Welcome to the 23rd World Scout Jamboree

Welcome!

It is hard to believe, but the moment we have been preparing for so long is finally here. We are gathered together to live an extraordinary experience: the 23rd World Scout Jamboree!

A World Scout Jamboree is a unique opportunity for you to be a global citizen, and to experience what a global movement Scouting is. Every four years, we come together to celebrate our diversity, our common values, our dreams and to share our challenges. We make new friends, we have fun together, and we discover how similar we really are as human beings.

Not many organisations in the world are able to bring together tens of thousands of young people on a regular basis. The World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) has managed to do so since 1920. At that first World Scout Jamboree, there were 8000 participants. At this 23rd Jamboree, there are over 33000 active Scouts and Leaders, including more than 8000 adult Scouts serving as members of the International Service Team.

All of us, coming together from different corners of the globe, will be “neighbours” for the next 12 days in this newly-built tented city of Kirara-hama, Yamaguchi. This city, and all that it offers, is the result of the tremendous work done by our colleagues, the Scouts of Japan, whom I, on behalf of WOSM, would like to thank.

The theme of this World Scout Jamboree is “WA: a Spirit of Unity”. I find it extremely appropriate as Unity has been adopted as one of the key words for our World Organization and its 40 million members in this current period. I urge you to live that spirit of Unity in the coming days, also on behalf of all our brothers and sisters who cannot be with us here but who are part of our “family”. By living that spirit, we’ll be showing the world that Peace, Friendship and Respect are possible.

The next 12 days will be a unique opportunity for each of us. Let’s live it to its fullest extent. Because the World Scout Jamboree is each of us!