Experience has demonstrated that significant advances in the response to HIV have been achieved when there is strong and committed leadership. However, leaders are not only those in the highest offices. Leadership must be demonstrated at every level to get ahead of the disease - in families, in communities, in countries and internationally.

What is Scouting doing?

At a global level, World Scouting has a strong partnership with UNAIDS which was highlighted in Global Development Activities at this year's World Scout Jamboree. Bhatupe Mhango, coordinator of UN Plus ran and planned five workshops on the topic 'HIV Sensitisation and Safeguarding Human Rights'. Pleasantly surprised by the level of knowledge of many of the Scouts, Bhatupe commented that “the maturity of the debate convinced me that the message on HIV prevention and empowerment of young people is getting across”. Kenya, Uganda and South African Scouts also led very successful workshops on HIV/AIDS awareness.

The Africa Scout Region is running an excellent 'Red Ribbon' AIDS awareness badge programme, taking inspiration from the established programme in South Africa and based on original material from Zambia. Topics covered include basic facts on HIV/AIDS, reproductive health education, other sexually transmitted diseases, peer education, the role of Scouting in fighting HIV/AIDS and HIV/AIDS and Human Rights.

'Africa Scout Radio' programmes are another way of educating communities on issues related to HIV/AIDS, as radio in Africa remains the communication tool with the widest reach. Four programmes have already been produced on HIV/AIDS and can be heard by Scouts in even the most remote of villages via dry cell battery powered transistor radios. These programmes can also be heard by hundreds of thousands of non-Scouts, thus giving them a better understanding of Scouting and its role in the development of African society, and its role in fighting the pandemic that is HIV/AIDS.

World Scouting has this year launched a partnership with World Community Grid. World Community Grid's mission is to create the world's largest public computing grid to tackle projects that benefit humanity like FightAIDS@Home. Scouts with access to the Internet can sign-up as members of the new 'SCOUTS' team created on World Community Grid, contributing their computers' unused processor cycles to the global effort.

Worldwide there are now 19 National Scout Organizations leading major projects focusing on HIV/AIDS as part of Scouting's Centenary 'Gifts for Peace'. The majority of the projects are running in Africa, however there are also projects in Oman, Barbados and Malaysia.

Every year, Scouts mobilise for World AIDS Day, organising events, activities and awareness campaigns. This year on 1 December at 10h00, Scouts in Mozambique will gather at the Polana Secondary School in Maputo to take part in a series of activities including Scout theatre on "Fighting HIV/AIDS with Scout Values". Click here or in the right-hand column to see photos that show activities from past events run in Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

What can you do?

1. Make a leadership pledge via the website of the World AIDS campaign.
   http://www.worldaidscampaign.info/index.php/en/home
2. Take a look at the resources below for more information and activity ideas.
3. Share news of your activities on or around 1 December 2007 for World AIDS day.
   Please send your stories and photos to:
   You can also register your events on the World AIDS Campaign Event Calendar