IRAQI SCOUTING INITIATIVE REPORT from Baghdad (15 May 2004)

From Chip Beck, Green Zone Council

SUMMARY:

We are making great progress towards rebuilding the human and physical infrastructure of Iraqi Scouting. The National Council has established contact with all 18 regional Councils, and work on the National Scout HQS and International Scout Center is set to begin 21 May 2004.

1. 7-12 April – Arab Scouting Director Fawzi Farghali visited Baghdad to confer with Iraqi National Scout Council Director Dr. Abduillah al-Jumaily, the Minister of Education Dr. Ala’din A.S. Al-Wan, and upwards of 50 Iraqi Scouters (adult leaders). This was an important milestone for World, Arab, and Iraqi Scouting, in that it reestablished direct communications between Mr. Fawzi and the Iraqi Scout professionals, several of whom he trained decades ago.

2. The Iraqi National Scout Council agreed to organize as a genuine national entity, vice a federation system, such as exists in Lebanon or France. This is preferable to World Organization of Scout Movements (WOSM) and the Arab Scout Organizations (ASO) leadership. A highlight of Mr. Fawzi’s visit was the simultaneous visit of a leading Kurdish Scout leader, Abdulkarim Hajj Mintek, who advised his Baghdad counterparts that the Kurdish Councils were ready, willing, and prepared to join the national association again.

3. From 12 April to 7 May, ISI Co-Chair Chip Beck traveled to the U.S., Geneva, Cairo, and Amman to discuss Iraqi Scouting with various associates and groups. Highlights of the trip are:

• Briefed senior officials at Defense and State Departments on the goals of the public diplomacy initiative with regard to Scouting, and the make-up of the international volunteer Scouting effort involved. The audiences were generally very impressed.

• Traveled to Irving, Texas to meet with ISI Co-Chair Michael Bradle and BSA VP for International Scouting, Scott Teare. Provided Mr. Teare with a Power Point briefing and received information on how BSA or WSF might be in a position to assist in the future. Mr. Jon Halter of Scouting Magazine was also present and offered to run a future article on Iraqi Scouting.

• Mr. Mike Bradle announced that the paperwork for the Iraqi American Foundation had been completed that week, allowing for a tax-exempt channel for funds to be donated to the Iraqi Scouts projects via the ISI.

• Provided briefings to staff at National Capital Area Council (NCAC) and my home district of Chain Bridge District in Arlington. These talks received interest and coverage by the Washington Post and Fox News website, generating favorable publicity and subsequent offers of help from Scouters around the country.

• (4 May) Stopped in Geneva for courtesy and introductory meetings with the incoming WOSM Secretary General, Mr. Eduardo Missoni, and Mr. Jim Sharp. Meetings were very cordial and in keeping with the international Scouter relationship that is developing around Iraqi Scouting.

• (5 May) Continued on to Cairo to meet ASO Director Fawzi Farghali and WOSM Deputy Secretary General Malek Gabr. I was provided hospitality and lodging at the excellent ASO "hotel and headquarters" that Fawzi built through his previous fund raising efforts. The visit and tour of the facilities demonstrated the real possibilities for the Iraqi project, for which we are fortunate to have a good deal of land to expand on the Egyptian model.

• In Cairo, ASO is offering to provide 80 Iraqi Scout leaders (40 men and 40 women, all under the ages of 35, from each of the 18 Iraqi provinces and Baghdad) with a two week professional Scout training program. The course will cover all aspects of understanding, leading, and managing Scout programs professionally and in accordance with Scouting tenets.

• The cost for full room and board for each trainee will be $30 a day, which for 80 people over the course of 2 weeks, with some allowance for a small tour, will be $40,000. The costs for the class materials, classrooms, and instructors will be provided by ASO, but ISI and donors need to come up with the $40,000 room and board costs to defray expenses for ASO. This should be a major, immediate fundraising goal.

