On March 23rd  2020 the DGN group held an extensive Zoom meeting about the following issues and suggestions in regard to the YEP program in light of COVID19 restrictions and limitations:

1. The DGN group recommend that our Australian Youth Exchange program for the Inbound and Outbound groups for 2020-21 be suspended for 12 months, effective immediately. This means that the DGN cohort cannot recommend or support the notion of Incoming students mid 2020; the promotion of local advertising for our students to apply and be interviewed by Clubs for the 2021-22 year; or commencing as Outbound students within the Youth Exchange Program in January 2021

2. Essentially at this stage we would support in principle Inbound student arrival mid- 2021, and Australian Outbound students January 2022 (proviso of current government restrictions on quarantine, travel and border shutdown being lifted)

3. There seems conflicting advice from YEP District Chairs at present in regard to the management of current Inbound and Outbound students, primarily due to no global directive from RI on managing YEP students during this pandemic, nor an agreed Australian or Zone 8 consensus for District management of this problem. Hence, the variability is leading to some intense debate and perhaps unsafe practice with returning students globally in very uncertain times. We believe that the safety of all YEP students is paramount, regardless of financial implications, so a united approach is sought via direction from current DGs and DGsE (G-trains) to ensure appropriate decisions are promoted and made. Clear direction from RI is needed and should be sought from RI Parramatta as a matter of urgency

4. As borders are closing and capacity to return students is diminished for a variety of reasons including flight cancelling or redirection, it is incumbent on our Rotary community to do everything in our power to promote and ensure the safety of our present students. This is a domestic and international issue, insofar as appropriate discussion with our counterparts and Chairs in Districts with which we exchange should have the same focus on protecting the wellbeing of our students. Given the age group, lack of language skills, medical compromise with travel, lack of experience and decision-making skills amongst our student population it would be helpful for the G-Train to support their Chairs in making our priorities well understood to our exchange partners. The time is well past for sending students home (both inbound and outbound). We should all be supporting students, clubs and exchange families in situ.

5. We seek your support and endorsement via circulation of this information to your District Governor cohorts, eliciting their feedback and commitment to support these recommendations. We recognise that each District is autonomous in these decisions, however there is an opportunity here to perhaps centralise some of these principles in action

6. This discussion and group of recommendations is in line with those expressed by Peter Kaye in his communications 22.3.2020 within his role as Chair Zone 8 Insurance and Protection Committee

 

Yours in Rotary

Amanda Roach

D9670 DGN