This article needs to be updated.(September 2015) |
Asia-Pacific Scout Region | |||
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Owner | World Organization of the Scout Movement | ||
Headquarters | Makati, Philippines | ||
Location | Asia Pacific | ||
Membership | 30 million | ||
Asia-Pacific Regional Director | Jose Rizal Pangilinan | ||
Asia-Pacific Region Scout Committee Chairman (2022–2024) | Dale Corvera | ||
Website https://www.scout.org/asia-pacific | |||
The Asia-Pacific Scout Region is the divisional office of the World Scout Bureau of the World Organization of the Scout Movement, headquartered in Makati, Philippines, with satellite offices in Australia and Japan. The Asia-Pacific Region services Scouting in the land area of Asia south of Siberia and east of Central Asia, eastern Eurasia including Russia and the bulk of the Pacific Basin, with the exception of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands and Palau, which are under the Interamerican Region by way of the Aloha Council of the Boy Scouts of America.
The Asia-Pacific Scout Region has witnessed the births and rebirths of national Scout organizations since the region was founded in 1969. Starting with ten founding members, it grew to 27 member countries by 2016, out of which 25 are full-fledged members and two are associate members, encompassing 30 million Scouts. Eight of the 15 largest Scout associations in the world are in the Region. All the formerly communist states of Central Asia and the Soviet Union have developed or are developing Scouting in the wake of the renaissance in the region. For several years, communism repressed Scouting in Afghanistan, where it has newly returned, as well as in Mongolia, which had been the first Soviet satellite state since 1924. On the other hand, the World Scout Committee accepted in 2009 the declaration of Gerakan Pramuka Indonesia of having 17 million members for the census 2008. This has directly affected and changed the membership figure in the region, resulting in an increase of 9 million members, which now stands at a total of 24.7 million in 2009.
Widely separated by uneven resources, cultures, ethnic groups and technological resources, Scouting in the Asia-Pacific Region generally enjoys the respect of the public and by governments, a wide array of volunteers encompassing public and private sectors, and is powered by a small but committed group of professionals in the Scouting service.
The current Regional Chairman is Dale Corvera, serving the terms 2002–2028 [1] while the current Regional Director is Jose Rizal Pangilinan. Both are from the Philippines. Corvera was elected by fellow Committee members to serve as chair following elections for the APR Regional Scout Committee held 16 Feb 2022. He replaced the outgoing Regional Director His Excellency, Ambassador Ahmad Rusdi of Indonesia. (On 11 May 2022, the Philippines Caraga Region Commission of Election proclaimed Dale Corvera, who ran as representatives in the second legislative districts of Agusan del Norte, winner [2] ). His tenure ends in 2024 and the Asia-Pacific Region Scout Committee will re-elect a new chair.
This region is the counterpart of the Asia Pacific Region of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS).
Associate Members of the Asia-Pacific Scout Region include The Scout Association of Macau and the Conseil du Scoutisme polynésien.
Potential member countries include:
The Asia-Pacific Region contains two of four countries with no Scouting organization, each of which are due to political constraints within the countries.
The Asia-Pacific Silver Jubilee Celebration was held at the regional gathering at the 28th World Scout Conference in senegal.
APRinbox is the monthly e-newsletter of World Scout Bureau/Asia Pacific Region circulated to Scouts and adult leaders in the global community of the Scout Movement, edited by the Asia Pacific Regional Office in Manila, Philippines.
The Suncheon Asia-Pacific Scout Centre (SAPSC) offers programs in English based on the Scout method of "learning by doing" – a hands-on experiential learning process in the outdoors through young leaders from the National Scout Organizations.
