Tuesday 24 November 2009

Scouts of the World Award ceremony in Ireland

The Scouts of the World Award encourages a stronger involvement of young adults in the development of society by making them more aware of the present world issues and to help National Scout Organizations revitalise the programme of Rover Scout section. In this context, a group of sixteen Rover Scouts from Dublin, Ireland have made a lasting contribution to primary education in India and in doing so became the first Irish Scouts to achieve the Scouts of the World Award.

Their project entitled 「The Rainbow Challenge」 addressed the issue of access to primary education in the developing world, in line with the 2nd Millennium Development Goal. As part of this project, the group spent three weeks in North-Eastern India, working in partnership with the Sisters of Loreto. There they introduced Scout activities and principles in a school for orphaned street children in Kolkata and built new classrooms for another school in a poor rural community in the Meghalaya region. In addition, over the course of a 14-month programme of fundraising activities, the group succeeded in raising over EUR30,000 in direct financial support to ongoing projects in favour of primary eduction in this part of India.

The group was presented with their SW Awards by the Chief Scout of Scouting Ireland, Mr Michael John Shinnick, at a special ceremony at Larch Hill Scout Centre in Dublin on Saturday 14 November. Ms Therese Bermingham of the World Scout Committee was also in attendance.

Commenting on the award, Mr Shinnick said 「This is a first for the young people involved, a first for their Scout Groups and a first for Scouting Ireland. So much prejudice and negativity is directed at young people today, it is great when they disprove that and do something so positive that makes a real difference to the lives of so many people. Scouting Ireland is immensely proud of them.」

Ms Bermingham also warmly congratulated the group on behalf of the World Scout Committee and said she hoped that this would encourage more National Scout Organizations to implement the Scouts of the World Award.

This international initiative attracts, empowers and engages youth in actions of world importance. This action is based upon universal values - freedom, tolerance, equality, respect for nature and shared responsibility - respected in any culture and enshrined in the UN's Millennium Declaration. Scouting has promoted these same values for over 100 years.

For more information on how to obtain the Scouts of the World Award visit: www.scoutsoftheworld.net.

Share your Scouts of the World activities with the World Scout Bureau by emailing Andres Morales, Unit Manager Adolescents & Young Adults.

For more pictures, please visit the Scouts of the World Award Picture Gallery.

To keep in contact with hundreds of people that are working on their Scouts of the World projects, please join the Official SW Award FaceBook group.

 

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