Saturday

Conference business began on Saturday with the presentation of the regional report. Angela Dawson, Chairman of the Western Hemisphere, highlighted the leadership development workshops in Guatemala, Barbados and Brazil and the success of the UPS project with Guías de Mexico and its extension until 2009. UPS will also begin a new partnership with Brazil. 

 

Membership has increased across the region by 26 per cent mostly due to the increase by Girl Scouts USA. Angela presented certificates to a number of Member Organizations who have increased their membership, notably Costa Rica, Surinam, Bahamas, Jamaica, Dominica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Peru, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico and Nicaragua.

 

Advocacy was the next topic of discussion and covers issues such as the danger of drugs, the prevention of adolescent pregnancy, making healthy food choices and fighting HIV/AIDS. Delegates were divided into discussion groups to share ideas across Member Organizations.  

World Citizenship Award

 

Mary Mc Phail, WAGGGS new Chief Executive, introduced Stephen Lewis, recipient of the WAGGGS World Citizenship Award. Stephen Lewis was nominated by Girl Guides of Canada-Guides du Canada for his outstanding dedication to raising awareness about the HIV/AIDS pandemic and particularly its devastating impact on girls and women. 

In his thank you address, Mr Lewis stressed the importance of WAGGGS’ capacity to reach girls and young women across the globe and its impact and influence within civil society. He said that WAGGGS presence should be made at the upcoming 2008 International AIDS Conference in Mexico City because of the work the Association does on HIV-AIDS. 

 

Lewis highlighted that 60 per cent of those living with the virus are women. In South Africa alone, 5.5 million out of 40 million have the virus. 

 

The session ended with a heartfelt standing ovation to Stephen Lewis.