In 2023, it was decided to dissolve the Eurasian Region, on 30 September. [3] [4] Kazakhstan, the Russian Federation and Tajikistan joined the Asia-Pacific Region on 1 October, while Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan joined the European Region. [3] [4]
The APR Scout Committee shall consist of ten persons from member National Scout Organizations in the Asia-Pacific Region who shall be elected by the conference by secret ballot for a term of six years. The chairman of the committee is the leader of the region, which is elected between the committee members. The current chairperson is H.E. Ahmad Rusdi from Indonesia. One of its main functions is to act on behalf of the conference between its meetings and to appoint subcommittees or study committees as may be needed. There are six subcommittees from 2015 to 2018, which are: Programme, Adult Support, Management, Financial Resources, Scouting Profile and Foundation Management. All the members are nominated from the member NSOs, with the youth representatives, Regional Youth Representatives, who are elected from the Asia-Pacific Regional Youth Forum. [5]
Post | NSO | Name | Term [6] |
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Chairman | Philippines | Hon. Dale B Corvera | 2018–2024 |
First Vice Chairman | Korea | Simon Rhee Hang Bock | 2022–2028 |
Second Vice Chairman | Thailand | Dr. Somboon Bunyasiri | 2018–2024 |
Member | Australia | Elston Hynd | 2018–2024 |
Member | Bangladesh | Mohammad Rafiqul Islam Khan | 2018–2024 |
Member | China | Prof. Dr. Yang, Yung-Chin | 2022–2028 |
Member | Indonesia | Brata Tryana Hardjosubroto | 2022–2028 |
Member | Japan | Hiroshi Shimada | 2018–2024 |
Member | Malaysia | Prof. Dr. Mohd Zin Bidin | 2022–2028 |
Member | Maldives | Aishath Ahlam | 2022–2028 |
Regional Treasurer | Hong Kong | Paul Ho | 2022–2028 |
Chairperson, Regional Youth Representative | Philippines | Dianne Eden I. Villasis | 2022–2028 |
Post | NSO | Name | Term [6] |
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Chairman | Indonesia | Ahmad Rusdi | 2018–2022 |
Vice-chairman | Japan | Hiroshi Shimada | 2018–2024 |
Vice-chairman | Thailand | Dr. Somboon Bunyasiri | 2018–2024 |
Member | Australia | Elston Hynd | 2018–2024 |
Member | Bangladesh | Mohammad Rafiqul Islam Khan | 2018–2024 |
Member | Philippines | Dale Corvera | 2018–2024 |
Member | Maldives | Ahmed Ali Maniku | 2018–2022 |
Member | India | Bhaidas Ishwar Nagarale | 2018–2022 |
Member | Singapore | Chay Hong Leng | 2018–2022 |
Member | Taiwan | Ie-Bin Lian | 2018–2022 |
The APR Scout Conference are held every three years as to gather all the NSOs to deal with the major regional problem. It is the toppest governing body of the region. 22 APR Scout Conference was held in Japan in 2007. The 23rd Asia-Pacific Regional Scout Conference held from 27 October to 1 November 2009, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia had 440 participants from Asia-Pacific, Africa, Arab, Interamerica, Europe, Eurasia and other organizations. The APR Scout Committee and Sub-committees members are also elected by the conference. [7] The next conference will be held in Bangladesh in 2012. Between Conferences there are APR Scout Leaders' Summit. The last Summit was held in India in 2010. [8]
Fifty-seven participants from 17 countries attended the 2004 Asia-Pacific Region Youth Forum in Brunei Darussalam in December 2004. Six Youth advisors were elected and attended the Regional Committee meetings. The Youth Advisers are Edward Cook, Chairman (New Zealand), Eko Andrianto of Indonesia, Netsai Khaimarn of Thailand, In Sun Ryu of Korea, Maiya Twayanabasu of Nepal, and Aaron Wardle (Australia). They advised on helping to organize and manage the next youth forum.
107 participants from 24 countries attended the 6th Asia-Pacific Region Youth Forum in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in October 2009. Seven Young Adult Member Group members were elected and they are assigned to the Regional Committee or Sub-committee. The Young Adult Member Group members are Maeedh Mohamed Zahir of Maldives as the new chairman, Lam Kwok Hei Dicky of Hong Kong, Ari Wijanarko Adipratomo of Indonesia, Seo Ji Eun of Korea, Mohd Hafiz Bin Ariffin of Malaysia, Oliver Lim Zi Kai of Singapore and Krittee Tantivisitkul of Thailand. They advised on helping to organise and manage the next youth forum in Bangladesh in 2012.
The project calls for the selection of Outstanding Scouts in the Asia-Pacific Region from among candidates nominated by member NSOs in the region, and the award is to be made at the Asia-Pacific Regional Conferences which are held every three years. This contest started eight years ago at the regional conference in Delhi in 2001, and has become a regular feature of every regional conference. The main purpose of the contest is to enhance the image and visibility of Scouting as an educational movement, and to emphasize its effectiveness in the development of young people at home, in school, and in communities. 5 finalists are invited to attend the Asia-Pacific Regional Conference to be interviewed by a board of judges from among appropriate persons (usually committee members from the Programme Sub-Committee and the Scouting Profile Sub-Committee).[ citation needed ]
For older Scouts (traditionally called Rovers or Rover Scouts), the Region has sponsored region-wide Rover Moots. It has not been held already in the Region.
Past Moots include:
The World Organization of the Scout Movement is the largest and, after the Order of World Scouts is the second oldest international scout organization, having been established in 1922. It has 176 members. These members are national scout organizations that founded WOSM or have subsequently been recognised by WOSM, which collectively have around 43 million participants. Its operational headquarters is in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia while it is legally based in Geneva, Switzerland.
Scouts Australia is a trading name of The Scout Association of Australia, which is the largest scouting organisation in Australia, with over 50,000 Youth Program Participants, and is a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement. It was formed in 1958 and incorporated in 1967. It operates personal development programs for children and young adults from 5 to 25 years of age with programs successively opened to girls after 1971.
The European Scout Region is one of five geographical subdivisions of the World Organization of the Scout Movement, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, with a satellite office in Brussels, Belgium.
The Myanmar Scout Association is the national Scouting organization in Myanmar. Scouting in Myanmar was started in 1916 and disbanded in 1964 due to country's political changes; the current organization was formed in 2012 under the supervision and support of the Ministry of Education of Myanmar and became a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement on 11 August 2016. It has about 21,007 members.
