International Amateur Radio Union
Region 1
Working for the future of amateur radio
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STARS - Support to the
Amateur Radio Service Background to STARS  The objective of STARS is to defend, protect, extend, develop and promote the amateur radio service. The work of STARS is specifically directed to those areas of the Region where amateur radio activity is low or non existent. THE PHILOSOPHY behind all this is that the IARU is at its most representative for the amateur radio service when it has member societies in all the ITU member countries and when those societies have good, friendly and regular contacts with their national regulatory authorities. The basis for an active, viable and truly representative society is the recruitment of members with the nationality of the country. THE PROGRAMME to put this philosophy into practice and achieve the aims of STARS would be to assist with the founding of a national society, to assist with the establishment of one or more club stations and to assist with the organisation of an educational programme. THE MEANS therefore are the STARS projects sponsored (up to now mainly) by IARU-R1's Fund 4 and coordinated by STARS. This Working Group consists of a chairman appointed by the General Conference and responsible for the general coordination and logistics, sub-regional coordinators responsible for the prospection, establishing and maintaining relations with all the member-societies and telecom authorities in their sub-region, the planning, preparing and proposing of possible projects and, after their approval, for their implementation, coordination, follow up, evaluation, in short: for the support to the 'local people' in charge of the practical realisation of the project. Further members of the WG are the EC member appointed to liaise with STARS, the IARU-Region 1 Treasurer (in charge of Fund 4) and representatives of all the interested I.A.R.U.-Region 1 member societies. THE WAYS to proceed are usually as follows: 1. making contact with the local amateur radio operators (including expatriots who stay there for a longer term) and their national society (if any) and discussing with them the existing problems and the possible solutions; 2. establishing good relations with the regulatory authorities and convincing them of the respectability and usefulness of the amateur radio service by explaining such aspects as technical training (both in electricity and electronics as well as operating practice, human relations and civism, international understanding, emergency communications and disaster relief, etc. Eventually, some changes in their Radio Regulations might be suggested (in a very diplomatic way): Radio Amateur Examination, licence fee, novice or restricted licensing, etc.; 3. looking for a good place to set up a project (probably a technical school, high school, university,...); 4. working out a possible project with the 'local people' and the competent authorities, including the solution of such problems as import of equipment, need for trainers, etc.; 5. proposing the detailed project (including the budget) to the STARS-WG. STARS Working Group
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