• We in the Green Zone Council also need to explore the possibility of arranging for a military C-130 to transport the 80 Iraqi Scouters to Cairo, to save on commercial transportation costs and to eliminate considerable time and bureaucratic obstacles should an attempt be made to send them via overland transportation.

4. (8-14 May) Once back in Baghdad, the following was learned, or accomplished:

• During a meeting with Chip Beck and Nima Motashar, Dr. Abduillah al Jumailly informed us that since Fawzi Farghali left on 12 April, Dr. Abduillah sent couriers to each of the 18 governances (provinces) to identify 4 candidates from each area for the Cairo Scout training course, effectively reestablishing National Council links with the Provincial Councils. From a structural standpoint, Iraqi Scouting is reconnected internally.

• Green Zone Council Chairman contacted and met with Sean O’Sullivan, Project Manager for JUMPSTART International, an internationally-funded NGO engaged in major cleanup and construction projects involving war damaged and looted buildings and properties that are to be intended for public or community use.

• O’Sullivan, the JUMPSTART Iraqi staff, Nima Motashar and GZC Chairman visited the site of the Iraqi Scout HQS on 13 May. JUMPSTART agreed that it would be a major project, of the type they seek. Starting Tuesday, 17 MAY, JUMPSTART will field 60-100 Iraqi workers for 2-3 months to clean up the 40 acre land site and five major buildings.

• Sections of the buildings that were too severely damaged to be recovered, will be demolished, to make way for new construction. Heavy equipment will be part of the JUMPSTART assistance.

• Nima Motashar will be paid by the GZC as the ISI site manager to oversee the JUMPSTART work and coordinate on behalf of the Iraqi Scout Council and ISI. Nima is a trained civil engineer and former Iraqi Scout.

• JUMPSTART also has the capacity to provide free (to us) workers and engineering expertise to new construction, requiring ISI and supporters to provide funding for building supplies and construction material. The GZC Chairman and Mr. O’Sullivan will discuss this second phase possibility next week.

• The collaboration between JUMPSTART and the Iraqi Scouts is a positive development in two ways. It allows the Scout HQS project to move forward immediately, and also employs 100 Iraqis over an extended period of time, adding to numerous other construction projects JUMPSTART is directing simultaneously. This Iraqi version of the Depression Era CCC or WPA will help individual Iraqis and the local economy.

• On 12 May, the Green Zone Council held a meeting at the CPA palace grounds. Scouters were briefed on much of the above developments. LTC Mark McQueen and LT Scott Sullivan volunteered to organize additional committees to investigate additional avenues of support (Civil Affairs, Engineering battalions, etc) for the major Iraqi projects.

• On 16 May, an appeal will go out to Scouts and Scouters from the GZC members and ISI supporters, suggesting a major international drive for world Scouts and their family, friends, and Units to collect "pocket change" over a period of at least one month or longer, to raise money for the Iraqi Scout Initiative projects.

• ISI via the Iraqi American Foundation in the U.S. is preparing to seek funding from other donors and resources as well. Mike Bradle will issue a report on those developments from his end of the ISI Co-chairman stick.

• Comments and ideas from ASO, WOSM, BSA, ISI, and GZC leaders and members are welcome.

CONCLUSION: Many goals identified in January 2004 have been met. The Iraqi Scout leadership has been identified, located, contacted, and is now in control of its destiny as a national organization; The Iraqi National Scout Council is working with ASO and WOSM to become a member of those international communities once again; 5000 Scouts in Baghdad stand ready to join in local and national programs to the extent that our internal and international support permits; A minimum of 130 Iraqi adult Scout leaders have been identified by the Iraqi National Council as its national cadre; and work on the National Scout HQS, Scout Camp, and International Scout Center is set to begin immediately.

Yours in Scouting,

Chip Beck

Chairman, Green Zone Council of Volunteer Scouters

Co-Chairman (Baghdad), Iraqi Scouting Initiative