This summer, 39,000 scouts from as many as 150 countries are coming to Sweden. For two weeks theywill be living together in a tent city, experiencing different activities and adventures. Such a huge number of participants will result in a camp bigger than an average sized Swedish city!
What is a Jamboree?
Jamboree is a big international scout camp that, since 1920, takes place every four years somewhere in the
world. You can compare it to the Olympics – for every jamboree a host country is chosen after competition with other candidates. It was decided in 2005 that Sweden was going to organize the 22nd World Scout Jamboree in 2011, after a tough competition with Singapore, Japan and Australia.
What is World Scout Jamboree 2011?
This year’s Jamboree will take place on the fields of Rinkaby, not far from the city of Kristianstad, in the eastern parts of the province of Skåne in southern Sweden, from July 27 to August 7. The camp site has already been tested. There were two big Swedish scout camps in 2001 and 2007 with over 20,000 participants.
Who will come to the Jamboree?
39,000 scouts from as many as 150 countries are expected to attend this year’s edition of Jamboree. The participants are from 14 to 17 years old. The goal is to have at least one participant from every country where there are scouts who are members of the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM). Organization of a Jamboree of that size is only possible with the help of thousands of international volunteers. The youth participants are only three quarters of the 39,000 who are going to be at the camp. The rest are scout leaders and volunteers; adults and young people over 18. They are responsible for everything from cooking to planning stage performances and driving buses. The Jamboree is also expecting around 40,000 day visitors to the camp.
What is the Jamboree about?
The main theme of this year’s Jamboree is ”Simply Scouting.” We want to show scouting in all of its forms from all over the world. The programme will be based on three concepts: meetings, nature, and solidarity.
Meetings
World Scout Jamboree 2011 will encourage meetings between different cultures, religions, and countries. The participants will get to know people of different backgrounds, people they might not ever have met otherwise. Everything about the Jamboree will encourage meetings: the schedule, the programme, and even the camp site design!
Nature
Nature is an important part of World Scout Jamboree 2011. The camp site is a big field, close to both the fo-
rest and the ocean. For many scouts around the world, the landscape will offer a new and exciting experience. In the Jamboree programme, nature and the surrounding environment will be used as a learning tool, to both its vulnerability and what individuals can do to protect and improve the environment.
Solidarity
A prime objective of World Scout Jamboree 2011 is to foster a sense of solidarity between scouts of all ages and scout organizations from around the world. Participants will realize shared common responsibility for our planet and for each other. The Jamboree will encourage respect for other people, emphasizing equal rights and peace.
A Green Jamboree
This World Scout Jamboree 2011 is proud to have received the Eco Award from the environmental organization ”Keep Sweden Tidy”. This means that the jamboree has fulfilled certain requirements regarding environment and sustainability by implementing measures that minimise the Jamboree’s impact on the environment at all stages of the jamboree; while planning the camp, during the camp and in the after-parts of the camp.
Operation One World
In order to help Scouts who would otherwise not have been able to participate in the Jamboree, we have initiated the Jamboree solidarity fund, Operation One World. Operation One World assists Scouts with the costs for transportation, participation fee, entry visas and camp equipment as well as preparation costs and costs for the stay in Sweden before and
after the World Scout Jamboree. We work together with the World Organization of the Scout Movement’s (WOSM´s) six regional offices to select young people who would otherwise not be able to participate and whose participation will have a deep impact on them and their surrounding environment. The participants commit to share their experiences and knowledge with peer Scouts and young people in their native societies thereby multiplying the investment in the development of young people.
