2023 World Scout Jamboree and lessons for the world

By Seth Eyiah

The 25th World Scout Jamboree in Saemanqeum, South Korea, was on the theme “Draw Your Dream”. It was to shape the future of teenagers around the globe. In line with the theme and objectives, a number of programmes were outlined to enable the young scouts to realise their dreams. The programmes consisted of Scouting for Life, Smart & Scientific, Safe & Secured, Sustainability and Adventure, Culture, and Tradition, dubbed 4S+ACT. Each programme was designed to support social, physical, intellectual, emotional, mental, and personality development in the Scouts who attended the jamboree. Throughout the Jamboree, the scouts engaged in a broad array of individual and team activities on-site and off-site. Combining Scouting values and educational ideas concerning global citizenship and sustainability, Scouting for Life was expected to empower young people to foster leadership and life skills and turn them into accountable citizens capable of tackling the world’s challenges. The scouts defied the debilitating conditions they found themselves in and attended the opening ceremonies in their thousands. Perhaps the moment of pride for the scouts was when the names of their countries were mentioned and acknowledged with their national flags being brought on stage as they participated in the jamboree.

The 2023 World Scout Jamboree in SaeManGeum, South Korea, came off successfully but without major talking points. From 30th July to 12th August, more than 40,000 scouts from more than 160 countries arrived in South Korea and participated in the jamboree. It was also to mark 100 years of scouting in South Korea by the South Korea Scout Association. Ghana’s contingent was made up of six young scouts who were below 18 years old per jamboree rules, one International Support Team member, and a Unit Leader. Ghana’s contingent was the first to arrive at the Olympia Sub Campsite and mounted their tents over puddles of water-soaked site. The entire campsite was about a 10 km stretch and could host more than 40,000 scouts. The young scouts exhibited resilience in the face of all the glaring challenges. The heat during the day was a bit hard, and at night there was a mosquito invasion. It was therefore not surprising that the British government decided to pull out their young scouts and their leaders to Seoul. The US also withdrew its scouts from its military base in South Korea.

Some on-site activities were also cancelled. In spite of these setbacks, the South Korean government in collaboration with the Organising Committee kept improving the situation in the camp. With constant spraying of the campsites, the strength of the mosquito presence and their bites decreased significantly. This afforded the scouts the opportunity to stay outside their tents at night for long hours. Clinics were dotted all over the camps, with ambulances on call at any time for an emergency situation. Pipe stands were set up in the camps, which enabled scouts to have constant access to a potable water supply. There was also free distribution of chilled bottled water, and all campsites were given free ice chests and Ice blocks to chill water and all other drinkables. Also, as the jamboree continued, the organising committee provided 44-seat air-conditioned buses for scouts to cool off in when the heat became unbearable for them.

Though the on-site activities were energy-sapping because of the heat, off-site activities brought relief to the scouts. The scouts travelled on air-conditioned buses to other parts of South Korea for education and participation in simulation exercises. Sunday, August 6, was earmarked for religious activities in the morning and the rest of the day for cultural activities. On this day, scouts wore their national or cultural dresses and prepared their national staple foods. For Ghana’s contingent, their Kente dresses and Jollof rice attracted hoards of scouts, who were attracted by the beautiful Kente cloth and the tasty Jollof rice. Many other scouts also invited the Ghanaian scouts over to their site for a treat. Ghana’s contingent’s neckerchiefs of Kente cloth were a cynosure of attraction. From Addis Ababa airport in Ethiopia to South Korea, scouts and other passengers couldn’t stop admiring the Ghanaians’ neckerchiefs. No wonder many scouts-both young and old-rushed to trade their scarves for the Kente neckerchiefs.

The announcement that approaching Typhoon Khanun would hit South Korea cut short the excitement that had built up among the scouts. This was because they had become acclimatised to the weather and the significant improvement in the conditions in the camp. That notwithstanding, they had to evacuate. So in no time, all the bustling camp activities began to give way to packing of luggages and dismantling of tents and lowering of national and scout flags. In less than 48 hours, the 10 km stretch jamboree camp had been deserted, and the scouts moved Saemangeum to other parts of the country.

Though critics of the South Korean government involvement in the organisation of the 25th World Scout Jamboree may be right to some extent, on the other hand, the organising committee would have been overwhelmed by the enormity of the challenges that characterised the jamboree. The Korean government supported the jamboree with more than 100 million Korean won. Activities of the scouts continued even off-site with indoor programmes and tours of famous and historical sites despite Typhoon Khanun making a landfall with two continuous days of rainfall and strong winds. This did not stop the scouts, who had been scattered all over South Korea, from being transported to the Seoul 2002 World Cup Stadium for the closing ceremony.

The 25th World Scout Jamboree in Saemangeum, South Korea, did not go as planned or anticipated; however, it came with its own long-lasting memories and experiences for the participating scouts. Poland will host the next World Scout Jamboree in 2027, and it is the hope of scouts all over the world that organisers will pick up valuable lessons from the South Korea jamboree and stage a much improved jamboree for all to savour. This is critically important, as the World Organisation of the Scout Movement has acknowledged that the South Korean event faced a number of significant challenges related to organisational issues as well as extreme weather events, which made the delivery of the Jamboree exceptionally difficult.

It is therefore moving swiftly to establish a panel of experts to conduct a thorough review of the events associated with the 25th World Scout Jamboree and provide a comprehensive report detailing the learnings and recommendations for improvement for future events. Specifically, the panel will look into the immediate and long-term changes that need to be introduced to address the challenges encountered during the 25th World Scout Jamboree. The panel will also propose a series of recommendations to strengthen further the requirements and structures for bidding, hosting, planning, delivering, and evaluating future World Scout Events.

The hope of many scouts is for the panel to expedite its work, as its recommendations will have a far-reaching impact on Poland in 2027.

More stories here