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A typical weekly meeting of our Marastoon Cub Scouts – filled with crafts and lots of smiles. Enjoy Reese’s video slideshow and the pictures below!


 

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Dr. Penelope Price on behalf of Odyssey Films put together this lovely documentary about a Pen Pal program between the Afghan Scouts and a troop in Arizona. Enjoy!

http://vimeo.com/33464724

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Today the Scouts were happy to welcome members of ISAF who visited us in Marastoon to make donations of clothes, toys, musical instruments and other goodies. It was a fun meeting and the donations are much appreciated – every little bit goes a very long way here in Afghanistan. Thank you ISAF!

Keith Blackey has completed his work with PARSA, and PARSA appreciates his valuable contribution to the development of the Afghan Scouts program. Expansion of the program will continue under the capable leadership of Afghan Scout director Tamim Hamkar and his staff based in Kabul. Please refer any inquiries about the Afghan Scouts to PARSA’s Afghan Scout director, Tamim Hamkar, via our Contact Page.

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One goal of PARSA Afghan Scout is assist to build infrastructure of volunteer based on community, during this period twice a month Afghan Scouts volunteer meetings were conducted in the PARSA Afghan Scout Training Center.  In these meetings Scout leaders, volunteers and Wood Badge leaders participated. The aim of those meetings was to invite the new and past legacy scouts to join the Afghan Scout movement and attend the formal opening of Afghanistan Scout volunteers Society in Afghanistan.

IMG_9087 copyIn September 2013, under the leadership of Tamim Hamkar and Gul Ahmad Mustafa PARSA Scout Program director the provisional volunteer committee has organized, as an association the Afghanistan Scout Volunteers Society. This organization is in the process of registering with Ministry of Justice of Afghanistan. The aim of this society is rebuilding Afghan Scout National Organizations as independent and formal Scout Association according World Organization of Scouting Movement (WOSM) constitution through volunteer leadership. Successful establishment of this association will make Afghanistan a candidate for registration with WOSM

Currently 28 of Scoutmasters are volunteering in PARSA programs in these provinces:

Kabul, Baghlan, Parwan, Faryab, Takhar and Herat.

For more information click here.

ADVANCED UNIT LEADERS TRAINING COURSE

Kabul, Afghanistan

20 -26 May 2013

13-05-26 - Scouts Training

AIM

The ATC is designed to assist a Scout Leader develop insight into the adult leader’s role and competence in leading the adult team effectively, by providing him/her with a combination of theoretical knowledge, practical skills, methods, activities & program materials used in the Scout Section, so that the objectives of the NSO are met.

Course OBJECTIVES13-05-26 - Scouts Training1
At the end of AULTC,
the leaders will be able to:

  • Explain how the leader achieves the educational objectives of the Scout Section     to assist the development of th individual youth.
  • Explain the Scout Method by using Advancement Scheme & identify how to assist Scouts acquire the skills involved.

3. Explain the essential ingredients of the Program in Scout Section which includes: methods used, strategies developed, camp craft skills, risk management, manage a Troop Meeting, effective administration, problem solving, responsible leadership, effective communication, further training needs/personal development, resources & support available.

About the Course

The second series of advanced Unit Leaders Training Course was conducted at PARSA Scouts Training Centre in Kabul from 20th to 26th May 2013

With the establishment of Scout units in PARSA orphanages since 2009, an increase in Scout membership is evident. PARSA works with the government by coordinating Scouting activities and events with the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Social Affairs and other non-government organizations in Afghanistan.

Orphanage Director General Said Abdullah Hashimi inaugurated the course. Also present at the ceremony were PARSA Executive Director Marnie Gustavson, Country Director Dr Mohd Yasin Farid, and other NGO representatives.

Due to various challenges, 28 participants are attending the course.

Mr Thian Hiong-Boon from the APR office as Course Leader faciliatated the course, assisted by Brajesh Kumar from India and supported by Scout executives of PARSA.

At the same function, Wood Badge certificates were awarded to seven Scout Leaders who have completed the requirements and are very active in Scouting.

At the opening ceremony, PARSA was presented with a plaque of appreciation for its continued collaboration with the World Organization of the Scout Movement, Asia-Pacific Office for the development of Scouting in Afghanistan

Scouting for Peace and Peace for Afghanistan

1st Afghan Scouts National Peace Camp

 

Please join us by supporting the PARSA Afghan Scout Peace Initiative 2013

PARSA is seeking donor support for our Peace Camp scheduled for September Peace Day.

 

When:

21-23 September 2013

Who:messengers of peace

Expected participants

300 people participating in total

–       200 scout members from 8 provinces as camp participants

–       20 Adult leaders and 20 volunteer leaders from 8 provinces as camp service team members

–       10 senior scout leaders and 10 junior leader from PARSA Afghan Scout program as the camp organizers

–       40 SFAS (Scouts for Afghan Scouts) Committee and internal scout volunteer

Visitors

–       Afghan and government Agencies

–       National and international NGO’s and Companies

–       National and international media

Where:

PARSA Afghan Scout National Training Center, Kabul, Afghanistan.

 

Peace Camp Concept

Introduction:

In Afghanistan, year 2013, peace still eludes the leaders of this country and our international allies.  Over 60% of the population of Afghanistan is under the age of 18 years old and generations of Afghan’s have never known peace.  PARSA’s Afghan Scouts program teaches Afghan youth, boys and girls to be leaders in their communities.  This year our theme for all of our programs is “Peace through Scouting”. A series of merit badge programs and community service events will be conducted throughout PARSA’s Scout troops during the year.  We plan on bringing together our top Scout leaders, boys and girls, for Peace Camp in September to have them participate in the national Peace Day as youth leaders.  It is our belief that the youth of Afghanistan will be the Afghans that  bring stability and peace to Afghanistan and evidence of this is demonstrated weekly in our local scout troops.  Peace Camp will bring together our young Afghan Scouts from eight provinces and allow them to immerse themselves in training that will teach  them to stand for peace in their communities.

 

Highlight of Activities: (Please see attached Program Agenda)

  • Opening Ceremony –Festival with National singer, Performance by Youth from Circus Afsana, Sports figures and performances by Scout troops
  • Video conference with Scouts from Pakistan, India, Saudia Aribia, UK and US.
  • Faciliated dialogue with delegates from the Independent Peace Commission
  • Facilitated dialogue with other youth leaders through the Ministry of Youth
  • Afghan Scouts-led press conference during hospital visit to children damaged by the war.
  • Host train-the trainer conflict-resolution workshops that can be taken back to home provinces and orphanages.
  • Conduct a sports tournament that brings together kids from different segments of Afghanistan.

First day of our basic training-Scout Master trainees….

Asia Pacific Region international Scout trainer’s from Malaysa and India opened our first day of training. 35 participants are from Helmand, Ghor, Bamiyan, Jalalabad and Kabul started the course today!