Cover Photo: Jure Pučnik
Research: Františka Rohlíčková, Anže Krebs Šetina
Text: Anže Krebs Šetina
Edit: Mike Dent, Sophie Spickenbom
Young people (especially Guides and Scouts) have a lot of potential to accomplish something extraordinary (or should we say: NORTH of the Ordinary?). Youth can empower themselves and one another, but they also need to be given the trust, space and guidance from outside to reach their potential. But what is empowerment?
Guides and Scouts all have their own definition of the word empowerment, but they are all valid. It is a form of expressing yourself to the fullest in a supporting environment. It is the support for stepping out of your comfort zone, which gives you more motivation and drive to do more and push even further. It is the one thing that gives you strength when you are feeling a bit down. It is the appreciation of the participants in events and workshops who are empowered by participating, listening and learning from you.
But one thing is important, you need to find a supporting environment, an environment that feels like home. Guiding and Scouting is home for many Guides and Scouts that grow up with mutual respect and support.
WAGGGS, WOSM and Roverway
Empowerment is essential in Guiding and Scouting. Even more in International Guiding and Scouting events as we need everyone to express themselves to their fullest to reach their full potential. Only then we can create the perfect event for all.
Representatives from WAGGGS and WOSM agree that empowering young people brings great benefits to Guiding and Scouting. That can be done by empowering them directly or by teaching them how they could empower themselves. After that it is now their turn to empower others. Both organisations even produced Paths connected directly or indirectly to empowerment themed around advocacy, leadership, free being me, impact of Scouting and of course empowerment itself. While they tackled advocacy issues in an urban environment, they also went to a nearby forest to explore it and be in nature just as Lord Baden Powell intended.
One of the places where empowerment really comes into focus is on the main campsite of Roverway. The WAGGGS and WOSM representatives think that Roverway is a very unique and empowering place. Participants, IST and Planning Team are all very close in age and all come from so many different nations, but all share similar values. This brings so many opportunities that are unique to events like Roverway. They create a space where Rovers are allowed to do a lot more on their own. Rovers take their time to absorb new cultures and values. Then everyone will go back to their own country full of new ideas and initiatives.
The representatives themself stated that they felt empowered by Roverway. The ones who were Path Leaders felt empowered by their Path Participants. They made a small community there that trusted and treated them amazingly. On the other hand they were also entrusted by their organisation respectively which gave them the self confidence needed to do their job in the best manners possible. We talked to a range of people on camp and they shared their understanding of empowerment with us.
Quotes
“I think Roverway can help with empowerment. I am in charge of myself here and I can do what I prefer and maybe not always what my leader at home would do.”
Laurenz, Austria
“If you want to empower yourself or you want to know who you are, first you need to do your best, to catch every chance you have and then to use those chances to know who you are.”
Ching-Ko, Taiwan
“Scouting is an environment where you will experience different opportunities and challenges. You will definitely get thrown into uncomfortable situations where you will have to use your skills and personality to conquer your challenges. When you conquer those challenges you definitely have the feeling of empowerment – self confidence.”
Turo, Finland
“I think because Roverway has places that give you the feeling of “oh I belong here”, that that gives you that confidence boost.”
Kai, UK
“I have been empowered to be me here at Roverway. And that’s all I can be.”
Tracy Foster, Chief Guide UK
“I wouldn’t be so self assured and have such a strong opinion if I haven’t been a Scout for so long.”
Laura, Austria
“Empowerment is feeling like you can be yourself. But I think an important part is that people around you sometimes recognize that they need to step back in order to give you your space and be your own person.”
Anna, WAGGGS
“I have definitely felt empowered here by the WAGGGS team. It is my first time to cover such a long event from the communications and social media perspective. They put trust in me and they believed in me and just by that I know I can do it.”
Jojo, WAGGGS
“WOSM is there for every national Scout organisation, which in itself really empowers them so that they can then empower their youth. Scouting gives you the opportunity, the resources and ideas to act on it.”
Petros, WOSM