A german perspective...

… on Scout Founders Day and World Thinking Day! Remembrance: Each year on the 22nd of February a very valuable movement honors their Founders Lord Robert Baden-Powell and Olave Baden-Powell: Scouting and Guiding! Since 1907 their ideas have endured and have been developed to worlds leading educational youth movement and leadership framework. The coincidence that both Founders have had their birthday on the 22nd is giving 50 million active members around the globe reason to celebrate. #WTD2019 #ScoutFoundersDay #thinkingday #foundersday

But this date comes with another coincidence. 4 days earlier in 1943: German Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels called for total war, many of our grandfathers were already fighting at the frontlines of World War II, including mine. In this context, on the 22nd in 1943, the siblings Hans and Sophie Scholl and their friend Christoph Probst were sentenced to death and killed by the Nazi regime, later each member of the non-violent resistance group White Rose was either killed or imprisoned.

18 years later: The founders of my local scout group in which i grew up chose to name it White Rose. Growing up in scouting a blazing spark of motivation to volunteer arose, which is constantly lighting up new paths  since then and keeps advancing my life. With this connection of commemoration and remembrance culture in mind, it is very important to me to spread this message: Please do remember to actively participate and engage in society, which is my definition of politics. Do publicly esteem the courage of especially young people to not only be a „follower“ but to think against the tide. Help them to build up their own strong moral sense. Empower them to listen and to feel, to respect and to resist in peace.

From the 6th leaflet of the White Rose:

„The name of Germany is dishonored for all time if German youth does not finally rise, take revenge, and atone, smash its tormentors, and set up a new Europe of the spirit.“

Europe in 2019: Nowadays we can live freely in this proclaimed new spirit! That is worth to champion, speak up and advocate for. Do this a lot. Go vote! Don’t let others decide without your involvement. Resist. Influence public debate and simply start to discuss topics which are important to you with everyone! It is so important to involve ourselves and our fellow human beings beyond scouting and guiding in democracy and all the opportunities of togetherness on this planet.

First step: Easy! Go vote and make noise for it! May 2019!

From Europe with Love

Jonas

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