Thursday 31 January 2013

Messengers of Peace Kenya Network

The Messengers of Peace Network was launched in Kenya in September 2012 with the training of 41 Rover Scouts (18-26 years) from various counties across the country. These young people were empowered as Messengers of Peace Community Leaders with dialogue techniques, peace building skills and enhanced capacity to work with other young people and community members in creating a better world through peace projects. The network currently has a presence in 35 counties where Scouts are working to build better and peaceful communities.

Currently, we have numerous projects being undertaken by scouts in various parts of the country. Kenya Scouts Association will soon be launching three peace initiatives targeting the coastal region including the volatile Tana Delta, Uasin Gishu County and Nakuru County.

You can connect with us and share in our work through various social media platforms by following these links:

FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/MoPKenya
TWITTER: www.twitter.com/MoPKenya
BLOG: www.scoutmopkenya.blogspot.com or by visiting the following websites:
KENYA SCOUTS ASSOCIATION: www.kenyascouts.org
WOSM: www.scout.org 
MESSENGERS OF PEACE GLOBAL: www.scoutmessengers.org

Categories of Messengers of Peace Work

a) Training in Dialogue So many issues concerning peace and stability within communities relate to communication with one another. Scouts wishing to mediate in their own communities and spread the message of peace efficiently need to strengthen their skills of dialogue to listen actively and assess needs, as well as to propose and implement solutions.
b) Support to Specific Peace Projects
An NSO that requires external support either to begin implementation of their project or that needs support to take a good project and make it a great project, thus increasing its impact, can apply for support.
c) Support to Young People Living in "Hot" Conflict Situations
NSOs may apply for funding to help Scouts living in conflict situations. Funding can be used to develop specialized skills and other initiatives to help their communities.
d) Capacity Strengthening
Great projects require strong management. Funding are available for NSOs to build their project management capacity.
e) Globalizing the "Messengers of Peace" Network
Sharing of experiences, expertise and ideas well at both a national and regional level is vital to extend the impact of key programmes developed by one association to another or from one community to another. Support is therefore available to facilitate this exchange of personnel and knowledge.

Messengers of Peace Support Fund

The Messengers of Peace Support Fund provides financial support to service projects and Scouting initiatives around the world. The Fund enables Scouts in poorer countries to implement the types of vital projects that can change communities. It also supports project management capacity building for NSOs and Regional Offices.

The Fund targets five categories of work:

1. Training in dialogue;
2. Support for specific peace projects;
3. Support to young people living in "hot" conflict situations;
4. Capacity strengthening; and
5. Globalizing the Messengers of Peace Global Network.

Messengers of Peace Global Network

Throughout the world, Scouts work for peace in their communities in many different ways. The Messengers of Peace Global Network is the tool for connecting this work. Using social media, the Network will allow Scouts to showcase their service projects and meet online to share their ideas, tell their stories and work together to build peace in their communities.

The Network will enable Scouts to connect across national boundaries in a way that was once only possible at Jamborees and other global events. Through greater access to ideas, training and support, these connections will strengthen all of Scouting. The resulting mosaic of stories and cooperation will be the ideal platform for demonstrating the global impact of Scouting to the world.

What do we mean by Peace?

The concept of peace as defined by the Scout Movement encompasses three different dimensions:
  1. The personal dimension: harmony, justice and equality
  2. The community dimension: peace as opposed to hostility or violent conflict
  3. Relationships between humankind and its environment: security, social and economic welfare and relationship with the environment
Any Scout that has participated or is participating in a project which has a significant impact on the community in any one of the three dimensions above can qualify as a Messenger of Peace.

About Messengers of Peace

Since its inception in late 2001, the Gifts for Peace programme of World Scouting has inspired over 10 million Scouts in 110 countries to work for peace in their local communities. So many great examples can be given from across the world.

When he saw this work, His Majesty King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia – a great friend of Scouting – observed that "Scouts are Messengers of Peace". He and King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden (Honorary Chairman of the World Scout Foundation) have been so impressed with the impact Scouts have had that they got together to see what would be needed to achieve even more. As a result, they formally launched the Messengers of Peace initiative in September 2011.

The aim of the Messengers of Peace initiative is to inspire millions of young men and women throughout the world to work for the cause of Scouting:
Creating a Better World! The initiative promotes young men and women as Leaders for Life – in their communities and in their world

Kenya Scouts Association

The Kenya Scouts Association is the sole body managing the Scout Movement throughout Kenya and is a registered member of World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM)
 The Kenya Scouts Association is a voluntary non-political educational movement for young people open to all without distinction of origin such as (but not limited to) race, gender, creed, status or ethnic background, in accordance with the purpose, principles and method conceived by the Founder.

The aim of the Association is to contribute to the development of young people in achieving their full physical, intellectual, emotional, social and spiritual potential as individuals, as responsible citizens, and as members of their local, national and international communities.

The Association is based on the Principles of the Scout Movement which are:

a) Duty to God: Adherence to spiritual principles, loyalty to the religion that expresses them, and acceptance of the duties resulting there from.b) Duty to Others:
Loyalty to one's country in harmony with the promotion of local, national, and international peace, understanding and cooperation. Participation in the development of society with recognition and respect for the dignity of one's fellow man and for the integrity of the natural world.c) Duty to self:
Is the responsibility for the development of oneself – self-development; self respect, self esteem and self satisfaction. All these are summed up in the Scout Promise. Self-commitment on ones own willingness to service which he/she voluntary accepts to live up to.
Adherence to Law and Promise

The Promise
"On my honour; I promise that I will do my best
To do my duty to God and to my Country
To help other people at all times and to obey the Scout Law"

The Scout Law:
  1. A Scout's honour is to be trusted.
  2. A Scout is a good citizen,
  3. who respects God, his Country, Parents, Employers, Scouters and others.
  4. A Scout's duty is to be useful and to help others.
  5. A Scout is a friend to all, and
  6. kin to every other Scout regardless of country, community, religion or tribe the other may belong.
  7. A Scout is kind and has respect for others.
  8. A Scout learns about the environment and is concerned with its protection.
  9. A Scout obeys lawful orders of those in authority.
  10. A Scout is cheerful and brave in all difficulties.
  11. A Scout makes good use of all things.
  12. A Scout is clean in appearance, thought, word and deed.
  13. The Motto of the Association is "Be Prepared."