World Conference blog
Day Seven
We leave the Conference with some amazing memories and sadness
that it couldn't go on for longer. It has been hard work for
the delegation and we're looking forward to some sleep, but it's
been a tremendous privilege to represent Girlguiding UK on the
international stage.
The compliments we've heard over the course of the week for the
organising team's commitment, enthusiasm and achievements have made
us incredibly proud. From the extremely effective but light-hearted
rendition of the daily safety briefing to the beaming smiles of the
service team, we admired the slick organisation of the event and
the good humour of those responsible that set the tone for an
enjoyable conference.
Thank you everybody - sleep well!
With best wishes, the UK delegation to the 34th World
Conference.
Have your say on
Facebook
Click here to visit
the WAGGGS website and stay updated with all the latest World
Conference news
Day Six
There were more celebrations this morning as WAGGGS
recognised the fantastic work of girls and young women around the
world who have made a difference through community action
work.
Nine projects were honoured with Olave Awards including an
exhibition organised by Girlguiding UK's 3rd Nunthorpe Guides to
raise funds for girls' education in Liberia. Kirsty proudly
accepted the award on their behalf and we will deliver it to them
soon (further details can be found in the summer edition of
guiding magazine).
Thanks to a little devious planning, surprise presentations
followed for outstanding women who have made significant
contributions to the work of WAGGGS. Girlguiding UK's Kirsty Gray
and Della Salway received the recognition they so richly deserve
through the award of WAGGGS bronze medals.
Throughout the day significant discussions took place, alongside
voting sessions, to agree the strategic plan and budget of WAGGGS
for the next triennium 2012-14. A particular milestone for WAGGGS
was the acceptance of a pilot project to offer World Centre
experiences in Africa.
Rather than bricks and mortar, this will initially consist of a
series of international events and seminars run in existing
training centres owned by WAGGGS' Member Organisations in Africa.
The pilot will be evaluated at the next World Conference.
Another important decision was the host country for the next
World Conference in 2014 - Hong Kong! During the closing ceremony
of the Conference, Caroline and Kirsty handed the Conference World
Flag to representatives from Hong Kong.
The closing dinner was held at Our Dynamic Earth in the centre
of Edinburgh where we heard from Lord Provost about his admiration
for guiding and we enjoyed a reception sponsored by the City of
Edinburgh.
Going by the noise level it was clear that a number of firm
friendships had been forged over the week.
With best wishes, the UK delegation to the 34th World
Conference.
Have your say on
Facebook
Click here to visit the WAGGGS
website and stay updated with all the latest World Conference
news
Day Five
The new World Board members.
Photograph taken from the WAGGGS website.
Thursday has been a special day for the UK delegates
here at the World Conference.
The day began with the election of the six new World Board
members - we were thrilled that Nicola Grinstead of Girlguiding UK
was among them. We are all so proud of the hard work Nicola has put
in over the course of the conference to meet with delegates and
explain her vision for WAGGGS. She has given so much to Girlguiding
UK and we know she will do a fantastic job. Congratulations
Nicola!
As Nicola joins the WAGGGS team, Della Salway, who has worked as
World Board Treasurer for six years, has now completed her term of
office. We held a party this evening to thank Della for all her
hard work for WAGGGS at world level and within Europe, particularly
her role in the development of the guiding movement in Russia.
She has continued to run a unit and we were delighted that one
of her Rangers and two other Leaders from Portishead in Somerset
were able to join us. Gill presented Della with the Silver Fish in
honour of her contributions to guiding, both nationally and
internationally.
It was a brilliant party (with a fishy theme, naturally!) and
very inspirational. I’m sure you will all join us in wishing Della
huge congratulations on her well-deserved recognition and all the
best for future opportunities.
Another exciting event today was the launch of the new WAGGGS
global advocacy campaign to stop violence against women. Violence
occurs in so many forms around the world and protection from such
threat is a fundamental human right which every woman deserves.
WAGGGS will be launching resources to support members, involving
education and campaigning. Keep a look out for more information
about the project (launching in 2012) via the Girlguiding UK and
WAGGGS websites.
With best wishes, the UK delegation to the 34th World
Conference.
Have your say on
Facebook
Click here to visit
the WAGGGS website and stay updated with all the latest World
Conference news
Day Four
Today has been all about sharing, hearing about
what associations are doing to develop guiding and supporting their
work.
Girlguiding UK had stands in the exhibition about
Guiding Overseas Linked with Development (GOLD) and
Changing
the World, manned by brilliant Leaders who have been involved
in these flagship projects. Meanwhile the UK delegation thoroughly
enjoyed a range of workshops learning about initiatives in other
associations.
Examples included:
The Kenya Guides who have been developing a campaign to raise
awareness of the risks of excessive alcohol use among girls and
young women. They also have inspiring plans to set up guiding
within refugee camps.
The Rwandan Guides who are empowering women by helping them to
buy cows and teaching them how to look after them. In Rwanda owning
livestock provides financial stability allowing women to approach
banks for credit and develop business initiatives.
The Swedish Guide and Scout Association are working a
youth-led training programme for trustees, helping to ensure
they’re able to contribute effectively to decision-making
processes.
We also heard about plans for
Roverway in 2012. The Finnish Scouts and Guides have never
hosted an international event and are very excited to welcome
members from other countries for a very special ten days.
