Scouting Heroes Recognized

Scouting Heroes Recognized

Since its launch last year, the Messengers of Peace global initiative has helped Scouts all over the world to tell their story to a wider audience than ever before.  Spontaneous on-line networks have sprung up – bringing young people from different language groups, cultures and regions together with one purpose – to share their experiences of how they have changed their communities.  To date, projects they have recorded on the MOP web platform show that over five million community members have benefitted directly from their work.  These scouts are truly exceptional.

Among the Scouts, however, are a few that have made such a difference that they are the exceptions among the exceptional.  We call them heroes!

World Scouting, nominated five such Scouts for the first “Heroes of Messengers of Peace Awards”:

• Donald Michel (Haiti) for his heroic action saving a policeman's life during the earthquake in Haiti;
• Rahmad Hidayat – a Rover Scout from Central Java in Indonesia, who, together with his group, has led wonderful projects to help unemployed young people in his community.  Rahmad received the award on behalf of the National Rover Scout Committee of the Indonesian Scouts, Gerakan Pramuka, which has inspired nearly 2 million Scouts to become Messengers of Peace in the first year;
• Eagle Scout Anthony Thomas – the 2,000,000th Eagle Scout in the history of the Boy Scouts of America, who received the award on behalf of the National Eagle Scout Association of the BSA, who annually inspire over 50,000 Eagle Scouts to do amazing things in their communities and thus become Messengers of Peace;
• Abdulaziz Al Qosy – a Rover Scout from Riyadh, who has worked tirelessly in the Hajj Pilgrimage and the Environment Programme, who received the award on behalf of all the Messengers of Peace in Saudi Arabian Scouting; and lastly
• Colm Kavanagh of Ireland who has volunteered for over two years helping to build the MOP network and programs globally.  Colm’s tireless efforts have helped to inspire millions of Scouts. Colm accepted the award on behalf of the over 3 million adult leaders who work quietly as volunteers helping young Scouts to excel!

The Hero Awards were presented by HRH Prince Fahd bin Badr bin Abdulaziz al Saud - Governor of the Al Jawf Region, Mr Luc Panissod - Secretary General, WOSM and Prof Dr Abdullah Al-Fahad - President, Saudi Arabian Scout Association.

From 2013 the MoP Hero Awards will be awarded annually to Scouts who make a real difference in their communities, and whose actions have been reported on www.scoutmessengers.org