Report of the Regional Youth Network Meeting 2015 #ScoutIAR

From June 11, 2015 till June 15th took place in Panama the regional youth network meeting. With the participation of 12 different NSO’s, in total 13 participants (list below) shared together and met about 3 specific topics. The first was Youth Participation in the Interamerican region and the role of the Interamerican Youth Network. Followed by a session about the Triennial plan of the region and closed with improvements and ideas for the upcoming Interamerican Youth Forum. The first day was joint sessions between all the networks, which were focused on the different regional policies (Youth Program, Institutional Development, Youth Involvement and Adults in Scouting) and the Global Assessment Tool (GSAT).
The first session (Cover Story) the participants were divided in three teams were they had the task to write and visualize the cover story of a popular magazine in the Region which is writing about Youth Participation in the Interamerican Region. The purpose of the exercise was to get all the participants to think about the Big Picture. After this session the groups presented their stories pointing out what they see as the perfect youth participation in the region. Some groups went deeper than others explaining that a “true youth participation” would mean that it flows directly without the need of a youth network in the NSO’s or quota’s to get youth into decision-making bodies of their NSO’s. Another group pointed out the need to involve youth from the whole region into the different networks in the region and not only the youth advisors while the other group pointed to have a young chairman in the regional committee and activating scouts in the region as change agents.
Followed this session, a broad discussion occurred in which it was brought up that the Regional Youth Network should be more active and that the National Organizations themselves should be more interactive with each other. This opened the floor for the invitation to the next day topic.
Second network day started with a presentation of the Term of Reference (TOR) of the Interamerican Youth Network followed by a group task in which each group had to analyze and discuss the TOR and elaborate whether they believe it should be changed and why. During the presentations of this task, the main brought up pointer was that the objectives are pretty much all inclusive, but with the lack of implementation of these objectives, the Youth Network would never reach its goal. Most groups brought up ideas in how the Youth Network should improve its operation and reach its objectives. The ideas were:
• To generate a structured communication platform between the regional and the national coordinators.
• To update the materials about youth participation (e.g. youth platform models)
• To develop documents about best practices
• To have a validation template that is available to everyone
• To have a template for an annual report about youth participation in each NSO which is made by the validated youth
• To provide guidance and support to national associations (more actively and presently)
One group also suggested to add more to the objectives and the modus operandi and would like to propose this as a recommendation in the upcoming Youth Forum. Please find the adapted proposition below.
During the afternoon, the agenda was the Regional Triennial Plan. Again, the participants were divided in three different groups and each group had the task to evaluate the current plan of one of the three work areas in the region and propose pointers for the next regional plan. These pointers are also mentioned below.
The last network day was spent on ideas for the upcoming Regional Youth Forum in October 2016. Each group had to bring up ideas for the Forum. Most groups agreed at the end on one specific agenda.
After each day there were daily evaluations, which were as seen in the pictures below.
Participants to the Youth Network Meeting in Panama June 2015:
Argentina: Belen Rio Franco Costa, Curaçao: Brandon Koots, Aruba: Aldrich Dijkhoff, Dominican Republic: Wilfred Tavarez, Brazil: Aquila Paz de Rosa, Honduras: Andrea Landa, Canada: Christian Nielsen, Mexico: Diana Carrillo, Colombia: Joan David Pineda, Panama: Jaime Diaz, Costa Rica: Carlos Hernandez, Peru: Jonathan Fernandez.

Iliëne Corsen
Communicator Interamerican Youth Network
June 25, 2015

Attachments:

Proposal Terms of Reference Interamerican Youth Network
Background
At its meeting in January 2000 the Interamerican Scout Committee (ISC), in considering the development and evolution of the region’s teams of collaborators, identified the potential and valuable results that can be achieved by operating these teams as networks and workgroups to which specific tasks are assigned with predetermined deadlines. Additionally, the ISC has seen widespread acceptance of results generated by networks and workgroups when its members are nominated by associations and represent the relevant subjects of the corresponding networks or workgroups.
In considering these facts in line with the policy adopted in October 1998 on setting up networks and workgroups instead of the committees, and Objectives 21 of the Regional Plan 2000-2002, "Time to Grow ", Interamerican Scout Committee agreed to establish the Youth Network in compliance with the proposal of the Interamerican Youth Forum, Mexico in 1998 and resolution No. 7 of the 20th Interamerican Scout Conference.

Goals and objectives
The Network is a voluntary action by NSOs in the region under the coordination of the Interamerican Scout Office, with the purpose:
1. To generate a vision of the environment of Scouting and the performance of the NSO’s, the point of view of young people and prepare proposals and recommendations to submit to the Interamerican Scout Committee and Conference as concerns the Regional Plan.
2. To generate a vision of the operations of NSOs in the region from the point of view of young people and prepare proposals to submit to the Interamerican Scout Committee and Conference as concerns the Regional Plan.
3. To participate in the development of materials to promote: the exchange of information among young people, international cooperation, the participation of youth in decision-making processes and leadership skills.
4. To provide tools and opportunities for youngsters to be engaged in the decision-making processes both of the Scout Movement as of other platforms outside of Scouting.
5. Encourage and support the creation of youth participation platforms in the countries of the Interamerican Region

Modus Operandi
Each association who is member of the network designates two National Correspondent, a girl/ boy or young leader between the ages of 16 and 27, inclusive, who expresses interest in matters and actions of the Network, with experience and ability to coordinate and work together, who knows the structure of the association to which he/she belongs and has or is able to establish an effective relationship with national leaders of his/her Association, who has the recognition of members National Youth Forum, where that structure exists in his/her Association, who is capable of making decisions regarding the participation of his/her association in the subjects that have been assigned to the Network, and is willing to assume this responsibility for a minimum of one year and be able to meet its commitments. National correspondents are assigned to:

• Promote youth involvement in national structures that support networks and regional working groups,
• Participate in the development of materials to promote the exchange of information among young people, international cooperation, participation of youth in decision-making processes and leadership.
• Create a vision of the functioning of the Associations of the Region from the point of view of young people and make proposals to the Interamerican Scout Committee and the Inter-American Scout Conference.
• Encourage exchange activities between the National Associations and other community organizations working with youth or youth-related topic.
• To disseminate the work and the results of the Youth Network at national levels.
In case you’ve been asked to

The Coordination Team of the Network is the primary responsible to comply with the objectives of the Youth Network, to promote and support youth involvement in decision-making processes at national and regional levels and in all bodies are part of the movement’s institutional life. This consists of a coordinator and a communicator with their assistants (4 people).
The form of election of Coordinators and Communicators Youth Network Interamerican Scout Region is divided into two stages, the first in the Interamerican Youth Forum, and the second in the General Meeting of the Youth Network. Coordinators and the Communicators are elected, in both cases, the young scouts present at such events as representatives or observers of their NSOs.
The periods of work and representation of such Coordinators functions and Communicators (democratically elected), is two and a half years. A communicator and a coordinator are elected during the Interamerican Youth Forum. If there has to be an extraordinary youth representative, and in the same way during the General Meeting, to give continuity to the action plan of the Youth Network.