2011: WAGGGS' year in review

With your ongoing support to the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts girls are able to take part in activities that help them to develop their full potential. 2011 has been an exciting and eventful year for WAGGGS. Here's a report of some of the highlights.

February

World Thinking Day

World Thinking Day was themed around “empowering girls will save our world”, based on the UN’s Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 3 “Promote gender equality and empower women”. Many of our Member Organizations worked on the theme, promoting education and community action on gender equality. Girls and young women connected with each other all over the world; they were inspired and equipped with the tools to speak out and advocate for change.

“Girls and young women were encouraged to think about the challenges they could be faced with in today's world. … A key message was that a single person may not think that she is influencing another but one small act can make a huge difference.” Wendy Davis, International Adviser, Girl Guides Association of South Africa

 

Commission on the Status of Women

In February 2011, a WAGGGS delegation of eight young women represented the voice of girls and young women worldwide at the United Nations 55th Commission on the Status of Women. WAGGGS delegates met Liberian peace activist and Nobel prize winner Leymah Gbowee and UN Women executive director Michelle Bachelet. WAGGGS co-ordinated the Young Women’s Caucus with our partners at World YWCA, co-authored statements that were read directly to negotiators in the main conference, and co-presented a session on “Uniting against violence; a girl centred approach”.

"Attending the UN CSW with WAGGGS taught me how my voice can be heard and matters at the global scale. I now understand more fully the importance of WAGGGS as an advocate for girl’s and women’s rights." Rachel, CSW delegate from Canada

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 March

Young Women’s World Forum

The second of three Young Women’s World Forums (YWWF) took place in March at the four World Centres simultaneously. Some 157 young women from all five regions were represented at the four World Centres. The event focused on three MDGs: MDG 1 “End poverty and hunger”, MDG 3 “Promote gender equality and empower women” and MDG 7 “Environmental sustainability”. The third and final YWWF will be organized with Girl Scouts of the USA in 2012.

“It is beautiful to see how content can be delivered in an interesting way, and you don’t even realize that time has passed by, you just realize that you have learned. It can be through activities and games.” Juliana, Kenya (attending YWWF at Sangam)

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 April

Centenary day

10 April was the celebration day for the second centenary year. In 2011 we explored the theme of Grow, encouraging girls to ‘grow’ the seeds they planted in 2010 by reaching out to others in their communities. Next year’s centenary events will mark the third and final centenary year with the theme of Share.

“Through our centenary celebrations, we will make sure that Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting continues to empower girls and young women. We intend to have a positive influence on communities for another 100 years to come!” Margaret Treloar, WAGGGS World Board Chair 2008-2011

Girls’ Day

Girl Scouts of Korea hosted the 4th Girls' Day event based on the theme "Girltopia - for girls to dream and make the future" at Yeouido Park, Seoul. About 6,000 people including girls, children, families, and women across the country attended the event, and Girl Scouts of Korea used the occasion to launch the Stop the Violence campaign in Korea.

“The Girls’ Day of the Girl Scouts of Korea is definitely the event of the year. We were simply awed and inspired by the spirit and energy of everyone at the Girls’ Day!” Thanya Krichtitayawuth, Asia Pacific Region Committee

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 May

Japan Tsunami and earthquake badge

Guiders from Girlguiding UK started their own project to produce and sell a special badge in aid of the victims of the tsunami and earthquake which happened in Japan earlier in the year.

Super Hero run

On 15 May WAGGGS staff and volunteers became super heroes for a day to raise money for global Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting by participating in the 5km Super Hero Run in London’s Regent’s Park, raising £1,500 for girls and young women around the world.

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 July

World Conference

From 11 to 15 July, 343 delegates from 112 countries gathered in Edinburgh, Scotland, for the 34th World Conference. The Conference was a great success. For the first time, the Conference included a Young Women's Leadership Programme which involved young leaders running an 'intergenerational zone' where delegates of all ages took part in activities to learn from each other. The young women submitted a successful proposal to run a pre-Conference event for young leaders at the next World Conference. We heard from inspirational keynote speakers including Lakshmi Puri of UN Women, polar explorer Liv Arnesen and Member of the European Parliament Catherine Stihler. The Hong Kong Girl Guides Association won its bid to host the 35th World Conference in 2014.

