My 35th World Conference experience

The 35th World Conference, and my first World Conference, has come to an end and it's time to say goodbye to new friends we have met from all over the world. It's quite hard to summarise my personal experience, but I am going to give it a go below!

I felt so excited and privillged to be selected for the World Confernce, and although I had participated in international experiences before, I don't think anything can prepare you for this one! Papers and papers to read, digest, and make decisions on. Walking into a bubble once arriving at the airport with over 110 different nationalities which only bursts when you're out of the hotel, not in uniform, and not surrounded by new friends. Constant networking which again only stops when leaving the bubble! But mostly far too little sleep due to talking almost all night!

I feel I have both taken and given a lot to the conference. Spreading the message of Free Being Me really has to be a highlight, encourging and inspiring others to get on board with a body confidence revolution is not only exciting, but also important to enable us to make a change our world needs. I have also taken from this part though ideas and contacts which I can take back to the UK and to the rest of the team and see how we can use them to enable even more girls and young women to participate.

I have also taken so many messages from inspirational speakers and global leaders including:

Be the change you want to see

Together we can change the world and together we will

Plan a path to where you want to be

There are many more but these are the main ones which have sprung to mind as the most powerful.

Fun and friendship was a continuum throughout the conference, wherever you were or whoever you were with these two elements were shared. I know that I have made friends that I will see again and keep in touch with. 

There is so much more to Guiding and Scouting than just a local unit. You do not have to participate in an international even to experience/know that. WAGGGS is such a powerful  and amazing organisation that it's important we spread this globally and allow everyone involved to realise what we are part of, the difference we are making and the impact we can have working together towards a common goal. 

I am going to take what I have learnt and experienced into the future with me, to help increase the awareness of WAGGGS, and benefit our girls and young women. It has been a privilege and an amazing experience, thank you to everyone for your support, particularly the rest of the delegation for your support during the week.

Just before I end at the closing ceremony I participated in a skit on stage around the World Conference and social media. Thought I would share with you our week in twitter...

Thursday 3rd July....

Another international experience about to begin @wagggs_world conference #35 WoCo

And so the final members of the @Girlguiding delegation jet off to the #35WoCo

Friday 4th July...

We've arrived! #35WoCo @Girlguiding

Saturday 5th July....

Together we can change the world! 10 million voices @wagggs_world #35WoCo @Girlguiding

Young Women's leadership challenge complete! Visited Wong Tai Sin temple & met 2 female leaders in business! @wagggs_world #35WoCo @Girlguiding

Sunday 6th July...

@regalairporthotel   Proud to be at #openingsession of the @wagggs_world #35woco practising voting with #awesomeelectronicvotemachine

pumped for the #openingceremony of the #35woco

#dinnerisserved #somuchfood

Dancing the night away at #35woco #whoisthisband #justkeepdancing

Monday 7th July...

WAGGGS has seen a 4.13% increase in last triennium #35WoCo

Girl Guides and Girl Scouts are still the most relevant organisations today @ProfLindaScott #35WoCo

Tuesday 8th July...

Thank you @nadineelachey and outgoing committee for all your  great work #35woco

Time to vote for the @wagggs_world world board with our #awesomeelectronicvotemachine #35woco

#bravo new Board Members especially @nicolagrinstead on you election as chair

Together we can make our girls #bebodyconfident and make a body confidence revolution #FreeBeingMe #35WoCo

Wednesday 9th July...

Almost time for the voting! Let's see what happens which will impact on our young people #35WoCo @Girlguiding

Young Women doing an amazing job opening the 35th World Conference closing ceremony #35WoCo #35YoWoCo

And that's the 35th World Conference. Amazing connections, extensive learning and empowerment to lead! #35WoCo #connectgrowimpact #hongkong

Hope you enjoyed reading about our adventures? Keep up the amazing work if you are already involved in Girlguiding, and if not help us to make the difference to girls and young women globally by getting involved.

