Scouts contribute 2 billion hours of service towards creating a better world!
Scouts have now contributed an astonishing 2 billion hours of community service through the Messengers of Peace Initiative to improve the sustainability of our planet by promoting peace, acting as environmental leaders, and championing equality around the globe.
The milestone puts Scouting half-way towards fulfilling its commitment to make the world’s largest youth contribution of 4 billion hours of community servicetowards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.
Scouting has made an extraordinary contribution for more than a century to improve the sustainability of our planet through its unique brand of non-formal education that equips young people with the skills and competencies to be active global citizens.
In 2010, Scouting pledged to inspire a culture of peace and dialogue through its flagship Messengers of Peace initiative by encouraging millions of young people to carry out peace-building projects in their communities and log their volunteer hours through Scouting’s online platform.
Since then, Scouts have delivered more than 16 million local projects and actions throughout the world, supporting communities devastated by natural floods and earthquakes in Haiti, leading peace-building efforts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, facilitating interfaith dialogues in Indonesia, standing up for gender equality in Saudi Arabia, and working to make refugees feel welcomed in Turkey.
Every day 54 million Scouts are serving their communities to promote peace, act as environmental leaders, and champion equality around the globe. But in this Decade of Action for the SDGs, we must continue to take urgent action, individually and collectively, if we are going to put our planet on a path towards peace and sustainability before it’s too late.
Learn all about the SDGs on the Scouts for SDGs hub and share how you or your Scout group are taking action towards peace and sustainable development.