World Board elections

World Board elections took place at the World Conference. Six new Board members - Jill Zelmanovits, Canada; Teruko Wada, Japan; Shaleeka Abeygunasekera, Sri Lanka; Fiona Harnett, New Zealand; Nicola Grinstead, UK; Michelle February, South Africa; and substitute members Niumaath Shafeeg, Maldives and Florence Chidiogo Enemuo, Nigeria - were elected. The new Board elected Nadine El Achy from Lebanon as its Chairman and the first ever chairman from the Arab Region.

New WAGGGS Full Members

The World Conference also saw the ratification of six new Full Members of WAGGGS: Les Guides de la République Démocratique du Congo, Association des Scouts et Guides du Congo, the Girl Guides Association of Cambodia, the Girl Guides Association of Grenada, the Swaziland Girl Guides Association and Associazione Guide Esploratori Cattolici Sammarinesi (San Marino).

“Full Membership will benefit girls and young women in Cambodia. Girls and young women will have the capacity to step forward, expand Girl Guiding in their communities and connect with the world.” Tan Phally, Girl Guides Association of Cambodia (GGAC)

Stop the Violence campaign

Our Stop the Violence campaign was launched during the World Conference. This long-running campaign is collecting voices speaking out against violence, and building a global movement of people opposed to violence against girls and young women. The campaign’s long term elements will include an education programme , a lobbying campaign , community action , capacity building , and national action plans .

“The Stop the Violence campaign is the perfect example of what WAGGGS does best – empowering girls and young women to speak out, take action and influence change – all whilst knowing that they are supported by a network of millions of other girls who share the same passion for change.” HRH Princess Benedikte of Denmark

13th Girl Scout International Camp

The Girl Scouts of Korea hosted the 13th Girl Scout International Camp in Goseong World Jamboree camp site, in commemoration of the centenary of Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting. The camp was attended by 10,500 campers from 20 countries.

 

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 August

Higashi-nihon earthquake summer camp

Girl Scouts of Japan (GSJ) held a special Summer Camp in Miyagi Prefecture for children in areas affected by the Higashi-nihon earthquake. The camp was the first project under GSJ’s Girls' Power Unite initiative and was a huge success, with participation from 100 children.

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 September

EU-Africa Journey to Leadership seminar

Young women from 27 WAGGGS Member Organizations took part in the Journey to Leadership seminar – a joint leadership development project between the Europe and Africa regions, based on WLDP – in Burundi. The project was funded with the support from the European Commission’s Youth in Action programme.

European Parliament Stop the Violence launch

In September, The Europe Region launched the Stop the Violence campaign in the European Parliament during a round table organized jointly with the European Women’s Lobby, presenting out campaign to MEPs, NGOs and other stakeholders working on the issue at European level.

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 October

Challenging our Future seminar

Our Cabaña hosted the WLDP seminar Challenging our Future. Some 24 participants from 18 different countries and four Regions spent six days focusing on Advocacy, Strategic Planning and Fund Development. The seminar included a trip beyond the walls of Our Cabaña into the city of Cuernavaca, which helped the participants to come up with their own definition of advocacy.

“Advocacy involves being educated enough to make good decisions which influence others and helps them to become inspired enough to change their own lives.” Challenging our Future seminar participants

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 November

COP17

“Girl Guides are part of the solution” was the slogan for 17 young women from 13 different countries who ensured that the voice of girls and young women was taken into account at this year's UN Climate Change conference in Durban in South Africa. The WAGGGS delegation influenced decision makers, gave media interviews and panel speeches, ran a global awareness-raising action and worked with youth activists around the world. On the WAGGGS @ COP 17 website you can meet the team, follow their activities and see what they achieved.

