SCOUTING’S
GIFTS FOR
PEACE

PEACE

is not as simple as black andwhite

Scouting’s Gifts for Peace

World Scouting

“Peace – it’s not as simple as black and white” – that’s how
veteran Scout peace campaigner Paul Browne explained
the complexity of building bridges between embattled
communities in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Black and white

Whether you address issues such as the Western/Muslim
divide, the rift between Belfast’s Catholics and Protestants,
the violent street gangs of El Salvador, youth crime in Hong
Kong, isolated immigrants in Stockholm, marginalised AIDS
orphans in Cape Town or frightened communities in New
Orleans, Scout volunteers have found that you’ve got to
look beyond the obvious black and white assumptions to
ﬁnd a solution.

The Gifts for Peace programmes and projects described in
this report show how Scouts worldwide are taking action
to make a difference. Millions of Scouts, in over 110
countries, are working to create a better world!

Joe, on the right, is standing in
a ﬂood damaged house in a poor
neighborhood of New Orleans.
Read about him on page 50.

Cover photo
Former gang leaders in San
Salvador ﬁnd a reason to smile
again. You can read about them
on page 18.

Photo Features

Pictures taken by award-winning photographer Yoshi Shimizu on

behalf of the World Scout Foundation.

El Salvador: “Give me back my childhood”

Hong Kong: Finding hope and inspiration in prison

Saudi Arabia: “Welcome to the land of peace”

South Africa: “A new challenge for our Scouts”

Sweden: “It was scary at ﬁrst”

UK, Northern Ireland: Overcoming the barriers

USA: Rebuilding communities, rebuilding trust

Scouting’s Gifts for Peace

Scouts worldwide celebrated 100 years of Scouting in 2007 by presenting
their Gifts for Peace, locally, nationally and internationally. The aim of
this global programme is to inspire young people to tackle issues in their
communities, build peace and bring people together.

Building bridges between people has been a central focus of Scouting since its founding when Baden Powell brought together boys from different social backgrounds. In 1920 young people from countries which had been at war with each other gathered at the ﬁrst World Scout Jamboree, a celebration of cultures, fun and friendship.

The Gifts for Peace projects have given renewed emphais to the active

promotion of peace throughout the world.

The Gifts for Peace reported here are projects undertaken by 110 national
Scout organizations for their impact in terms of education, understanding,
tolerance and respect for others. Countless more Gifts for Peace are being
carried out by local Scout groups. Some projects have concluded and others
continue.

Through the Gifts for Peace, Scouts worldwide are:

• Managing conﬂict without violence: conﬂict resolution, problem solving,

negotiation, mediation and anger management.

• Challenging prejudices and stereotypes such as racism, religious

intolerance, bullying and gender discrimination.

• Encouraging greater solidarity: with refugees, internally displaced people,

asylum seekers, street children and ethnic minority groups.

• Working at national and local levels on issues including child soldiers, child

labour, street violence and gangs, health education and human rights.

Read on and “Be Prepared” to be impressed!