The 22nd Asia-Pacific Region (APR) Scout Conference - 18th-23th October 2007

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Tokyo, Japan - 23rd October 2007

Mr. Khoo Heng Pheng, Chairman of the Asia-Pacific Region Scout Committee, presented the award to Mme France Marquet, Advisor of
South Asia Foundation, accompanied by Scout leaders representing: Afghanistan,Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

 

At the 22nd Asia-Pacific Region (APR) Scout Conference, held from 18- 23 October 2007 in Tokyo, Japan, South Asia Foundation was awarded a plaque of recognition for its support to young scouts of South Asia to promote regional cooperation. The theme of this conference “Advancing towards the new Scouting Century” and the meeting was attended by more than 500 key Scout leaders from 24 member countries of the Asia-Pacific Region.

Mr Khoo Heng Pheng, Chairman of the Asia-Pacific Region Scout Committee, presented the award to Mme France Marquet, Advisor of South Asia Foundation, as the SAF founder Ambassador Madanjeet Singh could not attend the meeting.

Mme France Marquet informed the conference that SAF is funding US$ 40,000/- annually to the Asia-Pacific Region of the World Organization of the Scouts Movement. Since  2002, the South Asia Foundation has supported five SAF-Scouts Friendship Camps which are aimed at creating a “youth movement” to encourage person to person contact for peace, progress and regional development and cooperation.

The first SAF-Scout Friendship Camp was held in Bhutan, attended by 550 girls and boys. In the second camp in Maldives, 180 young people participated. The third camp in Nepal was attended by 422 boys and girls. In the fourth camp in Sri Lanka, 161 scouts participated. The fifth SAF-Scout Friendship Camp was held for seven days from 4th to10th June 2007, in Ghora Gali, Muree Pakistan, with a theme of “Sharing Youth Potential for Development”; it was attended by 244 participants, including 147 overseas scouts from the countries of South Asia – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Thanks to the South Asia Foundation, there are now more than 1,500 young people who are working for peace and regional cooperation in South Asia.
The APR Scout Conference is the general assembly and the highest decision-making body of Scouting in the Asia-Pacific Region. The conference meets every three years and this time it is hosted by the Scout Association of Japan.