"We think it is important to recognize the role of young people in the UNFCCC negotiations, since we are the ones who are going to experience the consequences of climate change at a large scale." Fatima Espinosa, WAGGGS youth delegate

Pascaline Umulisa speaks at the UN

On 23 November Pascaline Umulisa, a Girl Guide from Rwanda, spoke at the UN official observation of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. The UN event focused on the theme of “youth leadership in preventing and ending violence against women and girls”. Pascaline joined UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, UN Women executive director Michelle Bachelet and other panellists to discuss the important role that young people play in bringing an end to violence against women and girls. Pascaline promoted WAGGGS’ Stop the Violence campaign and gave examples of what Girls Guides around the world, are doing to fight violence.

16 Days to Make Girls Heard

In November we launched the 16 Days to Make Girls Heard project under the Stop the Violence campaign. Daily updates on the WAGGGS website reminded people to add their voices to the campaign, and updated readers on what Girl Guides and Girl Scouts around the world were doing to take part in the 16 Days. The peak of the 16 Days was the 30 November webinar, in which we showed the film The Hidden Truth and then held a question and answer session with filmmakers Penelope and Mwelwa. During the 16 Days, we added 526 voices to Stop the Violence.

Joint Asia Pacific and Arab Regional Training of Trainers Workshop

The Asia Pacific and Arab Regions successfully hosted the first ever joint event between the two Regions. The Joint Asia Pacific-Arab Regional Training of Trainers Workshop, held in Malaysia, brought together 100 participants from 32 countries and received considerable media coverage. The event opened doors for much closer co-operation between the two Regions. The event theme was “Create, Challenge, Change”.

“The Workshop proved to be a life-changing experience for all of us and all went home wanting to be a Girl Guide/Girl Scout for the rest of our lives.” Low Lih Jeng, Chairman, Asia Pacific Regional Committee and Noura El Naamani, Chairman, Arab Regional Committee

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 December

International Volunteer Day

WAGGGS took the opportunity of International Volunteer Day to thank all volunteers for their efforts throughout 2011. This was a special year, bringing together the European Year of Volunteering and the tenth anniversary of the United Nations International Year of Volunteering. Thank you to all WAGGGS volunteers for your continuing involvement and commitment, which is building a better world for us all. Volunteers are at the heart of the Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting movement.

During the year, Girl Guides and Girl Scouts around the world took part in a range of activities to raise awareness, support and celebrate volunteering. WAGGGS volunteers also took part in developing a range of policy recommendations to support volunteering in Europe while the UN published the first ever global report on volunteering, The State of the World’s Volunteerism.

International Day of the Girl

Also in December, the UN General Assembly approved the creation of an International Day of the Girl, which will take place on 11 October each year. Girl Guides and Girl Scouts worked with other organizations to gather support for the day: in the Europe Region, together with the European Parliamentary Forum and Plan International, to promote a written declaration from Members of the European Parliament in support of the year.

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 Year-long

Preparation for 2012-2014 triennium

2011 has brought the end of the current triennium, and the chance to develop the Strategic Plan for 2012-2014 and Vision 2020, which were both voted on at the World Conference in July. Vision 2020 – comprising the Vision “All girls and young women are valued and take action to change the world” and the Mission “To enable girls and young women to develop their fullest potential as responsible citizens of the world” – represents the aim to achieve 100 more years of changing lives. Moving forward, the 2012-2014 Strategic Plan is focused on growth and impact.

Global Action Theme

WAGGGS’ global action theme on the UN MDGs has been growing from strength to strength. The MDG+10 report on how girls and young women around the world helped achieve the MDGs bears witness of the outstanding contributions from WAGGGS and its MOs. The report also includes recommendations on the way forward to 2015 and beyond.

International year of youth

The International year of youth under the theme of “Dialogue and Mutual Understanding” started in July 2010 when WAGGGS – together with other global youth organizations – supported the World Youth Conference in Mexico. The celebrations came to a close in July 2011 with the UN High Level Meeting on Youth in New York where WAGGGS addressed the assembly on the role of girls and young women to help achieve the UN MDGs.

Biodiversity Challenge Badge

WAGGGS/FAO/CBD Biodiversity Challenge Badge curriculum has been launched. This non-formal educational resources on biodiversity helps teachers and youth leaders develop a programme of learning, participation and action.