The Interamerican Region is the divisional office of the World Scout Bureau of the World Organization of the Scout Movement, headquartered in Ciudad del Saber, Panama. The Interamerican Region services Scouting in the Western Hemisphere, both North and South America. Until the 1960s, the "Inter-American Scout Advisory Committee" serviced only Mexico, Central and South America, with Canada and the United States serviced through the then-named "Boy Scouts International Bureau" in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Even today, the Interamerican Region exists more for the benefit of countries south of the Rio Grande, as evidenced by the website being only in Spanish until 2011; consequently, the United States and Canada did not participate as vigorously in regional activities as do other national organizations around the world, however this is changing in the 2010s.
Scouts Aotearoa, known internationally as Scouts Aotearoa New Zealand is a trading name of The Scout Association of New Zealand, the national Scouting association in New Zealand and an affiliate of the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) since 1953. Scouts Aotearoa had 12,156 youth members and with 5,888 volunteers as of the end of 2020.
The Vietnamese Scout Association is a youth organization that was established in Vietnam and active between 1930 and 1975. The association was recognized by the World Organization of the Scout Movement from 1957 to 1975.
The National Association of Cambodian Scouts is the national Scouting organization in Cambodia. It was founded in September 2005 through the merger of the Scout Organization of Cambodia and the Cambodian Scouts and became a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) on 1 July 2008. The coeducational association serves 59,275 members as of 2021.
The "Nepal Scouts" is the national Scouting and Guiding organization of Nepal, founded in Nepal in 1952. It became a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement in 1969 and later became a member of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts in 1984.
An adaptation of the Rovers training program is operated by Scouts Australia for adults aged between 18 and 25 years of age.
The Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (PECC) is a network of member committees composed of individuals and institutions dedicated to promoting cooperation across the Asia Pacific region, headquartered in Singapore. PECC has 23 full member committees Australia; Brunei Darussalam; Canada; Chile; China; Colombia; Ecuador; Hong Kong; Indonesia; Japan; Korea; Malaysia; Mexico; Mongolia; New Zealand; Peru; the Philippines; Singapore; Taiwan; Thailand; the United States; Vietnam and the Pacific Islands Forum, one associate member: France, and 2 institutional members: Pacific Trade and Development Conference (PAFTAD) and the Pacific Basin Economic Council (PBEC).
Hui Chiu-yin BBS, also known as John Hui, is the director and general manager of New World First Ferry in Hong Kong after his retirement from the post of Chief Superintendent of Marine Regional in Hong Kong Police Force in 1996. He had been the Chief Commission of The Scout Association of Hong Kong from 1997 to 2003.
Simon Hang-bock Rhee is a South Korean former chairman of the World Scout Committee, the main executive body of the World Organization of the Scout Movement, and Chairman of its Management Subcommittee. He was first elected as a member and vice-chairman of the Committee in Seoul, Korea in 2008, and elected as chairman at the 39th World Scout Conference in Brazil in 2011 for a three-year term.
Eric Khoo Heng-Pheng was one of 12 elected volunteer members of the World Scout Committee, the main executive body of the World Organization of the Scout Movement, and Chairman of its Asia Pacific Regional Scout Committee, elected in 2001. He was elected at the 38th World Scout Conference in South Korea for a six-year term.
The World Scout Youth Forum was a deliberative and consultative general assembly of the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM), which provided an opportunity for young members of World Scouting to discuss and express their views on issues of interest to them. Through preparing inputs and making recommendations to the World Scout Conference and to the World Scout Committee, to which the Forum was linked, participants developed the skills necessary to strengthen their capacity to take part in decision-making processes. It was one of WOSM's most important events. The Forum was removed as an event by resolution of the 43rd World Scout Conference in 2021.
Takemichi Toby Suzuki, a former elected member of the World Scout Committee from 1999 to 2005, served as the former chairman of the Information and Communications Technology subcommittee of the Asia-Pacific Region of the World Organization of the Scout Movement from 1995 to 1998, former member of the National Executive Council and the National Board of the Scout Association of Japan from 1993 to 2007.
Shree Ram Lamichhanne from Lalitpur, Nepal, served as the Chief Commissioner of Nepal Scouts and as the Regional Vice-Chairman of the Asia-Pacific Regional Scout Committee of the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM), and as an elected volunteer member from 2009 to 2015, presently serving as Chairman of the Awards Committee.
Sornsawan "Opal" Ho from Thailand served as an elected volunteer member of the Asia-Pacific Regional Scout Committee of the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) from 2012 to 2015, chairperson of the Young Adult Members Group.
Janaprith Salinda Fernando of Colombo, Sri Lanka, the Colombo Law Society President, serves as the Chief Commissioner of the Sri Lanka Scout Association and an elected volunteer member of the Asia-Pacific Regional Scout Committee of the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) from 2012 to 2018.He is currently serving in the World Scout Committee, the World Organisation of the Scout Movement's highest governing body. Fernando was elected to this body in August 2017 by the 41st World Scout Conference, held in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Shim Sang-ho is a South Korean businessman. He served as an elected volunteer member of the Asia-Pacific Regional Scout Committee of the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) from 2009 to 2015, chairperson of the Young Adult Members Group.