Editorial

 The year 2006 is ending with a strong message of hope. “Peace and Friendship” were paid tribute throughout the sessions of the 12^th MED Gathering that took place from 7^th to 12^th November 2006 at Acireale, Sicily. The Mediterranean sea, “cradle for peace and solidarity among people” was the theme of this gathering.

Opportunities were given by MASCI (Movimento Adulti Scout Catolici Italiani), the host committee, to the five hundred participants to fully commit themselves to these permanent challenges by attending the workshops and plenary sessions while enjoying a friendly and festive atmosphere as Italians and especially Sicilians like to offer.  Sunny and warm weather allowed the participants to carry out their tasks in the open air. Our friends of MASCI provided an appropriate framework to the participants to debate on such issues allowing their goals to become a reality.

 The specificities of the MED are that it brings people from both bounds together and now widening more and more to neighbouring countries.  Today people from both bounds are doing everything to meet and to improve their relationship by considering and recognising the “Other” as different.

As Riccardo Della Rocca, the International Secretary of MASCI, said: “while we are faced with the empowering of weapons and violence, we former Scouts and Guides have decided to follow the path to dialogue and meeting and to turn our backs to violence…”

This meeting will have enhanced the ISGF profile as an International Organisation that fosters dialogue and cultural dynamics in its debates and activities.

This message of hope that I mentioned earlier, was worked out by the participants into a motion addressed to all the people and that was launched in the sky of Sicily after the closing ceremony. You can read more on http://www.masci.it 

It is obvious that this editorial has been dedicated to the 12^th MED and you will certainly share my wish to pay tribute to those who have been working hard, before, during and after this Gathering, prompted by the desire to consolidate friendship and solidarity among people.

So let us hope and wish us all that 2007 will pave the path for a better understanding of our differences and our dignity by giving priority to dialogue and friendship.

 Faouzia Kchouk

Secretary General

News from the Regions

The Arab region

The 5^th ISGF Arab regional Conference will be held in May 2007, in Tunisia.

 The Europe region

The 6^th Europe Regional Conference will take place 20-24 June 2006 in Krakow, Poland. You will find the relevant information on this conference on the ZHP Seniors Council-Adult Guiding and Scouting, the Polish Fellowship website: http://www.isgf.krakowska.zhp.pl  our website, http://www.isgf.org . You can download the registration form and any information on the programme and the accommodation. For those who are not connected, they can address their request to:

6^th+ AISG-ISGF European Conference Organising Team

ZHP Choraiew Krakowsak

ul. Karmelicka 31 31-131 Kraków, Poland

Tel: + 48 12 633 3357

Fax: + 48 12 634 440

 The Southern Europe Sub-region

This Sub Region had its meeting, 5-7 November 2006, at Acireale, Sicily, before the MED. Mrs Mida Rodriguez has been elected President of this Sub-region. We convey our warmest congratulations to Mida and wish her every success  in her new position.

ASPAC

Due to difficult issues (epidemics, natural disasters) that this region had to face, the organisation of the regional conference was put on hold. We are happy to announce that steps forward are being taken to hold a meeting with the National Presidents of this region in order to reactivate the Regional Committee. Both Malaysia and New Zealand are offering to organise this meeting. More information on the location, the dates, the agenda and appropriate discussion topics will be communicated by the end of December 2006. Setting up a Scout and Guide fellowship in Vietnam and projects for Sri Lanka will be discussed. We are really pleased at hearing such news which is boosting our efforts towards this region. We would like to convey our thanks mainly to Malaysia and New Zealand for their proposals. The involvement of our World Committee members, Brett Grant and Suresh Lalwani, is highly appreciated.

News from the National Scout and Guide Fellowships

 Bahrain

Bahrain was accepted as Associate member by the World Committee in November 2003, approved by the General Assembly, at Lillehammer. According to the ISGF Constitution and Bye-Laws, Bahrain submitted its 2003-2006 activities to the World Bureau to be accepted as Full member. Bahrain’s request is being examined by the World Committee Legal questions team.

Germany

Manfred Bosse has been elected International Secretary of the Verband Deutscher Altpfadfinder Gilden E.V (VDAPG), the German Fellowship. Angela Dernbach, whom everybody knows, carried out this job for more than ten years in a very efficient manner. We know Manfred and his involvement at various levels in ISGF and we are sure that he will be very active. We convey our congratulations and   wish him every success in his tasks.

 Greece

During the MED the opportunity was given to meet with Nana Gentimi and Maria Fagogenis, respectively National President and International Secretary of the Joint Committee of Former Scouts and Guides of Greece. This meeting has been profitable on both sides. These two young women will certainly contribute to a more proactive exchange between us. They could listen and find out more on the World Bureau and the facilities it can provide.

