Upcoming International Dates/Festivals 2021
UN Year for the Elimination of Child Labour | UN Year for Peace and Trust
27th March: Passover (Judaism)
28th March: Holi (Hinduism)
2nd April: World Autism Awareness Day
4th April: Easter (Christianity)
12th April: Start of Ramadan (Islam)
20th April: Chinese Language Day
25th April: World Malaria Day
27th April: Buddhist New Year (Buddhism)
3rd May: World Press Freedom Day
12th May: Eid Al-Fitr (Islam)
22nd May: International Day for Biological Diversity
These international and religious days and festivals are a great chance to get your scouts talking about the wider world. Why not use one, if it coincides with your group meeting as a theme for an evening? You can run activities and sessions to work towards many badges including:
- World Challenge Badge
- International Activity Badge
- Global Issues Activity Badge
- World Faiths Activity Badge
Adults: Time To Register Your Interest in Roles for 2023 WSJ to South Korea
Text by Richard Bird
The 25th World Scout Jamboree will return to Asia and take place in South Korea in 2023. We are pleased to say that the UK contingent leader will be Herts’ own County Commissioner, Liz Walker.
At this stage, Adults are invited to express their interest to attend (as International Service Team, Contingent Management Support Team or Unit Leaders/Assistants), via the UK Scouts website, link here:
All details regarding the event, which takes place every 4 years, can be found on this site. In due course, our young people will also be invited to apply for places, but we’re not at that stage yet.
Scouts Against Malaria (SAM):
Update from the International Team
Text by Peter Makewell
25th April 2021 is World Malaria Day - Why not Raise Awareness of Malaria and Raise Funds for SAM at the same time?
The International Team are pleased to bring you some positive news at this time when we are all waiting for lockdown restrictions to lift and international travel is not yet allowed.
Whilst we cannot go abroad during the Pandemic, we can still transfer funds and that is exactly what the SAM team did after a zoom meeting with the South Eastern Region ACC(I)’s and International Advisers.
The Counties of Essex, Hampshire, Berkshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, and Surrey all participated in a discussion about the progress of the Scouts Against Malaria campaign (SAM) and during those discussions it became apparent that the Hampshire team were way ahead of us in Hertfordshire and had already been providing and distributing nets in Malawi, Ghana, and Uganda, but had run out of funds.
At that time, the Hertfordshire SAM team had been involved in a frustrating year trying to move forward with our contacts with the Scouts of Burkina Faso to buy nets and get them distributed, but changes to their organisation had hampered progress badly, and here we were sitting on funds raised by Hertfordshire Scouts and unable to get them used for the purpose for which they were raised. As a result, after a discussion with the SAM team in Hertfordshire, we donated £3,000.00 of the Hertfordshire SAM fund to Hampshire Scouts and they were able to transfer the money, buy nets and get them distributed, even whilst the Pandemic continues.
Please see a video below showing how Cleopatra John was able to buy and distribute nets in Uganda, paid for by Hertfordshire Scouts and a report from Prince Akese who has also been organising the purchase and distribution of nets in Ghana. Read the report by the Ghana Scout Association here.
The next video was sent to us by Louis Okyere the Chief Commissioner of the Scouts in Ghana, showing the nets being purchased and distributed in Ghana.
We have received a report from the Scouts in Malawi who have also received funds from Hertfordshire and are organising the purchase and distribution of nets at this time. You can read it here: Report on net distribution in Malawi at Mvera.
I would like to thank all those who have used the Case of Malaria to fundraise for this incredibly worthwhile cause, I can now say to you all that your actions will have saved lives and will continue to save lives for some time to come. Looking ahead, whilst we all wait for the return of face-to-face scouting, Districts and Groups who are looking for zoom content should revisit the SAM resources on the County web site because a lot of the content will adapt to make good online programs for all age groups. Since making the donation to Hampshire Scouts I am please to be able to let everyone know that the Scouts of Burkina Faso have been in touch again and we are actively working with them to purchase nets and distribute them in Burkina Faso, and as soon as it has happened, we will share the images with you all. Please remember, if you fundraise £10.00 and donate it to the SAM team you will be able to wear the SAM badge on your uniform, and I promise that any Beaver, Cub, Scout, Explorer, Network member or Leader who raises £10.00 will receive a SAM badge and as soon as the rules allow, I will visit you at your normal meeting and present the badge to you.
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