Free Being Me

I've struggled with body confidence

My friends struggle with body confidence

Young women struggle with body confidence

Girls struggle with body confidence

That's why we need to do something about it now. Working together across the world we can make the change required to enable girls and young women to be body confident.

Free Being Me is a project WAGGGS has developed in partnership with Dove and is for 7-14 year olds. Over several sessions participants take part in fun and informal activities which enables them to increase their body confidence. Activities are age appropriate and allow them to realise that there is no ideal body, but infact everyone is special and unique and differences are celebrated. As a result of increasing their body confidence their self esteem increases and even during the sessions this can be seen. For example one participant in a Guide unit I ran the sessions for was dyslexic and never read out in front of other people. At the end of the first session however she read out a press release stating why people shouldn't believe in the image myth. Her leader and mother was shocked and so happy that she had found the confidence to do this. This is just one example of the amazing results of the project. 

Some member organisations across the globe have already started Free Being Me (just like the UK) and it has been amazing to talk to the individuals involved and hear what is happening in their country. From plans in Australia to examples of sessions being run in the USA to Tiawan. The most impressive was a shopping centre lock in where activities were run throughout the night; an amazing out of the box idea! 

During the Global Converstation section of the conference Free Being Me was presented to the world! Shocking statistics were displayed really showing that body confidence is a global issue and the need for action to be taken. When asked if they were willing to help join the body confidence revolution all Country cards were put up in support. This was an amazing sight to see that everyone was in support of such and important issue.

Some of the stats:

Globally only 11% of girls would call themselves beautiful.

1 in 2 British girls don't feel comfortable leaving the house without make up on. 

85% of girls in a Hong Kong study said they wanted to weigh less. Only 5% were clinically 'overweight'.

It was then my turn on stage to address the world conference, not only were delegates in the room, but also Members of Olvae Baden Powel Society, so the room was packed. Explaining how we are delivering Free Being Me in the UK through peer education allowed everyone to realise the power of peers delivering this topic. Enabling the facilitator to relate to the young participants, and young participants to facilitator is key and really impacts everyone's learning.

There was a real buzz in the air after the session and so many people wanting to find out more. How can this fit with my organisation? How can we do it with so few members? And the questions went on and on! In fact it took me so long to get around the international market that evening due to questions and congratulations on my speech, including from Princess Benedikte from Denmark. An overwhelming feeling!

Free Being Me has had a massive impact on me, and during the conference have been able to spread my passion for body confidence globally. If I have just been able to inspire one or two other people or countries to participate, or become more body confident, I will feel like I have accomplished something.

So to finish I challenge you to think how amazing your body is and what it can do, what unique features you have and what makes you special. Please comment below to help us celebrate our bodies.

To find out more about Free Being me visit http://www.free-being-me.com or check out the Girlguiding website www.girlguiding.org.uk where you can find a page to book sessions for your UK unit.

 

Experience: Conference

Does anyone know what day it is? Forgive the radio silence on my part on the blog. Hopefully you’ve been following our tweets and the #35WoCo tweets? Thanks for all the engagement, the retweets, the encouragement – it has meant a lot to us. 

The conference experience is unlike anything I have attended before, in its content, intensity and the situations it provides for networking, working with others, sharing ideas, comparing issues, making connections, and plenty more.  

I know I have mentioned this before, but there are delegations here from 108 countries across the Five Regions on WAGGGS, therefore there are hundreds of different languages being spoken, every conceivable faith background and standpoint represented; conversations are occurring here which do not usually occur face-to-face, in such a vibrant, multi-national, multi-cultural context.  To be part of this is difficult to articulate, but it is wonderful and a great celebration.  I have re-connected with people I haven't seen for years, connected with many hundreds of new people, learnt so much about the structures of WAGGGS, the impact of Guiding around the world and been inspired by my own delegation and other delegations who do such great things to improve the lives of girls and young women worldwide, as there is so much work to be done.  

