ARM

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To learn about the essence and the purpose of regions, please take a look at the IJB Guidelines on Regional Cooperation (IGoRC). To learn about other regions, click here.

1 ARM History
2 ARM Meeting (ARMM)
- 2.1 Past ARMMs
3 Leadership
- 3.1 About the ARM Team
4 Nuclei of Development
5 Who we are
6 What's going on in our region!

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ARM History

Old ARM logo #1

Old ARM logo #2

Regional Cooperation, in the Americas, started around 1988 with a Workshop in Argentina. Following that, general regional meetings started to happen, with very few juniors attending. After that, in IJBC 1994 (The Netherlands), the idea of having a regional structure in the Americas was raised and the first America’s Regional Members Meeting (ARMM) was held in Canada, on the following year.

The following four years, the America’s Regional Members (ARM) worked on developing its basis; a stable regional structure that would coordinate and make sure things would happen in the region. ARM had already started with two of these coordinators (ReCos), and they had the same election system the IJRs and NJRs usually have.

In ARMM 1998, the region settled several new goals for the region. Among these goals were to develop a buddy system, to develop direct contact between the JBs and to informally work with the other regional structure; America’s Regional Cooperation (ARC). Those ideas still reflect very much on the way ARM is right now. During this time ARM Budget was already working and at least one ARM Workshop happened every year.

ARMM 1999, in Brazil, was definitely a landmark in ARM History; for the first time, a considerable amount of people was present and countries represented. During this meeting, ARM sent the first official letter to ARC explaining what this “junior organisation” was about, asking for recognition and help in promoting Youth Meeting and Junior Branches in the region. After this meeting the first ARM Newsletter was finally published. During this year, ARMlist was set up.

In the following meetings until the last one, several other relevant changes were made, but probably the most important strength that continued to be developed was the fact that the region could work, consolidate and promote JBs in a not-so-centralised way.

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ARM Meeting (ARMM)

ARMM is the Americas Regional Members Meeting. It takes place around late July every year, right before the International Junior Branch Conference (IJBC). Usually, the host chapter for IJBC also hosts ARMM. There is a Content Staff (previously ReCos with the help of IJRs, now ARM Team with the help of IJRs) and a Home Staff.

During ARMM, National Junior Representatives from each ARM member JB and active Juniors from the region get together to receive training, create cooperation opportunities, work on JB Development strategies and learn about the JB World. The Content Staff is in charge of planning this training and facilitating all the sessions.

NJRs vote on the budget for the coming year, and every second year they also vote for a new ARM Facilitator.

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Past ARMMs

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Leadership

Leadership models should change when the needs and resources of the community demand that change. So, at ARMM 2007 in Colombia, we decided it was time to give a space for transformation and develop a fresh structure that furthers our goals.

After brainstorms, facilitation, dialogues, debates and wrapping it up… ARM has a new, inclusive, transparent and cooperative leadership model: the ARM Team.

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About the ARM Team

The ARM Team is a round-table leadership that is headed by the ARM Facilitator. This person is in charge of taking an active leadership role towards the achievement of the regional goals.

This group is in charge of taking an active leadership role for furthering the regional goals. The ARM Team is consolidated on a volunteer basis and the number of spaces is as many as necessary and reasonable, taking into account the regional context, its needs, opportunities, possibilities and limitations.

The team is approved by consensus during ARMM. This process is guided by the ARM Facilitator and the current IJRs. To become part of this team, the interested people shall fill out a questionnaire so the consensus-making body gets the chance to know them. Even though, it is not necessary to be present at ARMM, it is necessary to match the profile of a Team member: the will to work and a minimum of one year of commitment. The position is renewable.

The ARM Team will be present at the leadership process in the Nuclei of Development, however, not creating another level on top of the Nuclei. The team will serve as a facilitation and support structure. In addition, this team will also lend a hand to taskforces, projects, working groups, etc. This team will support the ARM Facilitator in the planning of the ARMM and in as many aspects as required.

Each ARM Team will decide the way in which they will work and will define their own roles and tasks. Nevertheless, each ARM Team has to publish a review of their work and has to inform the ARM community about their actions.

Read all about the ARM Changes to see how the region became what it is today.

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Nuclei of Development

The Nuclei of Development (NoD) are the protagonists of ARM’s strategy to grow, cooperate, develop, and communicate. These are based on JBs' will to cooperate and on a more inclusive policy, as it will be focused on ARMers rather than NJRs.

The Nuclei of Development network is dynamic, changeable, flexible, and is a matter of facilitation JBs interaction and support. In this sense, the nuclei of development will follow the principles of IGoRC.