A 57-strong contingent from The Scout Association of Malta is at the 24th World Scout Jamboree in North America to Unlock a New World. The Maltese scouts will join over 45,000 young people from around the world for the adventure of a lifetime and a chance to experience one of the world's largest outdoor events for young people - the 24th World Scout Jamboree. This epic quadrennial event will welcome scouts and leaders from more than 150 countries to an action-packed event that is predicted to be the largest World Scout Jamboree since the event was started by Lord Baden Powell in 1920.
The Malta contingent is made up of 41 participants (14- to 17-year-olds), five Unit leaders, eight International Service team members and four contingent management team members. The members of the contingent hail from a number of different local Scout groups around Malta and Gozo. The contingent is headed by Timmy Cutugno.
The Jamboree is taking place between 22 July and 2 August at the Summit Bechtel Reserve in West Virginia, USA. The Jamboree will engage young people aged 14 to 17 in a wide range of educational activities that promote peace, cross-cultural understanding and leadership skills for life. The 24th World Scout Jamboree, jointly hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico, is set to be one of the biggest and most exciting Jamborees yet, supported by 9,000 volunteers from across the Scout Movement.
The theme of Unlock a New World will inspire scouts to become active citizens and create a more sustainable world by learning about global issues such as climate change and gender inequality. Through activities that range from zip-lining and hiking to public-speaking and leadership workshops, young people will develop skills to help them thrive in a rapidly changing world.
"The Jamboree is an extraordinary opportunity for young people to connect and learn from each other, while celebrating the diversity and unity of our global Movement of over 50 million strong," said Ahmad Alhendawi, secretary general of the World Organisation of the Scout Movement.
"Through activities that engage young people in leadership training and dialogue about the peace and sustainability of our planet, the Jamboree is enabling young people to become active global citizens who are creating positive change in communities around the world." Alongside adventurous outdoor activities, scouts at the Jamboree will be able to interact through the Better World exhibition and the Global Development Village to strengthen their understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This comes as part of World Scouting's flagship Scouts for SDGs initiative, supported by Alwaleed Philanthropies, which has pledged to make the world's largest coordinated youth contribution to the SDGs by 2030. Various international partners including UNICEF, UNHCR, UN Environment, UN Women, WWF and KAICIID will have a strong presence at the Jamboree, offering scouts the opportunity to participate in exciting and immersive learning activities.
The Jamboree is nothing short of a fully operational city. The campsite stretches over 4,000 hectares of land and is considered to be one of the most advanced and sustainable adventure bases for young people in the world.
For more information about the 24th World Scout Jamboree visit https://www.2019wsj.org/