Why are we holding this Congress?
Throughout the world, there are millions of social workers, activity leaders and educators working in the field of non-formal education. They develop hundreds of innovative projects in such varied areas as education for peace, sustainable development, leadership and engagement, AIDS prevention, job preparedness, and much more.
Scouting has been doing its full share in these areas for a whole century. Not only has it often been a pioneer in these areas, its role in non-formal education in general is increasingly becoming recognised for its importance.
However, Scout leaders, like many social workers in other non-governmental organisations (NGOs), have too often tended to conduct their programmes without the support of a scientific framework. The reason is that the majority of these people are volunteers doing what they can in their spare time.