I think I need to write a book about everything which has happened here, as it won’t fit into a blog.  In the meantime though, let me attempt a summary…

The day began in the morning, as they often do.  It was another intense day, which involved hearing inspirational speakers, including our very own Baroness Amos, Labour peer and UN Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Co-ordinator.  The most important woman in Hong Kong, the General Secretary, Carrie Lam, spoke about leadership and how critical it is to have strong leaders in any organisation.

I think some reflection time is in order, to work through all the learning and discussions, to piece together the million tweets generated throughout the day, to read through all the papers, again, to fully appreciate the enormity of what we are part of.  We are one of the largest organisations within WAGGGS, yet organisations face similar challenges worldwide, regardless of their size.  One thing which troubles me on a regular basis, is when girls leave Guiding, because 'they just do so many activities'.  Some children spend every spare moment doing something, be it sport, dance, music etc.  This is fine, and I wish them well.  But consider this; Girlguiding is unlike any other activity.  In Girlguiding, every girl is valued.  The Guiding method is called the Five Essentials, which include 'care for the Individual'; commitment to a common standard'; 'opportunity to work together in small groups'; 'varied and balanced programme'; 'encouraging self-government and decision making'.  No other activity will provide this quality experience for every member.  We are for all girls, regardless of background, ability, strengths, weaknesses, regardless of everything.  So come and join us.  Tell others about us.  If there are units which are struggling for Leaders, why not offer to help them? Why not help to create life-changing opportunities for girls and young women? We have hundreds of inspirational young people who need Leaders to facilitate activities, to encourage, to help enable growth.  One of my Guides attended the launch of Go For It! Be The Change in Oct 2013.  She then set up a  petition about something she feels strongly about.  She has received national press coverage, engagement with her MP and was shortlisted for a Jubilee Youth Award.  This all happened because of Guiding.  Read more here.  Other Guides are actively working on their Baden-Powell Award, organising their own challenges, writing Go For Its, being inspired.  They are busily fundraising for a trip to Iceland in October; we have £4k left to raise, but their confidence and commitment will fundraise what we need.

Being a volunteer with Girlguiding doesn't need to mean a weekly commitment - we always need people with other skills - finance, admin, marketing, website expertise, and anything else you can think of really.  I know you're busy; you probably have a job, maybe a partner; maybe small people to look after; I even know of some people who have friends outside of Guiding; but if you want to do something useful, we can find an opportunity for you, regardless of how much time you want to give.  

You don't give up your time, you give your time.  In doing so, you can help girls and young women to become engaged citizens who can bring about change.  In doing this, you become part of a giant, international movement which has immense strength.  Go on - look here.

In 2003, I went on the Girlguiding UK Cultural Exchange to Japan, as part of an environmental programme.  Amongst other things, we did a litter-pick on the beach, removing rubbish from the beach to make it look better and to prevent little turtles from being strangled.  We worked with a group of tiny Brownies.  Today, a young member of the Japanese delegation came up to me.  Guess what - she was one of the tiny Brownies! 11 years on, she is here representing the youth voice of Girl Guides of Japan.  Imagine that!

I was also interested to learn today that there are more Brownies and Guides in my unit than in the whole of Uruguay.

More tomorrow - bonne nuit.

On top of the world

Did our risk assessment for attending the World Conference cover standing on chairs?! When asked that question by a former International Commissioner who spied the above photo on Facebook, we assured her that we had at least removed our shoes before clambering up. In all honesty, though, I'm not sure any of us could have foreseen how we would react when Nadine El Achy, the outgoing Chair of the World Board, announced that Girlguiding UK member Nicola Grinstead would be her successor.

All WAGGGS conferences held at World level or Region level include an election. Candidates spend time talking to delegates about the skills, knowledge and experience they hold which equip them to steer the strategy of WAGGGS set at the Conference. The top requirement in the person specification for World Board members is a commitment to the aims and objectives of WAGGGS and a proactive and interest and enthusiasm in shaping and advising on the future of the organization. 

