RUZAIK FAROOK
COLOMBO — The 14th Asia Pacific Regional Conference is set to be held virtually via online platform by The Girl Guides (Girl Scouts) Association of Thailand, from 8th to 14th August on the theme of “Together We Thrive”.
The Asia Pacific Region was established in 1969 with 12 member countries, and today comprises of a 3.6 million strong with membership from 26 countries. Sri Lanka is a proud founding member of the region and boasts the founding chairman of the Asia Pacific Regional committee, Mrs. Sita Rajasuriya, who was also a past chief commissioner and president of Sri Lanka Girl Guides Association.
The Asia Pacific Regional Conference is held once every three years and is hosted by a member organization (MO) of the region. Two delegates and observers from each MO in the region will attend the conference to celebrate the achievements of the past three years and discuss strategies for the future development of Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting. The conference provides opportunities for Girl Guide leaders, girls and young women to come together to share experiences, make important decisions regarding governance and the development of the Guiding Movement in the Region. Like previous years, this year’s conference will also elect six volunteers from the Member Organizations to the Asia Pacific Regional Committee 2022-2025.
A member of SLGGA and a current member of Asia Pacific Regional committee Prarthana Liyanage will be rerunning for the 2022-2025 committee. Her vision for the region in the next triennium is to ensure that the triennium plan which was put together in line with Compass 2032 is carried forward as planned. She also aims to support aligning the regional MOs with Compass 2032 and contribute towards strengthening the relationship between the Committee and the region. We at SLGGA wish her all the very best.
Sri Lanka Girl Guides Association will have an experienced delegation representing the association at the 14th Asia Pacific Regional conference. This includes the head delegate Ms. Sulari Jayawardena – Chief Commissioner SLGGA and delegate Ms. Nadeeka Gunasekara – Commissioner, International, and observers , Dr. Kushantha Herath – Deputy Chief Commissioner, Ms. Nirmalee William – Assistant Chief Commissioner, Ms. Tamara Wijesinghe – Treasurer, Ms. Asiri Withanage – Commissioner, Learning and Development, Ms. Nirosha Wijetunga – Commissioner, Rangers/ Prime Minister’s Award, Ms. Dilhani Haputantri – Commissioner, Butterflies, Ms. Shyama Thilakarathna – Commissioner, Community Guides, Ms. Nirmalie Wijekoon, Commissioner, Guides with Disabilities, Thulani Thanuvinie Magedara and Ms. Hafsa Milhan. Naduni Wickramathunga, Yashoda De Silva and Malkini Fernando were selected to the planning team of the 14th Asia Pacific Regional Conference.
