Letter to NS's & AC's regarding Agenda Working Group
From SI Exco News
8th December 2005
Dear National Secretary and Area Coordinator
Re: eGA 2006 Programme and eGA Agenda Working Group
We wanted to update you on the Servas Conference Programme, and to announce the establishment of a new Working Group assisting in its preparation.
EXCO received proposals for more than a hundred items to be included in the agenda for the Servas International Conference being held at Latina (Italy) in April 2006.
There are five main types of sessions:
1. "Formal eGA sessions", where delegates and SI officers may speak, and where decisions are made, by voting on the agenda items.
2. "Associated Working Group sessions", used to prepare for the Formal eGA sessions. These sessions will give you opportunities to clarify issues, help resolve differences, and focus items for final decision by voting during the Formal eGA sessions. Some of these Associated Working Group Sessions may be set up during the eGA and others may begin before the eGA (working by e-mail or teleconference).
3. "Discussion Forums" will provide a place to concentrate on specific subjects. These forums may bring reports or motions to the Formal eGA sessions.
4. "Education and Training Workshops" are intended to build our capacity to work together effectively. They are not intended to result in decisions or voting at Formal eGA sessions.
5. "Social sessions" will also be planned for your enjoyment.
As President I am keen to ensure that all the agenda items submitted receive a fair hearing. Therefore, it is essential that the items are scheduled in a logical and effective way, to make best use of eGA time. Also, as you can see from the summary of agenda recommendations posted on www.siexco.org many proposed agenda items will benefit from preparatory work.
Thus, as part of my responsibility for the General Assembly agenda, Statute VII 1/ g), I have asked EXCO to set up an eGA Agenda Working Group to assist me, in consultation with EXCO, in finalizing the agenda for the "Formal eGA sessions", "Associated Working Group sessions" and "Discussion Forums".
Its members are Penny Pattison ( Canada), Pramod Kumar (India), Chris Patterson (New Zealand) and Muriel Gipalou ( France). They will be working with EXCO through Gary Sealey (interim eGA Program Chair)
Other working groups have been or will be established to handle the "Education and Training Workshops" and "Social sessions".
A detailed outline of the ‘Mandate and Work of the eGA Agenda Working Group’ is enclosed as a MS Word attachment.
In peace and friendship
Geoff Maltby
President – Servas International
