Tunisian Scouts lead climate action

Scouting News
Tunisian Scouts lead climate change action

Tunisian Scouts are leading climate action through regional advocacy work, awareness-raising activities and a tree-planting drive across the country, as part of an innovative approach to encourage young people to become democratic agents of change and proactively lead local and regional campaigns to impact local communities across Tunisia.  

This action is directly inspired by the Young Voices Forums, just one of four key components of the wider and longstanding Future Leaders project underway between Les Scouts Tunisiens (Tunisian Scouts) and the KFUM-Spejderne I Danmark (KFUM Scouts), one of the Danish Scout Associations, to strengthen young democracy, freedom of expression, citizenship and entrepreneurship. 

Young Voices Forums are held regularly and include the participation of Danish Scouts alongside Tunisia Scouts. Recent editions included Forums in Sousse and Sfax, for a total of 79 participants, with dialogue sessions run on violence, education and human rights and support given to encourage Scouts to lead advocacy work, including the latest climate change action.  

The World Scout Foundation supports this exciting Future Leaders initiative through our partnership with Alwaleed Philanthropies, which has provided generous co-funding for the project, since 2018, alongside the Danish-Arab Partnership Programme.  

Follow the Future Leaders online for the latest news, newsletters, outcomes and impact.

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Tunisian Scouts for Climate Change
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Tunisian Scouts for Climate Change
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How is the Future Leaders Project creating change? 
Scouts are using a participatory approach and the Scout Method to engage young people in civic society through four different project components: 

  1. Social Entrepreneurship: Scouts carry out awareness seminars, project management training, and social projects in their local communities.  

  2. Civic Society Platforms: Scouts educate volunteer consultants to support new Scout groups in marginalised areas. Tunisian Scouts are also developing an implementation plan for “Family Scouting” (Scouting for families with children aged 3-8 years) to reach more young mothers and their families, encouraging them to join local Scout groups, with the ultimate aim of empowering young mothers with leading roles in their local communities.  

  3. Democratic Change Agents: Scouts run Youth Educational Forums and Young Voices Forums. Participants learn about advocacy and recognise that they have the knowledge and the competencies to plan and carry out local/regional campaigns.  

  4. Public Diplomacy Activities in Denmark: Scouts have created a platform whereby civic society in Denmark can be influenced to develop cross-cultural projects and intercultural understanding to strengthen their abilities in addressing tendencies towards radicalisation in local communities through inclusion in civic society.  

Future Leaders will bring about positive change at three levels: 

  • Individual: Scouts empower young people by enabling them to manage social projects in their local communities, raising awareness of their potential to take on an active role in peace-making.  

  • Organisational: Scouts are establishing new Scout groups and strengthening existing ones in vulnerable areas, to increase their capacity to engage marginalised youth in the community, with the necessary values for a peaceful and democratic society.  

  • Societal: Scouts are helping young people to realise their potential as active citizens and right holders — giving them the necessary skills to address political issues such as radicalisation, corruption, inequality and environmental issues, to continue to hold duty bearers accountable, and to increase public awareness regarding these issues through youth-led campaigns.