Scouts New
Geneva, Switzerland (PRWEB UK) 16 October 2013
Today, the World Organization of the Scout Movement announced the launch of their new user-driven website (scout.org) which will allow all Scouts worldwide to learn, exchange and share their experiences in what could be dubbed a “Permanent Digital Jamboree”. While a typical international Jamboree - a gathering of Scouts – will have around 40,000 people attending, this new platform will enable over 40 million Scouts worldwide to virtually meet and share project ideas at any time of the day, regardless of geography or culture.
The new scout.org will bear resemblance to a social network and be driven by the users themselves who will contribute to shape the site by sharing their stories and experiences. The openness of the platform reflects the values shared by the Scout Movement.
Scott Teare, Secretary General of the World Scout Bureau said: “This new engagement platform is another element which showcases how relevant and vibrant Scouting is today. Scouts have entered the digital age and any Scout can now connect seamlessly with another Scout at the other side of the globe.”
The social platform also integrates another flagship initiative of the Scout Movement called “Messengers of Peace”, a Global Network of Scouts serving their local communities in projects dealing with street gangs in San Salvador, teaching leadership skills to street kids in Manila or building schools and houses for people in poor areas. Since its inception in 2011, “Messengers of Peace” has so far provided over 20 million service hours from Scouts around the world towards 35,000 local community projects.
Teare concluded: “As a global Movement, Scouting is making a real contribution to communities around the world. Scouting not only brings young people together, regardless of socio-economic status and religious beliefs, but it also provides them with life-long education, values and behaviours to develop their full potential and help create a better world.”
For more information, please visit http://www.scout.org or contact Göran Hägerdal, Global Director, Scouting’s Development [ghagerdal(at)scout(dot)org]; [Telephone: +41791250233].
About Scouting
Scouting, founded by Lord Robert Baden-Powell in 1907, is a grassroots level educational youth movement that is truly bottoms-up in its structure and approach in engaging young people from all over the world. World Scouting today is a confederation of 162 National Scout Organizations in a network of over 40 million members in more than 1 million local Scout Groups. Some 7 million volunteer adults support local activities, resulting in a huge multiplier effect. Through peer-to-peer leadership, supported by adults, each local Scout Group embraces the same set of values illustrated in the Scout Promise and Scout Law. Each of the 1 million local Scout Groups follows a similar system of non-formal education suited to the unique aspects of their local community. The World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) is an independent, worldwide, non-profit and non-partisan organisation which serves the Scout Movement. Its purpose is to promote unity and the understanding of Scouting's purpose and principles, while facilitating its expansion and development. The organs of the World Organization are the World Scout Conference, the World Scout Committee and the World Scout Bureau.