Category Archives: Europak

We want to see these children smile and laugh again!

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Scouts and Guides contributing to refugee support activities in their local communities in Europe (10): a story from Klagenfurt, Austria:

“We just wanted to make these children smile and laugh again”, says Monika, from the Kärtner Pfadfinder und Pfadfinderinnen (the Association of Scouts and Guides of Carinthia, a member of Pfadfinder und Pfadfinderinnen Österreichs).

“That’s why we have joined a group of other volunteers from different local community organisations, including Caritas Kärnten, the Hilfswerk Kärnten and the Carinthian branch of the Muslimische Jugend Österreichs.”

“We are happy that Scouts, Guides and Leaders from different Carinthian Scout and Guide Groups make available their time, enthusiasm and skills running regular afternoons of playing, drawing, and other activities with children and young people of refugee families in one of the refuges centres in Klagenfurt, capital city of Carinthia.”

If you are involved in a similar refugee support activity, let us know and we will share it, too!

Let’s invite our new neighbours and meet the refugees!

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Scouts and Guides contributing to refugee support activities in their local communities in Europe (9): a story from Freistadt, Austria:

“When we realised that a growing number of refugee families were given accommodation in and around our city and that their daily routine was anything but varied, we spontaneously decided to invite our new neighbours to sepd an afternoon with us.

Some twenty refugees currently live in a former customs building, literally miles away from the city and due to the secluded location of their lodgings particularly dependent on external support and accompaniment.

Our invitation went to these families in particular but also to other refugees staying elsewhere in Freistadt. And so, one sunny late summer day, some fifty children, young people and their families turn up at our Scout Hall and were met by many members of our local Freistadt Scout and Guide Group (member of the Scout and Guide Association of Upper Austria).

We all spent a wonderful afternoon together, with barbecue, games and other activities. And we listened to the sometime incredible stories about the challenges our guests had encountered on their journeys from their former homes in Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and other countries.

The hours went by too quickly and looking back the afternoon had not just provided the refugees a welcome change in their otherwise dull routine but allowed us, the local Scouts and Guides to understand better the situation these children, youngsters, women and men had found themselves in eventually making them refugees. We have gained a group of new friends!”

If you want to share a similar story about your association’s support activity for refugees in Europe, let us know and we will publish it, too!

Les Scouts et Guides en France s’engagent pour les réfugiés!

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Les Scouts et Guides contribuent aux activités de soutien aux réfugiés dans leurs communautés en Europe (8): voici deux récits de France:

– Cinq membres de la Branche Compagnons de Scouts et Guides de France Angers Avrillé passent leur camp dans la jungle de Calais avec les réfugiés: http://scout.org/node/106501
– Le Groupe Scout de Cergy du Territoire du Val d’Oise – Scouts et Guides de France (Scouts et Guides de France, membre de l’OMMS et de l’AMGE) accueille François Hollande pour un après-midi avec les réfugiés: http://scout.org/node/106496

Si vous voulez également partager un récit de votre activité organisée en soutien des réfugiés dans votre communauté locale en Europe, contactez nous et nous le publions aussi!

European Scouts and Guides engage in refugee support activities: let’s tell their stories!

RefugeeSupport

When the Coordinating Group of the European Regions of WAGGGS and WOSM met the other weekend, the current situation of refugees and the manifold support actions by Scouts and Guides as members of their local communities was one of the issues discussed. The Coordinating Group is very conscious of the human tragedy unveiling. While we share and tell the stories of the great work being undertaken by Guiding and Scouting, we should be coordinated and compassionate so as to not exploit those suffering. Long-term community work will be very important to empower people.

It was agreed that a sort of “clearing house” on europak-online.net, the website jointly managed by the two Regions, would be a useful tool to featuring examples of what Scouts and Guides contribute to refugee support activities in their local communities in Europe. Associations already engaged in such activities would have a larger audience for their projects and featured projects might inspire other associations to start their own activity.

This communication platform is now available and we invite all Scout and Guide Associations in the European Regions of WAGGGS and WOSM to share their stories, images and resource kits for the benefit of the two Movements.

Sharing of relevant news (in text and image) and resources
Anyone visiting the joint website europak-online.net will be able to click on a new, prominently placed banner see all relevant content on one single page

Content Management
A simple form has been created to facilitate the editorial managment of proposed stories. Following our regular practice, there will normally be no publication of a story without prior agreement from the concerned association.

We are looking forward to receiving and subsequently sharing widely many stories featuring examples of what Scouts and Guides contribute to refugee support activities in their local communities in Europe!

Read the relevant Joint Ciruclar issued by the European Regions of WAGGGS and WOSM in English and French!

#ScoutGuideSupport #Refugees

RefugeeSupport

The European Regions of WOSM (EuroScoutInfo) and WAGGGS (Europe Region) have started to publish stories from National Scout Orgnisations (WOSM) and Member Organisations (WAGGGS) in the European Region featuring examples of what Scouts and Guides contribute to refugee support activities in their local communities in ‪#‎Europe‬.
Only one click to see what other associations are doing to get inspired: http://www.europak-online.net/category/refugee-support/
And it’s really simple to share your own story: http://goo.gl/forms/xpi8wDLbRO!