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WE Connect replaces EUROPAK
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INFORMATION – From EUROPAK to WE Connect – the new Joint Regional Website (Regional Circular 21 2019)
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EUROPEAN JAMBOREE 2020 – Recruitment of International Service Staff (Joint Communication 05 2019)
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23rd EUROPEAN SCOUT CONFERENCE – Announcing two Crowdcasts in preparation of the Conference (Conference Circular 09)
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RECIRCULATION – FOR REVIEW: Draft Memorandum of Understanding (Joint Communication 04)
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Tag Archives: #Refugees
This smile and gentle gesture tells us more than a thousand words!
Scouts and Guides contributing to refugee support activities in their local communities in Europe (39): a story from the Island of Lesvos in Greece (GR)
There may be lousy weather in Mytilene on the Greek island of Lesvos, where local Scouts have been very actively involved in refugee and migrant support activities for more than a year now: on the beaches and shores, on the streets and squares of Mytilene, or in the different refugees centres around the island.
So, this weekend, Venture and Rover Scouts from the two local groups, 3o ΣΥΣΤΗΜΑ ΝΑΥΤΟΠΡΟΣΚΟΠΩΝ ΜΥΤΙΛΗΝΗΣ and 2ο ΣΥΣΤΗΜΑ ΠΡΟΣΚΟΠΩΝ ΜΥΤΙΛΗΝΗΣ (members of Ελληνικός Προσκοπισμός and the World Organization of the Scout Movement decided to spend the few hours of their weekly meeting with children and young people.
These children are currently staying in a hotel in the Gulf of Geras near Mytilene, which was recently opened for families who need special attention and care. They may be relatives of victims of shipwrecks, from broken families, suffer from disabilities or particular health problems.
This special refugee centre is run by Caritas Greece whose staff and volunteers were very happy to welcome the Scouts for an afternoon.
While some Scouts played and sang with the children and young people others help sort donated clothes and toiletry articles.
And before leaving the Centre and having been (once again) overwhelmed by the reactions and feedback from the children, the Scouts agreed with Caritas Greece to come back in the future and to regularly offer afternoons with games, singing, painting and handy crafts!
So, what about you? Are you and your Scouts involved in similar activities? Share your stories and let us know what kind of challenges you had to cope with!
Find more pictures from this afternoon in the photo album of Stratis Balaskas, journalist and Scout Leader in Mytilene on Lesvos.
Scouting in Catalonia helps local refugee support activities
Scouts and Guides contributing to refugee support activities in their local communities in Europe (38): a story from the Minyons Escoltes i Guies de Catalunya in Spain (ES)
Each year, the Minyons Escoltes i Guies de Catalunya (MEG), one of the member associations of the Federació Catalana d’Escoltisme i Guiatge (FCEG), donates about 1% of its internal annual revenues in support of a specific cause.
This year, following an association-wide competition (during which members can name their prefered cause or organisation they would like to see supported), it was decided to donate some EUR 9000 to the “Speak about Rights” project of the local refugee support association Stop Mare Mortum and the International Civil Service of Catalonia.
Earlier this month, MEG was pleased to announce that the total amount to be donated was EUR 9384.29 – eactly 1% of the internal revenues of the association gained in the fiscal year 2014-2015 (including a small amount of unused funds from the previous exercise).
“The project selected by the jury from the long list of proposals is called Speak about Rights. Tools for better understanding of and actions against the refugee and migrant crisis.”, explains Tomàs Genís Galofré, MEG’s International Commissioner, “The aim of this project is to make the situation of refugees and migrants visible through education and awareness rising. It intends not only to make the present situation known more widely, but also to help identify appropriate actions to address its causes. It develops and offers tools to advocate for social change where citizens may be encourage to be more involved in to asylum, refugee and migration issues.”
The two associations behind the project will develop both formal and non-formal educational resources which will enable children and young people, including Scouts and Guides, to understand better the relaities refugees and migrants are confronted with.
“In addition,” adds Tomàs, “our Federation FCEG offers our local Scout and Guide Groups a regularly updated special refugee resource section on its website. This includes specific aims and objectives, updates about relevant actions by WOSM and WAGGGS, network partners and, most importantly, appropriate educational resources for the work with children and young people.”
(text provided by Minyons Escoltes i Guies de Catalunya)
Micha (17, a Scout from Damascus): Thank you for your warm welcome on the shores of Europe!
Scouts and Guides contributing to refugee support activities in their local communities in Europe (37): a story from Kratigos Beach south of Mytilene on Lesbos (GR)
Scouts from the 2nd Mytilene Scout Group and the 3rd Mytilene Sea Scout Group, both members of Ελληνικός Προσκοπισμός (the Scouts of Greece, a member of the World Organization of the scout Movement), spent another eventful day on the Kratigos coast, situated south of the town of Mytilene, capital city of the Greek island of Lesbos.
Pfadfinderdorf Zellhof: Give me love, give me hope, give me shelter!
Scouts and Guides contributing to refugee support activities in their local communities in Europe (36): a story from the town of Mattsee in Austria and the nearby Pfadfinderdorf Zellhof
Children running around the house playing games and discovering the beauties of nature is nothing unusual for an international Scout Centre: in any average summer week you can meet up to 800 Scouts and Guides at the Pfadfinderdorf Zellhof. But in the middle of December, when there are nomally only a few groups at the Zellhof over the weekends?
A very special International Volunteer Day: Scouts from mainland Greece join local Scouts on Chios to help refugees and migrants
Scouts and Guides contributing to refugee support activities in their local communities in Europe (35): A story from Chios (GR) – Let’s take some paint and a brush and decorate this ugly hall!
(WSBERO/Chios) – “The scale of the refugee tragedy is incredible. Hundreds if not thousands of people – a third of them children – arrive daily on this small but beautiful Greek island having fled atrocities of war hoping for a better future somewhere in Europe”, says Sebastian Meitz, from the World Scout Bureau Global Support Centre in Kuala Lumpur, who had joined the Greek Scouts’ support mission to Chios, together with Thomas Ertlthaler, from the European Scout Region’s Messengers of Peace Decision Committee.
