All members of the Scout Movement are required to adhere to a Scout Promise and a Law reflecting, in language appropriate to the culture and civilization of each National Scout Organization and approved by the World Organization, the principles of Duty to God, Duty to others and Duty to self, and inspired by the Promise and Law conceived by the Founder of the Scout Movement in the following terms:

About the Scouting programme

Imagine an international opportunity to be a part of the real adventure of today's world: protecting the environment, sustainable development, challenging prejudices and building peace within and between communities; in one thought, contributing to making the world a better place.

All this and more is currently happening through the efforts of thousands of Rovers from all over the world that are taking part in the Scouts of the World Award.

More and more countries have adopted and implemented this global initiative within their programme for the Rover section. Here is some news from all corners of the globe:

The Swiss National Jamboree 'Contura 08' has taken place in Eastern Switzerland on the Plain de la Linth with 25,145 Scouts participating in the two week event which takes place only every 14 years. This year's location was particularly special, because it was on the border of 3 cantons- St Gallen, Schwyz and Glarus.

Participants had the opportunity to take part in action-packed activities throughout the Jamboree which included a full day's programme in the Global Village. 28 workshops were presented by various NGOs and partners of the Swiss Scout Movement and World Scouting which explored issues relating to education, sustainable development, human rights and environmental protection.

Faced with the reality that global warming is the most important environmental issue today, Scouts across the world gathered at the International Environment Youth Forum from 20th to 21st July 2008 in Tokyo, Japan to address the issue. Scouts Association of Japan hosted the forum.

The adoption of the Strategy for Scouting in 2002 was the result of the work done at all levels of the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) in recent years. The Strategy for Scouting recognises that each National Scout Organisation (NSO) has peculiar needs and challenges. Consequently each NSO adapts the Strategy to its own reality and develops coherent action plans. Therefore, the Strategy for Scouting is not rigid, it is a framework for integral action.

The Strategy for Scouting is now available. This module compiles the history of the development of the Strategy for Scouting, outlines the Strategy's concept and contents; it also provides a general overview of the process to measure progress and impact. It lists the global impacts and outcomes that can be achieved and measured at National Scout Organizations (NSO), World Scout Committee (WSC) and World Scout Bureau (WSB) levels. For further information, please contact

Education For All task team is a sub-group of Educational Methods Committee (EMC), working in specific areas related to Strategic Priority 4: 'Reaching Out' - breaking down barriers and working with all segments of society.

Extending Scouting to working children, children living and working on the streets and children from ethnic minority communities has been successfully achieved by some NSOs. The Guidelines on Scouting for Children in Especially Difficult Circumstances (CEDC), enriched from these experiences in NSOs, provides practical advice and support on recruiting young people, developing resilience in these young people and the special focus needed on child protection.

16 Page downloadable document (573 kB)

World Scout Bureau, June 2008

To celebrate Founder's Day 2008, we suggest that you read the following text and share it amongst your friends or in your Scout group. It will most certainly inspire you.

The horrors of war

Longing for peace after three years of war, in 1917 B-P wrote "The roots of Scouting have grown among young people of all civilised countries and are developing more each day. It might be thought that if in years to come, a considerable proportion of the future citizens of each nation forms part of this brotherhood, they will be joined by a bond of personal friendship and mutual understanding such as has never existed before, which will help to find a solution to terrible international conflicts."

What to do with young people?

Released from his missions, Baden-Powell set up home in England. He looked at the pressing problems of a British society weakened by unemployment and decided to devote himself to the service of young people. Taking advantage of his fame, he spoke directly to them by means of the newspapers sold in stalls throughout England.

Scouting does not exist in isolation; it is part of the community and it needs to work in partnership with others, from individuals to organisations and institutions at local, national and world levels.

Youth Organisations participating to the International Coordination Meeting of Youth Organisations, such as the Scout Movement, and the National Youth Delegates, convened by the European Youth Forum for its first European UN Youth Advocacy Meeting to prepare for the upcoming UN General Assembly. The meeting was hosted by the Finnish Youth Cooperation - Allianssi, in Helsinki.

During three days (4-6 September), the youth delegates and representatives agreed on the key messages to bring at the 63rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly and on the practical coordination of the youth delegations. One of the main goals of the mission will be to increase the recognistion of the importance of youth participation to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.

En la reciente 7ª Asamblea General Ordinaria del Foro Latinoamericano de Juventud (FLAJ), celebrada en la ciudad de Panamá los días 25 al 27 de julio, la Oficina Scout Mundial – Región Interamericana fue electa para la Vocalía de Cooperación Internacional dentro del Consejo Directivo del FLAJ, para el período 2008-2010.

External relations were addressed many times during 38th WSCon Jeju Island in Korea. Workshops were conducted and a report launched on the past triennium and the successes and challenges both of past and also for the future. Many honourable guests were also attending the Conference.

On Wednesday 16th July in one of the conferences workshops around 40 top leaders debated the external relations in World Scouting on all levels. They addressed the challenges that they face in the work of the national Scout organizations. In the future the participants of the workshop hope to find more efficient ways to take care of the relations between their own scout organizations and other in their societies.

For almost 100 years the Scout Movement has contributed to building a better world through the personal commitment of hundred of millions of women and men living up to their Scout Promise. In many countries, people with leadership roles (politics, civil society, international organizations, business) are former Scouts. This does not happen by chance.

Keeping Promises

The theme of this Annual Report is Keeping Promises. It is a celebration of a simple fact: when Scouts say they will do their best, they really mean it!

Members of the World Baden-Powell Fellowship met in Seoul, Korea 3-6 April 2008. Their Majesties the King and Queen of Sweden participated in the event. He is Honorary Chairman of the World Scout Foundation.

An estimated 10 million Scouts have participated in peace activities in 110 countries following a programme which was started by Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah and co-sponsored by Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf. It has been the largest and most successful programme ever undertaken by Scouts worldwide.