WOSM has been invited to participate in the latest UN Violence Studies’ global survey. This survey was launched in the end of last year and at the conclusion of the survey, a report will be presented to the UN General Assembly later this year.

The United Nations launched their Study on Violence Against Children in 2006. At that time WOSM was involved in preparing the activity guides for children to understand and appreciate issues surrounding Violence Against Children, which was published as part of the study. World Scouting also contributed to the case studies featuring Scout projects from Egypt, Namibia and El Salvador. Further in the same year, WOSM participated in the writing and field-testing of the child friendly versions of the Study, which is since being widely used.

From 12th- 21st January 2012, Scouts from Ethiopia and Kenya joined by Korean Scouts, had the experience of a lifetime by taking part in the 2nd World Scout Parliamentary Union’s (WSPU) Youth Exchange Programme (YEP). This aim was to give the opportunity to Scouts from member countries of WSPU/WOSM to travel to a different country (often for the first time), meet Scouts from other countries and have the chance to share their culture and traditions including their Scout activities and experiences. The programme also included group discussions on youth participation in decision-making and debating on the role of young people in today’s society in the context of the challenges that they face everyday.

Scouts from three different Brazilian states travelled great distances to assist a ShelterBox Response Team (SRT) in setting up camps, providing emergency shelter to families made homeless by recent floods and mudslides in eastern Brazil.
For the third time in two years, Brazilian scouts were prepared to help ShelterBox deliver aid to displaced people in need of shelter, even if it meant travelling long distances through the night. Thirty scouts from Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Minas Gerais joined forces with the SRT and local volunteers to help put up ShelterBox tents in the devastated areas of Japamapará and Além Paraíba. In two swelteringly hot days, tents became homes for around 70 families.

On January 21st Chairman Michael Bradshaw, two Vicechairmen Fernando Brodeschi and Kent Clayburn and members of the Interamerican Scout Committee Rafe Lucado, Gilberto Mendoza and Steve Kent visited the Regional Office for the first meeting with the new team of Directors.

Oaxaca Mexico, November 21st

4000 Scouts from all the regions of Mexico participated at the Art and Expression Encounter in Oaxaca, with the objective of make the Scouting more known by the local society.