Asia Pacific Region

Overview

Girl Guides Australia is one of the twenty five member organizations of the Asia-Pacific Region. The five Regions were created for management and administrative purposes and to ensure that WAGGGS is able to meet the needs of each country. Each Region holds a conference every three years at which all member organizations of that Region have the opportunity to meet, discuss progress, plan for the future and elect a Regional Committee. Each Region has an office in the World Bureau.

Australia	Kiribati	Philippines
Bangladesh	Korea	Singapore
Brunei Darussalam	Malaysia	Solomon Islands
Cambodia	Maldives	Sri Lanka
Cook Islands	Mongolia	Taiwan
Fiji	Nepal	Thailand
Hong Kong	New Zealand	Tonga
India	Pakistan
Japan	Papua New Guinea

For further information and the latest news on the Asia Pacific Region please visit the following WAGGGS website: http://asia.wagggsworld.org/

The Asia Pacific Regional Committee

The Committee looks at the needs of individual countries and oversees the development and implementation of projects, activities, training and regional events.

The Asia Pacific Conference elects the committee of six members from nominations made by the Region’s Member Organizations. One member must be under the age of 30 years at the time of the election. Regional Committee Members serve a three-year term of office and are then eligible for re-election for a further three-year term.

Communication is an important aspect of the region and a newsletter names ‘Asia Pacific Link News’ is produced by members of the committee three times per year. This newsletter includes information on membership, projects, new initiatives and much more. To view this newsletter click here.

Girl Guides Australia's role as a member of the Asia Pacific Region

The role of Girl Guides Australia as a member of the WAGGGS Asia-Pacific Region is:

• To maintain close contact with the Asia Pacific Committee in order to ensure that we work according to WAGGGS’ Policies and Guidelines and both WAGGGS’ and the Asia Pacific Region’s Strategic Plans

• To nominate and elect to the Asia Pacific Committee nominees who are familiar with global issues, political and social, and who have a good general knowledge of the countries in the Asia Pacific Region, especially on issues related to the WAGGGS’ Mission; who understand and are prepared and able to work with different cultures; who are visionary, strategic thinkers, adaptable, flexible negotiators able to make hard decisions; who have sound knowledge of the Fundamental Principles of the Movement, understand the international aspect of Girl Guiding/Girl Scouting and acknowledge the diversity of the Region

• To maintain good contacts, networking and sharing of resources with other Member Organizations of the Asia Pacific Region.

• To participate in Asia Pacific Region Projects and events such as conferences, seminars, trainings, workshops, Lend a Hand Project, , the AP Resource Pool and to be responsibile for the organizing of such events when appropriate

• To include, wherever possible, other Member Organizations of the Region in events, seminars, workshops and trainings held in Australia

• To work, with AP Committee approval and support, with countries in the Region which want to become members of WAGGGS and help prepare them for membership

• To educate our members about the other Member Organizations of the Asia Pacific Region and so foster understanding, acceptance, co-operation and international friendship

• To support Sangam, the World Centre in our Region, through participation in events and through fund raising

• To support and participate in WAGGGS’ initiatives and programs including the Global Action theme and other initiatives and resources such as “Our Rights, Our Responsibilities” and the Spirituality Pack

• To contribute articles about events and projects in Girl Guides Australia to AP Link News. Articles should be submitted through the GGA Communications and Marketing Manager or the Australian International Manager. AP Link News is now accessible on the internet on a link through the Girl Guides Australia website www.guidesaus.org.au

Friends of the Asia Pacific Region

Would you like to become a Friend of Asia Pacific Region? Is there someone in your District, Division or Region whose service to Guiding you would like to recognise by giving them membership?

Membership of the Friends of Asia Pacific Region is open to all. It is also open to any corporation, foundation or other organization willing to support the work of WAGGGS’ Asia Pacific Region.

Anyone who donates a minimum of US$100 to the Region is accredited as a member of Friends of Asia Pacific Region. There are three levels of individual membership:

Level one:	US$ 100 to US $300
Level two:	US$ 350 to US $500
Level three:	US$ 550 and above

In recognition of membership, a certificate is presented to a level one Friend and different special pins to level two and level three Friends.

Corporate membership is accredited to corporations, foundations and other organizations which donate US$ 1000 or more. The donor’s aims and objectives must not be in conflict with WAGGGS’ Mission and values. A member of this category is presented with a “Corporate Friend of Asia Pacific Region” nameplate and its chairman or president is presented with a pin.

Funds raised by the Friends of Asia Pacific Region assist the Member Organizations and the Asia Pacific Region as a whole. Member Organizations from which US$ 10,000 or more has been donated may have the right to decide on the use of 30% of the total amount. This 30% may be used within their own Association or for sponsoring activities or projects undertaken by other National Organizations or any of the Asia Pacific Regional Projects. For more information

For membership forms please contact the State International Adviser.

Asia Pacific Region History

The AP Regional Committee has commissioned Jan MacIntyre to produce a book on the History of the Asia Pacific Region. Jan is a previous AP Region Development Executive and in the past three years has greatly supported Girl Guides Australia as Chair of the Working Party investigating changes to governance and management structures. Jan is also an Honorary Australia Associate (HAA).

The book Jan is compiling will outline the achievements and history of the past 40 years of the Asia Pacific Region highlighting how the Region has significantly contributed to the development of girls and young women in that time. Jan wishes to hear from members and past members who have been involved in the Region during that time either through attendance at an event, as a member of the AP Committee, part of the AP Training Pool or on a Planning Committee. She is requiring photos, minutes of meetings, diaries of events, personal recollections such as stories and anecdotes about members’ times connected to the Region and asks that people share how this contributed to their own personal growth.

If you are able to help Jan with any of this information, or can suggest people she could interview, she would appreciate hearing from you. Please contact Jan by email on macintyr@squirrel.com.au

Lynne Price
Chief Commissioner

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