The World Board is made up of twelve members elected at the World Conference and the five Chairs of the WAGGGS Regions (Africa, Arab, Asia Pacific Europe, Western Hemisphere). Members serve a term of three years and the cycle sees six stepping down and six elected at each World Conference.

Yesterday the Conference voted in six new members of the World Board: Anne Guyaz (Switzerland), Connie Matsui (USA), Haifa Ourir (Tunisia), Nadine Kaze (Burundi), Natasha Hendrick (Australia) and Ana Maria Mideros (Peru). We send them all our warmest congratulations.

The new Board then elected their Chair and we were over the moon to hear they chose Nicola for the most senior volunteer position in WAGGGS. Nicola has been involved in international activities over many years, was a Trustee for Girlguiding UK between 2006-11 and has been Vice Chair of the World Board since her election at the Edinburgh Conference in 2011. 

It was a once-in-a-generation moment to see a UK member elected to be Chair of the World Board and I admit one I found overwhelming. At a reception we hosted in honour of Nicola last night Angela and I spoke about her many qualities - including her vision, her strong commitment to Guiding and her constantly positive attitude whatever the challenge - which make her ideally suited to lead our worldwide movement. We are enormously proud. 

Motions, motions - and yet more motions!

This morning, as the conference drew to a close, it was time to get serious - and vote on all those issues which have been exercising us for the last few days. 

The session began with a repeat of one of the most moving features of the conference - the roll call.  This had already taken place at the start of the conference - in a somewhat festive atmosphere. Now, with a critical role to play in determining the 'voting strength' for the session, it took on a  more serious tone. As each Member Organisation's name was called, their delegation 'signed in' by raising their name board and pressing the voting button on their electronic key pad. '...Madagascar; Malawi; Malaysia; Malta; Mauritius; Mexico; Mongolia; Myanmar; Netherlands; New Zealand;...' - there was no way I could capture them all. The length of the list and the diversity of countries which it represented really brings home the enormity of this amazing organisation.

With a few challenges with the electronic voting system finally navigated and the strategy for the next triennium as well as the most critical changes to the WAGGGS constitution agreed, the session drew to a close. Time now to reflect on the impact which the decisions made and issues debated over the last few days will have on girls and young women across the globe.

International Market

Some of the sights at the International Market!  

A busy and exciting evening where countries brought and sold local cultural and guiding/scouting products.  The currency was "waggsies" and we had to exchange either £, €, $ or $HK for this "local currency" in order to be able to buy items.  Each region was in a different conference space and you could get your "passport" stamped as you crossed the various regions.

At this stage of conference, everyone's energy is flagging, but the market certainly renewed and reenergised us!  The diversity of national dress, produce and selling style was rich and it was as noisy and buzzing as any world market you could visit! 

Baroness Valerie Amos inspires the conference

Monday morning plenary session started with a wonderful opportunity for us to hear from keynote speaker Baroness Valerie Amos, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator.

She shared her personal life journey with us, told us about her current role and discussed the major challenges that face women and girls today.

Although she was never a guide herself, her sister was and she admitted to having been somewhat jealous about this as she observed how much she gained from this!  She described guiding as being one of the world's best kept secrets, and encouraged us to change this as we have a huge collective power to change the world for the better.  However, she advised us that the road from idea to effecting change is often difficult and takes time.  One phrase that resonated with the audience was "one person can do little, but if we all look away nothing will change".  

Talking about her current role, which has been the most challenging and rewarding in her career, she noted that whilst we have more connectiveness in the world, we have also more fragmentation.  She has been encouraged by how women are no longer silent about issues that negatively affect them, and that our collective voices are making a difference.  However, we have still a long way to go until girls have the same opportunities as boys, and she was passionate about the fact that where you are born, your community, nationality and gender should make absolutely no difference to the opportunities you are presented with in life.

In closing she encouraged us to be excited and motivated in what we do, to be brave, take risks and understand how our work fits into the bigger picture.  We need to surround ourselves with people who can support us on our journey.