The 53rd JOTA

The 53rd JOTA theme: “The Right to be Heard”


This years JOTA will have a theme directly related to article 12 of the Convention of the Rights of the Child: the Right to be Heard. The theme is linked to the 20th anniversary of the Convention: http://www.unicef.org/rightsite/



How is article 12, the Right to be Heard, linked to the JOTA? Scouts in many, but not all, countries have the permission to speak directly over amateur radio. This greatly enhances their JOTA experience: a free and direct exchange of ideas between Scouts of all Nations. It helps them to get a feeling and understanding of other cultures. The Right to be Heard is also a Right to be Listened to.



The International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) is fully supporting the Scouts to participate in JOTA. And even further, IARU stimulates to educate them in radio techniques so that they may once operate their own station. In fact, the IARU Region 1 Conference 2008 in Cavtat, Croatia passed the following resolution CT08_C3_Rec 24: (Paper CT08_C3_39): In recognizing the importance of the JOTA (Jamboree-On-the-Air) for radio amateur recruiting, it is recommended that Member Societies encourage radio amateurs to assist boy Scouts and girl Guides to participate in the annual JOTA the third full weekend of October each year, organized by the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) and to use this opportunity to present amateur radio recruiting possibilities to the Scouts/Guides.



The Right to be Heard….on the air. Many amateur radio associations offer youth courses to pass the radio exams; educational, fun to do and another step to the Right to be Heard. Ask your national amateur-radio association for details.