Being a Messenger of Peace is not simply about wearing a badge. It is about choosing, every day, to make a positive difference in the lives of others.
Today on the International Day of Peace, the theme “Invest in peace for everyone, everywhere and every day” sounds more like an affirmation than a call to action for our Scouting members and volunteers. Across South Africa, Scouts are putting these principles into action, one Scout meeting and one service project at a time.
It is easy to think of peace as something discussed by governments and international organisations. Within SCOUTS SA, peace starts much closer to home. Peace is built through everyday actions. It is built when young people learn to respect one another, when communities work together to solve a challenge, when volunteers give their time to help others and when a child finds a safe place to belong after school. This is where Scouting has a unique role to play.
Photo: World Scouting. Jonathan Law
The Messengers of Peace programme is a World Scouting initiative that encourages Scouts to create a better world through community service and positive action. Here in South Africa, being a messenger of peace also means committing to active citizenship. Members are encouraged to identify needs around them and then ask a simple question: “What can we do to help?”.
There is no single definition of a Messenger of Peace. Any contribution to help others is considered a contribution to peace. Actions can be an environmental project, supporting people in need, promoting water safety, improving access to food or clean water, supporting child or animal welfare organisations or teaching skills that can make a difference. Each action is an investment in a stronger and more peaceful community.
A Scout Group brings people together who may otherwise never have met. The Scout Promise and Law provide common values to live by. Young people learn alongside others from different backgrounds. They share responsibilities, solve problems, experience the outdoors and work towards common goals. Through these experiences, they learn to understand each other and realise that differences do not have to divide us.
The recent 2nd Africa Scout Moot, hosted by SCOUTS SA at Arrowe Park in Benoni, demonstrated this beautifully. More than 400 young people from more than 40 countries came together to learn, share, serve and experience Scouting together. Different cultures and opinions came united for one event as one Scout Movement. This is what peace in action looks like.
Investing in peace has also been incorporated into programmes run in partnership with local government in Gauteng and the Western Cape. Young people need opportunities to develop their confidence, skills and sense of purpose. They need positive role models and places where they can feel safe, valued and included. This is particularly important in neighbourhoods where crime, substance abuse and other negative influences can compete for young people’s attention. Providing a positive place to spend their time after school is important.
Supplied: DSD El Dorado Litter clean-up
In Gauteng, SCOUTS SA’s partnership with the Department of Social Development (DSD) brings Scouting into communities where structured youth development opportunities are making a real difference. Through DSD Scout Groups, young people participate in Scouting activities that develop teamwork, leadership, discipline, confidence and practical life skills. They are not simply being kept busy. They are given opportunities to discover what they can do, by people who see their potential. In doing do, they are becoming active contributing citizens.
SIS hike, Dylan Cloete
The same principle is at the heart of the Scouting-in-Schools (SiS) programme in the Western Cape in partnership with Year Beyond and the Western Cape Government. Scouting is brought directly to learners at no- and low-fee-paying schools, providing structured activities during the after-school hours. The Scouting-in-Schools programme also creates opportunities for unemployed youth to be trained and mentored as youth leaders, meaning that the impact extends beyond the learners themselves.
Without positive activities, young people in communities with limited options can fall into negative temptations. Scouting fills that gap. Instead of simply telling young people what not to do, Scouting gives them something positive to do where they learn that they are capable of more than they imagined. This is what an investment in peace can look like.
The International Day of Peace theme asks us to think about peace as an investment. For SCOUTS SA, that investment is already happening as volunteers and Scouting youth are choosing to be of service where the need arises. Thank you to our members for stepping up and being Messengers of Peace, not just for one day, but through their choices and actions every day.