This evening we've had great fun at the international market,
colourful national costumes and stalls selling wares from a hundred
different countries offered a shopping experience like no
other.
A steady flow of customers helped Poland raise money towards
their WAGGGS subscription. If they clear their debts their
membership of WAGGGS will be reconfirmed.
Another late night for the delegation as we gather in Denise's
room to consider how to vote in the elections for the World Board.
Tomorrow is a big day for WAGGGS and hopefully for Girlguiding
UK.
With best wishes, the UK delegation to the 34th World
Conference.
Have your say on
Facebook
Click here to visit the WAGGGS
website and stay updated with all the latest World Conference
news
Day Three
Tuesday, and things are getting even busier here at the
World Conference in Edinburgh!
Our day started with a discussion of the strategic plan for the
work of WAGGGS in the next three years. Their six key goals mirror
those of Girlguiding UK, demonstrating that even though all of the
Member Organisations may look very different, we are all working
towards the same goals.
We spent much of our day working with the other thirty countries
of the Europe Region. We discussed plans for the coming years
including the vision of our Europe Committee to have all European
countries delivering excellent guiding by 2025.
We heard from Inca, the International Commissioner of the Polish
Guide and Scout organisation, ZHP, which has experienced some
financial problems of late. We will be giving more information
about how members of Girlguiding UK can support our friends in
Poland very soon.
Being at the World Conference is a reminder that we are only a
small part of a global organisation, of more than ten million
members, and that we can utilise the resources we enjoy to help
others in need.
We finished the day in true Scottish style with a dancing
display and the opportunity to participate in a Ceilidh. An evening
spent dancing (and nibbling Tunnock’s tea cakes) with new friends
from across the globe shows that here there are no barriers; we all
have the same desire to try something new. A chorus of Auld Lang
Syne was the perfect way to finish the evening.
With best wishes, the UK delegation to the 34th World
Conference.
Have your say on
Facebook
Click here to visit
the WAGGGS website and stay updated with all the latest World
Conference news
Day Two
.jpg "Day 2")
The first day of the 34th World Conference started
(albeit after a fire alarm in the rain) with the assembling of 104
countries and the task of learning how to use the voting
buttons…
It was fantastic to see six Member Organisations achieve full
membership of WAGGGS: the Girl Guides Association of Cambodia,
Swaziland Girl Guides Association, Les Guides de la République
Démocratique du Congo, Association des Scouts et Guides du
Congo, Associazione Guide Esploratori Cattolici Sammarinesi
(San Marino) and the Girl Guides Association of Grenada - each
warmly welcomed into the global guiding family.
We heard about growth in the Africa region to more than one
million members, an amazing achievement demonstrating the universal
appeal of the guiding. We also experienced a fantastic
presentation by Lakshmi Puri from the UN Women organisation,
which was formed to further the cause of gender injustice. It fed
into so many of the UN Millennium Development Goals.
WAGGGS is working very hard to develop leaders of the future
through its new leadership support research, which along with
opportunities such as the Young Women’s World Forum, are giving
women worldwide the chance to lead and encourage others to join
in.
Examples of the fantastic progress made by women in the past
century were inspirational, but there is so much more to do in
order to allow women worldwide to enjoy some of the legal rights we
take for granted in the UK.
The Opening Ceremony was held at the Edinburgh Indoor Climbing
Centre and was a fantastic showcase of everything that Girlguiding
UK and Scotland have to offer. The Guides who climbed, sang and
danced performed with so much enthusiasm that it was truly a
spectacle to remember.
With best wishes, the UK delegation to the 34th World
Conference.
Have your say on Facebook
Click here to visit the WAGGGS
website and stay updated with all the latest World Conference
news
Day One
Meet the Girlguiding UK representatives:
Denise King (Chief Executive)
Gill Slocombe (Chief Guide)
Caroline Davis (International Commissioner)
Alexa Laurence (Chair of Finance and General Purposes)
Nicola Grinstead (World Board nominee)
Kirsty Kakanskas (Chair of the Girlguiding UK delegation to the
British Youth Council)
Bagpipes and an amazing team of purple-shirted
volunteers welcomed world guiding to Edinburgh today at the start
of the 34th World Conference.
The Girlguiding UK service crew stood on station
platforms, heaved cases, directed delegates and packed Conference
bags, all with huge enthusiasm and endless smiles.
Guiding members from other sides of the world meeting for the first
time or reuniting as old friends created a phenomenal buzz and it
was exciting to witness the start of a week in which we all hope to
strengthen our worldwide organisation.
A particular highlight for Denise was meeting the South African
delegation at Waverley station and helping them with the last few
miles of their journey to the Conference. South Africa hosted the
last World Conference three years ago and made it a truly memorable
experience. It was lovely to be able to return some of their warm
hospitality.
Several hundred people attended the briefing session for
Conference newcomers this afternoon where we learnt about plans for
the coming days.
We've heard some snippets about what we've got to look forward
to tomorrow night at the opening ceremony. Seventy girls from
Girlguiding UK have been busy rehearsing over the past two days -
we're sure it'll be a very special occasion.
We look forward to sharing more of our Conference experiences
with you - we hope to post a blog entry each day this week.
With best wishes, the UK delegation to the 34th World
Conference.
Get involved on
Facebook
Click here
to visit the WAGGGS website and stay updated with all the latest
World Conference news
Subscribe | View Subscriptions