Geneva, 22 July 2022 (TDI): Scouts from all over Switzerland will travel to Valais from 23 July to 6 August for the National Summer Camp of the Swiss Scout Movement (mova), where the United Nations will promote human rights and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Approximately 30,000 Swiss Scouts will congregate for the summer camp, and twenty United Nations employees from Geneva will join close to 5,000 volunteers in the Conches Valley to monitor them.
UN Geneva will meet with thousands of Swiss Scouts to encourage them to act in favor of the #GlobalGoals ⛺️ 🇨🇭
30,000 participants are expected to attend the summer camp of the Swiss Scout Movement (mova), the largest scout camp ever held in 🇨🇭: https://t.co/6Lld4pBKAa #SDGs pic.twitter.com/310Uyy9uca
— UN Geneva (@UNGeneva) July 21, 2022
The Scout Movement
The Scout Movement aims to help young people develop their full physical, spiritual, social, and intellectual potential. In this way, people become responsible citizens and active members of their local, national, and global communities.
The scouts help to build a better world where people are self-fulfilled as individuals and play a constructive role in society.
The summer camp for the Swiss Scouts Movement summer will hold for two weeks, from 23 July to 6 August. It is organized only once every fourteen years.
UN to provide information to achieve SDGs
Almost one thousand Scouts will participate in the UN workshop on human rights, addressing inclusiveness and diversity. Thousands more will be expected to come to the UN booth in the middle of the Scouts’ Global Village to learn about SDGs.
UN will offer several activities such as quizzes, games, charts, and videos to raise awareness about the Sustainable Development Goals.
Scouts will learn about various subjects, including how to reduce their carbon emissions and why it’s important to protect the environment from plastic pollution.
Other subjects include how to help refugees with their education, overcome inequality and promote human rights for all.
Moreover, the knowledge on producing and consuming food environmentally friendly and the importance of decent work will be provided.
The UN, in this way, will encourage the Scouts to play their part in achieving the Development Goals by 2030.
Challenges for the SDGs
According to the recent progress report on SDGs in 2022, global climate change, COVID-19, and conflicts put the SDGs under serious threat. The combination of these issues threatens the SDGs’ success and survival.
These factors collectively have hindered efforts to advance the SDGs and have worsened crises in food and nutrition, health, education, the environment, and peace and security.
Importance of Scout Movement summer camp for SDGs
Director-General of UN Geneva, Tatiana Valovaya said:
“The Scout Movement is an important partner that can really boost the efforts already underway to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.”
“The values shared by the scouts are very close to UN values, based on respect for human rights and sustainable development.”
“The UN’s participation in this camp is an excellent opportunity for us to get closer to young Swiss people from all regions of our host country and to raise their awareness of the issues that concern us all.”
The camp, which will span over 120 hectares, will be seen as a little town situated between the beautiful villages of Geschinen and Ulrichen.
The UN Geneva booth will be open from 1 pm to 8 pm every day of the camp and highlight various SDGs through panels to the Scouts.