 Lebanon

A new Committee was elected. Dr Souheil Bawji and Miss Anbara Salem were respectively elected National President and International Secretary. We convey our congratulations to them and we extend congratulations to the other newly elected members.

 Portugal

Jose Ribeiro is the new International Secretary of the Comite Portugues De Amizade Dos Antigos Escoteiros E Guias (A.E.G.), the Portuguese Fellowship.  His participation to the MED was appreciated

                                                   News from the World Committee

The Stamp Bank

The Stamp Bank represented a valuable income for ISGF Finance. Nowadays we notice a decrease in this type of funds. Although the Internet has had a serious impact on the post office issue, stamps are gaining value by now. So the Finance committee, at the World Committee level, has included this issue among its top priorities. It has been decided to set up a network group that would have to think ahead on how to operate a Stamp bank and mainly how to sell stamps, considering that this is an important issue. As a first step, the International Secretaries are kindly requested to forward the Stamp Bank Managers’ e-mail contacts, or any other addresses, to the World Bureau. Considering their expertise in this matter, we will highly appreciate the involvement of these expert people in carrying out this project.   

News from the Central Branch:

We welcomed four new countries - Congo Brazzaville, Cuba, Iran, Peru - and registered another three members from the USA. Now we have 24 countries in Central Branch (CB) with a total of 486 members. There are two units (=group with more than 40 members), 11 groups (less than 40 members) and 44 individuals.

The yearly method of fee payment in some developing countries should be reconsidered. We are faced with high transfer costs and sometimes these costs are higher than the fee itself! National Scout and Guide Fellowships may adopt CB countries or individual members where we have difficulty in collecting/transferring the fee. Any suggestion is welcome which may be sent to: Leny Doelman CB-coordinator Leny.Doelman@inter.NL.net

 Membership cards have been re-designed and distributed to all our CB members and these cards are valid for five years. We have had  a lot of compliments from members who were very pleased to have such a card in order to show that they are members of ISGF (Leny Doelman).

To know more on the Central Branch, you can visit our homepage and click on 

The final census is:

News from WAGGGS and WOSM

At our last World Committee meeting, Marjorie Samudzimu, WAGGGS Representative, and Georges El Ghorayeb, WOSM Representative, attended our meeting and their active participation to the meeting as well as to the PR&Communication team working group was highly appreciated, mainly concerning their advice concerning our website.

Arturo Romboli, Unit Manager, External relations, partly attended our meeting and made a presentation on WOSM new website.

News from the Ambassadors Guild

The Ambassadors Guild had its Board of Foundation meeting at Acireale where Paulli Martin was elected as President. Paulli was ISGF World Committee Chairman from 1991 to 1996. Twelve new members joined the Guild.

For those who want to know more on the Ambassadors Guild, we invite them to visit our website: http://www.isgf.org

News from the World Bureau

 Paperwork

We are including in this issue the usual paperwork* that enables the World Bureau to carry out its financial and administrative tasks. We would be grateful if our International Secretaries could give careful consideration to these documents. Thus they will contribute to the productivity of the World Bureau and as a consequence to the improvement of our finances.

 “Which future for the World Bureau?”

That was the title of the workshop scheduled during the Sub-regional Central Europe gathering, in Rothenburg. The recommendations that were issued are on the Intranet Workshop on the future of the World Bureau. We will forward the results of the other workshop scheduled at this gathering as soon as possible.   

“Culture meeting”

On the agenda of the MED, there was a panel on “culture meeting” which I lead.  France, Ghana, Greece, Libya, Liechtenstein, Portugal and Tunisia were represented at this Panel. Their representatives made a presentation on how Scouting and Guiding, in their respective countries, contribute to a better world while we come from different backgrounds.  The presentations are being posted on the MASCI website, http://www.masci.it  linked to our website http://www.isgf.org  

 ISGF History Book

The French version was issued and sold at the MED. This book, in the Italian version , written by Carlo Guarnieri, was already available for the Lillehammer World Conference and was for sale. The English version should be ready in the very near future.  

 “(1953-2003) Cinquante ans d’AISG” is the French title of the book. In case you are interested in having this version, you can order it from

Strade Aperte

Via Carpignana 22

63100 Venagrande di Ascoli Italia

Tel/fax: +

courriel: stradeaperte@libero.it

 The price : Ten (10) Euros

Vacancy

The position of the Assistant to the Secretary General is vacant.  It was decided to  end  Xavier Rousseau’s contract of employment.   

 *Forms attached:

Census 2006

World Gazette order form 2007

 Directory 2007

Activity report 2006.

Appendix to Bureau-info

Director of publication: Martine Lévy

Editor of Bureau-Info: Faouzia Kchouk