The Singapore Scout Association at the World Non-Formal Education Forum
From 9 to 11 December 2019, Venture Scout Aminulla Antong represented The Singapore Scout Association at the World Non-Formal Education Forum held in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil alongside some 400 participants from several youth organizations such as the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM), World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS), International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), and The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award, among other youth organizations[1]. Over the three days, Aminulla attended plenary sessions and participated actively in breakout discussions on non-formal education (NFE) and attaining the Sustainable Development Goals.
On the final day of the forum, Aminulla spoke alongside Sarah Nancollas, CEO, World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, Tina Hoceva, Vice President of the European Youth Forum, Ahmad Alhendawi, Secretary General of the World Organization of the Scout Movement, and Layne Robinson, Head of Social Policy Development, the Commonwealth secretariat at a panel discussion on “Building Alliances and Acting on Commitments” and provided some insights on the youth programme he had benefited from since his days as a Cub Scout.
What a proud moment for The Singapore Scout Association for one of our youth members to be heard on a global platform alongside figures of stature in the international community! This exemplifies our commitment to non-formal education for our youths. Aminulla’s participation in the forum alongside other international participants culminated in the Rio Declaration on Non-Formal Education.
In gist, the declaration sums up the proceedings of the forum and concludes with a call to action in 5 areas: recognizing a Right to Non-Formal Education, recognizing NFE, innovating learning, investing in NFE and stronger partnerships on the same. The document is available in its entirety at https://worldnfeforum.com/declaration/ -- interested youths and adult leaders keen on staying up to date with the latest theoretical framework on Scouting should definitely peruse this document.
