A contingent of 28 scouts, rovers and adult leaders from Namibia are in South Korea to take part in the 25th World Scout Jamboree, which is being staged at Saemangeum in North Jeolla Province from 1 to 12 August 2023.
The jamboree is global scouting’s largest gathering of scouts, taking place every four years in one of the 182 countries where scouting exists. This year’s event, hosted by the Korea Scout Association under the theme, ‘Draw Your Dream’, is expected to attract more than 51 000 scouts from all over the world. Namibia’s contingent is led by Ellis Müller, who serves as the National Scout Commissioner for Scouts of Namibia (SoN).
The group features 18 scouts (ages 14-17), six youth serving as International Service Team members and four adult volunteers overseeing the contingent’s safety and well-being. All were selected by a review panel to represent SoN at the jamboree.
The scouts will take part in a multitude of activities, focusing on five areas of interest: Scouting for Life, Smart and Science, Safe and Secure, Sustainability, as well as ACT (Adventure, Culture and Tradition).
• Scouting for Life will enable scouts to develop leadership and life skills, challenge their perceptions about global issues and encourage them to become active citizens.
• Smart and Science features the latest technology – from robotics to virtual reality, with a stream of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programmes.
• Safe and Secure offers activities about preventing and responding to natural disasters, communicable diseases and other emergencies.
• Sustainability is aimed at the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to help young people act as peace messengers and promote sustainable development in their respective communities.
The Jamboree will also feature a ‘Better World Tent’ and ‘Global Development Village, where participants can learn about their role and connection with nature, practice methods to create a culture of peace and dialogue, as well as promote diversity and inclusion.
• ACT centres on adventure activities in
the mountains and rivers around Saemangeum, as well as cross-cultural exchanges, where scouts can experience the best of Korean culture and tradition from K-pop music to Bibimbap food to the
Hangul alphabet and more.
“The World Jamboree gives Scouts the opportunity to see and feel the diversity of mankind, to exchange cultural practices and make new friends, to learn new skills, and to practice global citizenship in a peaceful atmosphere,” said contingent leader Müller.
“Through awareness-raising activities and adventurous challenges, they are learning how to work together to build a better world. It is the experience of a lifetime.”
Scouting is the world’s leading educational youth movement, engaging nearly 60 million young people around the world to be active citizens and create positive change in their communities. In Namibia, there are more than 4 300 Scouts in 72 localities in different regions of the country. Scouting is also sanctioned as an extracurricular school activity by the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture.