Messengers of Peace

A Couple of Words Brought About a Worldwide Initiative

“Scouts serve as messengers for kindness, love and peace across the globe. I implore divine guidance for the scouts to significantly benefit humankind and foster global unity. The continuation of humankind hinges on mutual love. You have touched the lives of approximately 28 million young people. I hope you continue to thrive and achieve great things in your selfless endeavor to benefit humankind.”

Late King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques

This moving speech was delivered by King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, in 1422 AH (2001 AD), during his reception of the participants in the 23rd Arab Scout Conference, held in Riyadh under his auspices. This speech brought about the idea of directing scouts across the globe to serve as “Messengers of Peace” for all humankind.

King Abdullah’s Speech and Its Global Resonance

The plea made by King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, for scouts to serve as “Messengers of Peace” garnered widespread global recognition for its originality and lofty objective. Scouts from across the globe swiftly answered this call. King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, the World Scout Foundation’s (WSF) Honorary Chairman, endorsed this endeavor. King Carl was in attendance at the event, listened to King Abdullah’s speech, and expressed his conviction in the potent capacity of scouts to advance security and peace within diverse nations worldwide. Subsequently, WSF embraced this initiative and formally designated it the “Messengers of Peace” program, a title initially coined by late King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.

Launch

Since its inception in 2001, as envisioned by late King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, the project has evolved through various phase. Initially met with widespread support and enthusiasm, it progressed to the establishment of its first phase in 2003. This ambitious global program was implemented in challenging regions worldwide, including Palestine and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In 2006, the Saudi Arabian Scouts Association welcomed a gathering of 1,500 scouts and rovers representing 85 different nations within the confines of Jubail Industrial City. This event was organized under the theme of “Together for Peace.” Within a mere five years, the call made by late King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz had garnered a resounding response from over ten million scouts hailing from 110 nations.

In 2008, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz sponsored the World Scout Exhibition for Peace, organized by WSF as part of its efforts to promote peace and took place in Riyadh, which marked the beginning of this journey, as it subsequently extended to numerous capitals and countries. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques was honored with the Baden-Powell Fellowship by WSF during the Exhibition, and was made a WSF member by WSF Honorary Chairman, the King of Sweden, in recognition of his support of the World Scout Movement and his endeavors to foster global peace.

This project, fully captured the essence and principles championed by King Abdullah, initially introduced in 2001 as “Gifts of Peace,” and subsequently underwent a transformation at the Scout Leaders Camp in Jeddah in 2011 as it was renamed “Messengers of Peace”.

Despite the project had garnered substantial attention and accomplishments over a decade until 2011, King Abdullah’s vision was far from complete. The initiative gained significant momentum following the Scout Leaders Camp in Jeddah, where it was renamed as “Messengers of Peace”. This transformation was fueled by a generous grant exceeding 37 million dollars from the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to WSF as endowment designated to support peace-building programs, train scout leaders in their implementation, aid scout associations in underprivileged nations, and qualify scouting leaders through events organized in these nations by WSF over a ten-year period concluding in 2020.

"Messengers of Peace" is a Window on the World

This project stands as one of the world’s foremost endeavors dedicated to fostering peace, dialogue, health, environmental well-being, and conflict resolution within and between communities. By empowering scouts to serve as peace advocates through a global network, the project aims to instill peace and harmony across ethnic and cultural divides in conflict-ridden communities.

The project’s originator and primary advocate, late King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, envisioned a world where 20 million scouts from across the globe would unite. His aspiration was to transform at least two-thirds of the world’s 30 million scouts into active peacemakers within their communities, empowered to positively impact the world. Furthermore, the project aspires to transmit messages promoting peace to a minimum of 200 million individuals globally by 2020.

Project Scope & Term

This global project concentrates its efforts on undertaking initiatives, fostering dialogue, resolving conflicts, and building networks to broaden its reach, thereby accomplishing its intended objectives. WSF, working together with the Saudi Arabian Scouts Association, will carry out the project over a ten-year period from 2011 to 2020.

Project Achievements

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed in late December 2015 between the Arabian Scouts Association and Arab Bureau of Education for the Gulf Countries (ABEGS), including the enhancement of the The Messengers of Peace project within the bureau’s member countries.
Over 2,500 young people were trained in the city of Goharhakh Verdian, the Republic of Armenia, in the areas of volunteering, social responsibility, and environmental stewardship.
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Foundation for Humanitarian Work and the World Scout Foundation. The aim was to support World Scout efforts in promoting peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo in Central Africa, specifically to assist communities in recovering from the impacts of war and disasters, and to promote a culture of peace, coexistence, and harmony for a brighter future. The Saudi-based foundation allocated 1 million Saudi Riyals for this three-year project in Congo, ending in 2018.
The project contributed to bridging the gap between Protestants and Catholics in several European countries.
Millions of pilgrims were served annually by Saudi Scout “The Messengers of Peace”.
The project adopted three initiatives from American Scouts to promote a culture of dialogue and peace.
Several projects were implemented in Slovenia, Bosnia, Kenya, Ethiopia, and many other countries.
Over 150 countries have joined the project, with more than 10 million young people participating.
As of 2014, approximately 108 projects were underway, distributed as follows: (11 in Africa, 17 in Arab countries, 49 in Asia and the Pacific, 19 in Europe, and 12 in Central America.)
The project has accumulated a total of 572 million volunteer hours since its inception.
Institutional network partnerships have been established between scouting organizations from various countries, civilizations, religions, and ethnicities, deepening the concept of peace and fraternity.
The project contributed to an agricultural development project in Indonesia.
The Messengers of Peace within the Salvadoran Scouts played a role in resolving conflicts between armed groups and youth.
The project responded to the earthquake disaster in the Philippines.
Assistance was provided to Syrian refugees on the Lebanese border.
The project successfully facilitated reconciliation between the Tutsi and Hutu tribes in Rwanda, who had been involved in a devastating war.
The project participated in rescue processes for residents of Port-au-Prince in the Tabarre department of Haiti.