Wahid Labidi of Tunisia

Tunisia

Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...

 is the current Vice-Chairman of the World Scout Committee, the main executive body of the World Organization of the Scout Movement

World Organization of the Scout Movement

The World Organization of the Scout Movement is the Non-governmental international organization which governs most national Scout Organizations, with 31 million members. WOSM was established in 1920, and has its headquarters at Geneva, Switzerland...

, and Chairman of its World Conference Organizing Committee. Professionally, Labidi is a political and economic consultant, specializing in Arab Civil Society, and the promotion of democracy

Democracy

Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...

 and human rights

Human rights

Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...

.

Labidi is a former senior political advisor for Greenpeace International, and the toxics campaigner for Greenpeace Tunisia. He also serves as Political and Economic Specialist for the Middle East Partnership Initiative

Middle East Partnership Initiative

The Middle East Partnership Initiative is a U.S. State Department program that supports reform efforts in the Middle East and North Africa...

 (MEPI).

Labidi studied biology at the Tunisian University of Sciences as an undergraduate, and then took his Masters in the same institution and subject. He went on to research genetics, also at the Tunisian University of Sciences and gained a secondary school teaching certificate. Between 1991 and 1992, Labidi was a secondary school

Secondary school

Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...

 teacher and educational advisor.

He was a Students' union

Students' union

A students' union, student government, student senate, students' association, guild of students or government of student body is a student organization present in many colleges and universities, and has started appearing in some high schools...

 leader for the Faculty of Sciences, between 1980 and 1984. He was also an Educational Union board member (Labor Union) between 1988 and 1992.

Scouting

Labidi represented the Scouts at the Tunisian National Youth Council, having been active in Scouting since 1968 without interruption. He holds the "4 Wood Badge

Wood Badge

Wood Badge is a Scouting leadership program and the related award for adult leaders in the programs of Scout associations throughout the world. Wood Badge courses aim to make Scouters better leaders by teaching advanced leadership skills, and by creating a bond and commitment to the Scout movement...

s" (Trainer of Trainers in Scouting). He was elected as board member of the Les Scouts Tunisiens

Les Scouts Tunisiens

Les Scouts Tunisiens is the national Scouting organization of Tunisia. It was founded in 1934, and became a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement in 1957 and is also a full member of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. The coeducational Scouts Tunisiens has about...

 for 6 mandates (1988–2008).

Labidi served as the Chairman of the Community Development Committee of the Arab Scout Region of WOSM from 1999-2007. He also served as Chairman of the organizing committee of the 37th World Scout Conference in Tunisia in 2005. Labidi participated in the World Jamboree’s Organizing committee (Thailand 2003). He has also attended the 35th, 36th and 37th World Scout Conferences and four Arab Scout Conferences. He is a member of the World Scouting GRTF (Governance Review Task Force) and has chaired delegations to more than ten regional and international youth events between 1982-2002.

Scout honors and awards

• Scouting Meritorious Honor Award: Highest and most prestigious Tunisian Scouts award
• Scout award from the World Scout Bureau (September 2005)
• Gold Medal awarded by the Tunisian Environment protection Agency for Beach Cleaning projects
• "Nature's Best Friend" Award, granted by the Arab Bird Protection Association
• Youth Superior Award, granted by the Tunisian Ministry of Youth and Sports

External links

• http://www.scoutinginlondon.org.uk/Pages/News/Articles/2008/worldscoutconference.html
• http://archive.greenpeace.org/majordomo/index-oldgopher/9505/msg00042.html
• http://www.scouts2005.org.tn/en/comite.htm
• http://www.pap-thecoastcentre.org/ICAM_forum/cagliari/List-Final2.doc
• http://www.npwj.org/_resources/_documents/Uploaded-Files//ParticipantList.pdf