and young women to make a difference in the world on a large variety of issues. There are opportunities for travel and for international friendship. Ensuring that there is a better future for girls and young women in the next millennium.

Many Girl Guides and Girl Scouts end up becoming leading politicians, writers, businesswomen, and leaders. Hillary Clinton, the Rt Hon Dr Marjorie Mowlam MP (leading politician in the UK), Roberta Bondar PhD, MD (first Canadian woman astronaut), and Mrs Betty Okwir (leading politician in Uganda) are just a few former and current Girl Guides and Girl Scouts.

 

www.wagggseurope.org/wigggs.html (31.07.2004)

Girl Guiding/Girl Scouting is a high quality non-formal educational programme, focusing on girls and young women. Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting enables self-development and growth which allows girls and young women to make informed and responsible choices and decisions. Girls and young women are given the space to lead and to determine Girl Guide/Girl Scout programmes in a supportive environment, enabling them to develop and learn life-skills which can be used in all areas of their lives.

Girl Guiding/Girl Scouting is based on a core set of values, enabling young people to develop life skills and attitudes to become active citizens of their local, national and international communities.

Through Girl Guiding/Girl Scouting young people can:

  • learn to be independent and the importance of taking responsibility for their actions;
  • develop new skills and abilities which will help them in later life; 
  • appreciate the concerns of others; 
  • become committed to a set of values, a cause or an ideal; 
  • acquire decision-making and leadership skills and how to work as part of a team 
  • find out more about the environment and the wider world 
  • confront new challenges and discover new experiences 
  • have the opportunity to travel, and to understand about other cultures  
  • make friends and have fun!

All girls and young women can become Girl Guides or Girl Scouts, regardless of creed, race, or nationality.
 

The World Organization of the Scout Movement

www.scout.org/wsrc/fs/wosm_e.shtml (April 2004)

The World Organization of the Scout Movement is an international, non-governmental organization which is composed of three principle parts:


|www.scout.org|

 

World Scout Conference

The Conference is the "general assembly" of Scouting. It is the governing organ of the World Organization and is composed of all members. It meets every three years.

Members of the World Organization are national Scout organizations which have been recognized by the World Scout Conference. Only one organization is recognized in each country. In some countries there are national Federations which include more than one Scout association.

Member organizations are represented at World Scout Conferences by a maximum of six delegates. Observers authorized by their national Scout organization are also eligible to register and attend.

The aim of the Conference is to promote the unity, integrity and development of Scout Movement worldwide. This is achieved through a structure and content designed to:

  • facilitate exchanges of ideas and information among members
  • formulate the general policy
  • consider reports and recommendations from the World Scout Committee and from member organizations
  • conduct the formal business of the World Organization - elections, applications for membership, registration fees, amendments to the Constitution and By-Laws, etc.

World Scout Committee

The World Scout Committee is the executive body of the World Organization of the Scout Movement. It is responsible for the implementation of the resolutions of the World Scout Conference and for acting on its behalf between its meetings.

The Committee is composed of 14 members. Twelve, each from different countries, are elected for six-year terms. The members do not represent their country but the interests of the Movement as a whole. The Secretary General, and the Treasurer, of the World Organization of the Scout Movement are ex-officio members of the Committee. The chairmen of the regional Scout committees participate in the World Scout Committee meetings in a consultative capacity.

The Committee meets twice a year, usually in Geneva, Switzerland. Its Steering Committee, consisting of the Chairman, two Vice-Chairmen, and the Secretary General meet as needed.

 

World Scout Bureau

The World Scout Bureau is the secretariat of the World Organization. The Bureau is directed by the Secretary General of the World Organization of the Scout Movement. The Secretary General is appointed by the World Committee and is the chief administrative officer of the Organization.

History and Location

The Bureau was first established in London, England in 1920. It moved to Ottawa, Canada in 1959, and to Geneva, Switzerland in 1968. Regional offices are located as follows, with the principle office being listed first:

  • Africa Region: Nairobi, Kenya; Dakar, Senegal and Capetown, South Africa
  • Arab Region: Cairo, Egypt
  • Asia Pacific Region: Manila, Philippines
  • Eurasia Region: Yalta-Gurzuf, Ukraine, and Moscow, Russian Federation
  • European Region: Geneva, Switzerland, and Brussels, Belgium
  • Interamerican Region: Santiago, Chile
Functions

As the secretariat of the World Organization, the World Bureau has a number of Constitutionally-defined functions.

  • It assists the World and Regional Scout Conferences, and the World and Regional Committees and their subsidiary bodies in the fulfillment of their functions. This includes the preparation of meetings and the provision of the necessary services to implement the decisions of the various bodies.
  • It provides services for the promotion of Scouting throughout the world.
  • It maintains relations with national Scout organizations and helps them develop Scouting in their country.
  • It promotes the development of Scouting in countries where it does not exist.
  • It supervises the organization of international and regional Scout events such as world and regional jamborees.
  • It maintains relations with international organizations whose activities are concerned with youth matters.
The World Bureau carries out these functions in a number of different ways:
  • providing the support for committees, task forces and working groups
  • developing and conducting courses in the field
  • providing advice and giving technical assistance
  • preparing publications
  • publishing regular newsletters of Scouting news
The World Bureau's operations are financed partly from the annual registration fee paid by national Scout organizations, based on their membership. Other support comes from foundations, corporations, development agencies, and individuals.Support also comes from the World Scout Foundation, which is building a capital (endowment) fund. Contributions to the Foundation are invested permanently to produce a regular income for the benefit of the World Organization. The Foundation also receives non-capital donations for international Scouting.
 

WOSM - European Scout Region


|www.scout.org/europe|