Start planning World Thinking Day 2011!

Start planning your World Thinking Day 2011 celebrations! The activity pack is now available with plenty of practical ways to learn about the theme - Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 3: gender equality and empowering women.  This year the activities, for all ages, have been divided into five sections. These sections include the areas which the UN is tracking to asses whether MDG3 is being achieved:

1. Group warm-up activities
2. Developing self-esteem and self-confidence
3. Learning together to change the world
4. Living and working for a fairer world
5. Girls and young women as decision-makers

There is also a special ‘Speaking out’ section to learn how to advocate on issues that concern girls and young women.

World Thinking Day is also a chance to support the 10 million girls and young women in our Movement by raising funds and donating to the World Thinking Day Fund. The WTD focus countries for 2011, who also receive grants from the Fund are: Bolivia, Cyprus, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nepal and Yemen.

We have also designed a new WTD badge! To earn a badge, you should complete six activities, including at least one fundraising activity. Badges and pins will be available from the online shop very soon!

WTD micro site

The World Thinking day 2011 micro site has been updated with lots of new content and functionality. You can now…

• Upload pictures of your national uniforms and share it with Girl Guides and Girl Scouts all over the world. Participate and make this section a great pool of uniforms!

• Add your World Thinking Day activities to our new global map! Send us details and a picture of your activity and it will appear on the map. You will also be able to see what other Girl Guides and Girl Scouts have done around the globe!

• Send an online 2011 World Thinking Day card! Just select the language (English, French or Spanish) and enter the email addresses of friends and family you want to send it to. At the same time, you can show your support for WAGGGS and contribute to the WTD theme, girls worldwide say “empowering girls will change our world,”  by donating £1, $1 or €1.

Visit the WTD site for more information and start planning!

How you made a difference in 2010

World Thinking Day 2010 was celebrated globally by Girl Guides and Girl Scouts in all regions. Thousands of girls and young women took part in fun activities and community action projects to help end poverty and hunger. Check the WTD micro site for more information and pictures .

The WTD Fund received many more donations at the beginning of this year than the previous year, and over 50,000 WTD badges were sold – the proceeds of which also go towards the WTD Fund.

We also have news from the five focus countries who were eligible for support in their efforts to address poverty and hunger:

• One of the most inspiring WTD stories we heard this year was how the Haiti Girl Guides Association joined in the WTD celebrations on 22 February, despite the devastating effects of the earthquake in January.

• Your donations to the WTD Fund will allow Girl Guides Association of Zimbabwe (GGAZ) to buy a vehicle that will allow them to reach the poorest girls and young women in remote rural areas outside of the capital Harare

• The Maldives Girl Guide Association will use the WTD grant to train girls and young women in vocational skills, such as using sewing machines

• WTD contributions will go towards a goat-rearing project in rural areas in some of the most deprived regions in Sudan.
• The Girl Guides Association of Georgia has presented different options for their grant. These include working with orphans, running an environmental project and providing Girl Guide uniforms for their poorest members