37th World Conference of WAGGGS: “Walking Together, Walking Far”

The largest voluntary movement dedicated to girls and young women in the world, representing over 10 million women and girls from 152 countries spread out in five regions: Asia-Pacific, Europe, Africa, Western Hemisphere and the Arab Region,  World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) comes together to celebrate its 37th World Conference. Although previously scheduled to be held in Uganda in 2020, the pandemic has moved the Conference to be held virtually this year. 

Held once every three years, the World Conference is the platform where member organisations have the space to deliberate on issues of importance to the Association: propose and ratify constitutional as well as non-constitutional motions, elect the members of the World Board and also bid to host the next World Conference.
 The Sri Lanka Girl Guides Association (SLGGA), Full Member of WAGGGS, has a membership of over 100,000 and is the largest voluntary organisation for girls and young women in Sri Lanka. The upcoming World Conference is one of pride for the SLGGA since the World Association has selected Ruchira Jayasinghe, member of the SLGGA, to chair this year’s World Conference. Former member of the Asia Pacific Regional Committee of WAGGGS, carrying with her an impressive background in Girl Guiding and employed at the Colombo Stock Exchange, Ruchira Jayasinghe chaired the 13th Asia Pacific Regional Conference held in Taiwan in 2019. 
The SLGGA is also proud of Chamathya Fernando, whom the Association has nominated for election to the World Board at this year’s World Conference. Having already served on this Board as a short-term member from 2018 – 2020, Chamathya has a proven track record in Guiding in Sri Lanka, is the founding member and coordinator of the ‘Stop the Violence’ global programme of WAGGGS in Sri Lanka and is the volunteer Project Lead for ‘Motion – 32 Young Women in Governance’ research project recently completed. This Motion will be presented and discussed for acceptance at the World Conference this year.

The delegation from the Sri Lanka Girl Guides Association which includes two young members:

 Shamini Ekanayake and Gagani Atukorala will be13 member strong with Sulari Jayawardena, Chief Commissioner, Chamathya Fernando, World Board candidate, Manishini Ekanayake, International Commissioner, Kush Herat, Deputy Chief Commissioner, Nirmalie William, Assistant Chief Commissioner, Nanduni Wickramatunga, Commissioner, Little Friends, Rukshani Azeez, Commissioner, Communications, Sirini Wengappuli, Commissioner Learning and Development, Wajira Silva, Commissioner, Planning and Progress Review, Hyacinth Dissanayake, Provincial Commissioner Western Province and Gayathri Nagulan Provincial Commissioner, Eastern Province.