SI NEWS 2006 eng eGA
From SI Exco News
Your Comments please
By the time many people get SI News 2006 the EGA will be history. It will be finished and the SI Monthly News will have commented on it. What would be useful for SI News 2007 would be to have Your Comments on the EGA:
- Did you participate?
- How will it affect your country?
- How do you think it was run?
- What was good about it?
- What improvements could you suggest?
- What would you like to see in the General Assemblies?
- Should there be General Assemblies?
- Other comments.
Comments should be short and constructive. Their inclusion cannot be guaranteed. Long or derogatory comments will not be included.
Following shows some of the work done with setting up the EGA to give people an idea as to what goes on.
Agenda Working Group
From SI Exco News 8th December 2005
Servas Conference Programme
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", 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"
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. As shown on the summary of agenda recommendations on www.siexco.org many agenda items will benefit from preparatory work.
In peace and friendship
Geoff Maltby, President – Servas International
Setting up the EGA From the Peace Sec.
Like many, I am committed to a high-quality EGA. While time slipped away, I had to ask to delay the EGA, which wasted some early initiatives. The EGA had to be moved from winter in Germany to Spring, in Italy. Reconstructing the EGA plan took a lot of my time and that of others.
Now many people are working together, to make this EGA one of the best Servas meetings in years.
From the General Secretary
The EGA project had two phases.
• During phase number one, we contacted all countries, eligible for funding, to remind them the deadline for requesting money was near. In addition, we offered to help them fill in the rather complicated form.
• In phase two, we contacted countries who have over 100 hosts and are therefore ineligible for funding. This contact is to remind people that the deadline for registering is due by Dec 31.
Concurrently with that project, is my work setting up a Secretariat for the EGA. It includes a group of people who are in charge of three different areas.
• Laura Ragucci is in charge of translations.
She will obtain people to help her translate the agenda materials in the many languages requested. These will be given to those attending the EGA at the time of their arrival. It is hoped that we can provide simultaneous translations of discussions at the EGA. We plan to project at least Spanish and French on the walls.
• Marisa Contini is in charge of printing.
Her work is to prepare the papers to accompany the agenda. She prepares name tags, floor plans and labels for rooms to help people find the locations where meetings will be held. In addition she is in charge of keeping delegates provided with any important information, during the EGA, to help with the work and decisions that will be made.
• Vibeke Matorp is in charge of public relations.
She will be acting as a liaison between delegates, observers and the hotel. She will provide a help desk. In addition she will be active in helping the moderators, the minute takers, the translators and every leader by providing services to help make their work run smoothly.
While juggling the project and secretariat, I am also in charge of working closely with the Italian support team concerning the logistics of the EGA.
