Messengers of Peace, the World Organization of the Scout Movement initiative devoted to inspiring a culture of peace across the globe, has undergone a significant realignment designed to better empower Scouts to serve as peace-builders and global citizens.
Among the changes are five new learning paths, created to allow Scouts to engage with the program in the way that inspires them the most.
The learning paths cover 17 sustainable development goals. By embarking on the path of their choice, a Scout could be on their way to pursuing a Messengers of Peace award.
“What they are doing in the course of their normal Scouting, as they are working on these things, they are Messengers of Peace,” says Marcia French, a member of the Scouting America International Committee and chair of Scouting America’s Messengers of Peace. “They’re brothers and sisters to Scouts all over the world who are doing things exactly like they are in their own communities.”
What are the Messengers of Peace learning paths?
Scouts are invited to engage with the Messengers of Peace program through one or more of these focused pathways:
- Civic engagement — advocating for solutions to issues they are passionate about
- Culture and heritage — creating a sense of belonging to a culture and respecting other cultures
- Diversity and inclusion — appreciating diversity and standing for inclusion for all
- Humanitarian action — supporting others during times of need and crisis
- Peace-building — taking action to contribute to a more peaceful society
What is a Messengers of Peace project?
A Messengers of Peace project is any project, discussion, activity or initiative that requires effort toward one of the following sustainable development goals: no poverty; zero hunger; gender equality; decent work and economic growth; industry, innovation and infrastructure; reduced inequalities; sustainable cities and communities; responsible consumption and production; climate action; peace, justice and strong institutions; and partnership for the goals (collaborative efforts between governments, the private sector and other stakeholders to achieve the previous goals).
Can Scouting service projects count as a Messengers of Peace project?
Yes!
If you’re working on achieving the rank of Eagle Scout (in Scouts BSA) or the Summit Award (in Venturing), there’s a good chance that your service project is a Messengers of Peace project.
Consult the official Scouting America Messengers of Peace Program Guide to learn more.
A great example of an Eagle-Scout-project-turned-Messengers-of-Peace project can be found in the efforts of Jason Woodman from Troop 1094 in Darnestown, Maryland, in 2024. After reading up on the endangered status of monarch butterflies, Jason decided to complete an Eagle Scout project that would help all pollinators.
The result was that a half acre of overlooked land became a thriving pollinator habitat. Jason was then inspired to take on a second project, the installation of four wood duck nesting boxes at a pond near his community, earning him a Distinguished Conservation Service Award.
For all of his work, Jason earned a Messengers of Peace Distinguished Project Award.
In addition to the Distinguished Project Award, there are also Messengers of Peace Advocate, Champion and Ambassador awards, along with recognitions at the unit and council levels.
There is also a Dialogue for Peace badge, focusing on understanding identity, respectful communication and using dialogue as a tool for peace. And there’s an Interreligious Dialogue badge that encourages Scouts to reflect on their own spiritual beliefs, appreciate religious diversity and live out their duty to God in respectful conversation with others.
Any registered Scout can earn these badges while working on a Messengers of Peace award — or as standalone challenges. The badges are not required to earn any Messengers of Peace award, but they offer an enriching path for those especially interested in the learning paths related to dialogue, culture or faith.
Details on all the badges and related options can be found in The Messengers of Peace Program Guide.
What prompted this realignment of the Messengers of Peace initiative?
In June 2024, representatives from Scouting America joined representatives from World Scouting and the World Scout Foundation in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to celebrate a $50 million grant from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, extending long-term support for the Messengers of Peace initiative worldwide.
That same summer at the World Scout Conference in Egypt, the Scouts for SDGs initiative was announced, designed to help Scouts start their Messengers of Peace journey.
Considering all of that, the timing seemed right for Scouting America to update its own Messengers of Peace program.
“We wanted to realign our Messengers of Peace program to bring it into line with what other national Scout organizations are doing around the world,” French says. “A lot of countries are watching to see how these programs are being implemented. We want them to see what fantastic things our youth in Scouting America are doing as Messengers of Peace.”
Click here to learn more about Scouting America’s Messengers of Peace program.
Photo from the Scouting America archives
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