2015 – Alain Silberstein (France)

1980 to today:
–  Leader of local group in Besançon
–  Methods and Programmes Trainer
–  2000+: Member of the Branding Process and Communication Strategy Task Force of the WOSM
–  2000+: Creation of the International Forum of Jewish Scouts (IFJS)
–  2005-2008: Vice-President of Éclaireuses éclaireurs israélites de France (EEIF)
– 2002-2014: International Commissioner of Éclaireuses éclaireurs israélites de France (EEIF)

Participating in various regional and world scout conferences of that time: World Scout Conferences of  Hammamet, Tunisia (2005), Jeju Island, South Korea (2008), Ljubljana, Slovenia (2014).

Current responsabilities in Scouting:
– from 2002: Member of the Board of Éclaireuses éclaireurs israélites de France (EEIF)
– from 2009: President of the International Forum of Jewish Scouts (IFJS)

Scout awards:
– 2011: EEIF Bronze Lion
– 2015: WOSM Bronze Wolf

• Jewish life in the Scout movement
Since the 1970s, as International Commissioner of the Jewish Scouts of France (EEIF, Éclaireuses éclaireurs israélites de France), he has enabled generations of young Jewish Scouts of France of all religious persuasions to take part in international scout events and so experience the fraternal dimension peculiar to Scouting.

In collaboration with the organization committees of these world events, it was necessary each time to organize the Jewish way of life (kosher food, respect for and specific programming of the Shabbat and the organization of the offices and duties).

In order to make the Scout movement aware of the specific needs of the Jewish way of life during world scout events, and thus develop exchanges between Jewish and non-Jewish scouts, he initiated at the beginning of the 2000s the creation of the International Forum of Jewish Scouts (IFJS) within the WOSM. Today, this Forum has a consultative status with the World Scout Committee.

Since 2007, the Jewish way of life within the scout movement is a fact. The proof is the Jewish Tent organized in the Faith and Beliefs zone of the last three World Scout Jamborees (in the UK in 2007, in Sweden in 2011 and in Japan in 2015) and the presence of Jewish scouters in the International Service Team (IST) of these three jamborees.

• Interfaith dialogue
The interfaith dialogue is one of the assets of the Federation of French Scouting, which includes national scout associations of Catholic, Protestant, Muslim, Jewish and laic persuasions. For many years, he has represented Jewish scouts among the various federal authorities.

At a global level, this richness can be found within the Interreligious Forum of World Scouting. As President of the International Forum of Jewish Scouts (IFJS), Alain participates in the work of this forum. In a few years, Alain’s commitment has thus enabled the International Forum of Jewish Scouts to take its place alongside the other religious organizations, having obtained the consultative status with the World Scout Committee (ICCS, CPGS, DESMOS, WBSC and IUMS).

Together, they have established the scope of the religious activities and services proposed in the “Faith and Beliefs” zone, during the last three World Scout Jamborees. Since the success of this programme, the place of the religions and the recognition of the need for religious feeling in the educational programme of the Scout movement are at the heart of the reflections of the Interreligious Forum.

His area of expertise is the relationship between the national minorities and the cultural and religious majority, and its translation into “the scouting offer”. One of the major issues in the development of the Scout movement among the many religious and cultural communities is the taking into account of the difference of religious expression, feeling and culture, which exists depending on whether you belong to the main religion and culture of a country, or to one of the minority religious or cultural groups of that country.

• Communication
A graphic artist and designer by profession, he devotes his competencies to the service of the scout movement. In the 2000s, he took part in the work of the Branding Process and Communication Strategy Task Force of the WOSM, under the direction of Richard Amalvy who introduced the new visual identity of the WOSM.

He continues to advise and propose graphic and symbolic developments to reinforce the visual identity of the Scout movement and NSOs/NSAs.