1. A century of work for youth empowerment
World Scouting:
A century of work for youth empowerment
Workshop on the history of international youth organizations. Ljubljana, October 2018
Eduard Vallory
Center for UNESCO of Catalonia

2. 1. Purpose: Youth Empowerment
The purpose of the Scout movement
is to contribute to the self-development of young people
in achieving their full physical, intellectual, social and spiritual potentials
as individuals,
as responsible citizens and as members of their local, national, and international communities.
(WOSM)

3. 1. Purpose: Youth Empowerment
The Aim of the Girl Guide / Girl Scout Movement 
is to provide girls and young women
with opportunities for self-training in the development of character,
responsible citizenship and service in their own and world communities.
(WAGGGS)

4. 1. Purpose: Youth Empowerment
Therefore, Scouting does not attempt to establish a particular vision for how society should be, but to shape empowered individuals, responsible citizens, with inclusive values
for each of them to participate in the definition of their model society, and to contribute to make it possible.

5. 2. Whereas the apparent operation of Scouting
is hierarchical,
its actual operation is as a network:
-> The role of volunteers!

6. 3. In general, Scouting as an organization does not clash with the prevailing social values and institutions; on the contrary, it supports them.
But as a voluntary movement, Scouting is a source of critical individuals committed to make a change based on the inclusive values they share, challenging unfairness & oppression:
racial segregation
discrimination by origin (migration, refugees)
socioeconomic inequality
authoritarianism – lack of freedoms
gender inequality
homophobic discrimination

7. 4. Legitimized competing identities challenge
identities’ exclusionary visions,
as the Scout identity and the global identity do with the national and religious identities, balancing and complementing all the others.
- Scouting’s citizenship combines the values of civic republicanism and liberal-democratic nationalism with cosmopolitanism’s framework and duties and openness to diversity.
– That is why the local group needs the global belonging: to mitigate the temptation of exclusionary identities and to fully educate in global citizenship.

8. 5. Education goals, today
“By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire needed competencies to promote sustainable development, including through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non- violence, global citizenship, and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development”.
(SDG 4.7, United Nations, 2015).

10. 6. “Competencies” and blurring
Educational boundaries
“Competencies refer to the ability to use knowledge (information, understanding, skills, values and attitudes) in specific contexts and to meet demands”.

11. 6. “Competencies” and blurring
Educational boundaries 
“There is a move from traditional educational institutions towards mixed, diverse and complex learning landscapes in which formal, non-formal and informal learning occur through a variety of educational institutions”.
UNESCO, 2015

12. A century of work for youth empowerment
World Scouting:
A century of work for youth empowerment
Workshop on the history of international youth organizations. Ljubljana, October 2018
Eduard Vallory
Center for UNESCO of Catalonia