A Global Educational Youth Movement
Scouting’s mission is to contribute to the education of young people through a value system based on the Scout Promise and Law. Through Scouting, we are building a better world where people are self-fulfilled as individuals and play a constructive role in society.
The purpose of the Scout Movement is to contribute to the development of young people in achieving their full physical, intellectual, emotional, social, and spiritual potentials as individuals, as responsible citizens, and as members of their local, national, and international communities.
Constitution of the World Organization of the Scout Movement
THE IDEAS ON WHICH SCOUTING IS GROUNDED
Since its inception, Scouting has been grounded in the ideals of the equal dignity of all human beings, the intrinsic and unique value of every girl and boy, and their potential to create new answers to the challenges of living together in harmony among their fellow humans and with nature.
These are ideas that have been shared by many civilizations. The Zulu greeting “Sawubona” literally means “I see you” as recognition of the other person. These ideals embody a commitment to inclusivity that have also been expressed within the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) and the Declaration of the Rights of the Child (1959).
Scouting’s vision of mutual respect and openness, its optimism for the future, and its confidence in young people, along with the belief that young people and adults can learn with and from each other, are also embedded within those action- oriented, transformative approaches to education.
Scouting’s educational approach aims to equip young people with the competencies they need to build fulfilled lives and to work towards sustainable development. All these contribute to a shared identity and educational approach that form those essential characteristics of Scouting that bind us together as a Movement.