聽見中亞：哈薩克童軍艾曼·阿希姆巴耶娃談亞太會議中的代表性與領導力

來自哈薩克的艾曼·阿希姆巴耶娃（Aiman Ashimbayeva）代表哈薩克童軍運動組織。她在組織中負責國際項目，連結世界各地的童軍。她說：「不論是會議、世界大露營、邀請志工來哈薩克，或是派遣童軍到其他國家或營隊，都是我的工作範圍。」

在高雄感受到賓至如歸

談到這次在主辦城市的經驗時，阿希姆巴耶娃形容高雄是一座非常漂亮的城市：「城市看起來很大，步調實際上非常緊湊，交通便利，也很適合散步、交流。」她笑著說：「這裡的天氣和我習慣的有點不同，但城市真的很美，我很喜歡這裡，我們參加的教育參訪也非常精彩。」

學習成長的動力

阿希姆巴耶娃參加本次會議的動機，源於她對學習、交流與提升中亞能見度的深厚熱情。「當我們還屬於歐亞地區時，我參加世界童軍會議的身分只是志工。」她回憶道：「歐亞地區規模很小，沒有舉辦過大型會議。加入亞太地區後，我覺得非常有趣，因為這裡有很多國家，而且童軍活動也非常發達。」歐亞地區童軍及其所屬組織已於 2023 年陸續撤銷，各國家童軍組織（NSO）轉至歐洲或亞太童軍。

她認為這次會議既是學習的機會，也是讓世界認識哈薩克的舞台：「作為一個小型的國家童軍組織（NSO），我們能從其他組織學到很多，同時也能向亞太地區的其他夥伴介紹自己。」

文化交流的精彩時刻

談到最喜歡的時刻，阿希姆巴耶娃微笑地回憶國際之夜的盛況：「表演很精彩、食物非常美味，舞蹈活動也很有趣。我們交到了很多朋友，氣氛輕鬆又愉快。我想每位童軍都會期待像這樣的活動。」

安全與福祉的首要任務

阿希姆巴耶娃認為，保障安全與促進福祉是亞太童軍的重要優先事項之一。她補充說明：「我加入了保障與福祉小組，這是第一個專門聚焦於保護與身心健康的附屬委員會。在當今社會，這是一項非常重要的議題，特別是在科技發展下出現的網路霸凌與濫用問題。」

她的願景非常明確：「我們必須確保童軍活動的安全，不僅是在營地或活動現場，更包括線上環境。我們要讓孩子、青年與成人都能在童軍中感受到安全與信任。即使他們遇到問題，也知道有可以求助的人，並且有人會照顧他們。」

Raising Central Asia’s Voice: Kazakhstan’s Aiman Ashimbayeva on Representation and Leadership at the Asia-Pacific Conference

Aiman Ashimbayeva from the Organization of the Scout Movement of Kazakhstan, oversees international programs, connecting Scouts worldwide. “When it’s Conferences, Jamborees, or inviting volunteers to Kazakhstan, or sending Scouts to other countries or other camps, I do that—that’s my sphere of responsibility.”

A Warm Welcome in Kaohsiung

Reflecting on her experience in the host city, Ashimbayeva described Kaohsiung as “a really nice place.” “It looks big, but it’s very compact and very comfortable to walk around,” she said. “The weather here is a little bit different from what I am used to… but the city is very nice. I liked it, and the educational tour we had was very beautiful”.

Motivated by Growth and Representation

Ashimbayeva’s participation at the Conference stems from a deep motivation to learn, connect, and represent Central Asia.

“When we were in the Eurasia region, I participated in the World Scout Conferences only as a volunteer,” she shared. “The Eurasia region was very small… they didn’t have really big conferences. When we joined the Asia-Pacific Region, it was very interesting to see because there are a lot of countries, and the Scouting here is well developed.” The Eurasia Scout Region and its bodies were phased out in 2023, with NSOs transitioning to either the Europe or Asia-Pacific Scout Regions.

She saw the conference as both a learning opportunity and a chance to raise visibility for her country:

“As a small NSO, I see a lot of things that we can learn from here and from the other NSOs… and also we can introduce ourselves to the rest of the APR region.”

Highlights of Cultural Exchange

Asked about her favourite moment, Ashimbayeva smiled as she recalled the International Night: “The performances, the food was delicious, and the dances afterwards, including the fun, the friendship that we made; it was really interesting. I think every Scout looks forward to events like International Night.”

Prioritising Safety and Well-Being

Ashimbayeva believes that safeguarding and well-being are among the top priorities for Scouting across the Asia-Pacific Region.

“I joined the safeguarding subcommittee. It is the first subcommittee that is exactly focused on safeguarding and well-being,” she explained.

“I think it is a very important thing, especially because of the risks technology poses in terms of the cyberbullying and because of the technology and online abuse.”

Her vision is clear: “We have to ensure that Scouting is safe, and not only offline at the campsite or at the events. We need to give kids, adults, and young people who are in Scouting safe spaces.”