“The first Jamboree to travel”… A Boneful Word from Secretary-General Alhendawi

“Never on any journey have I faced so many challenges and extreme weather conditions. This is the first time for a ‘traveling Jamboree’.”

World Scout Federation Secretary-General Ahmed Alhendawi 안전놀이터said at the farewell speech at the closing ceremony of the ‘2023 Saemangeum World Scout Jamboree’ held at the Seoul World Cup Stadium in Mapo-gu, Seoul on the 11th, “(This Jamboree) is not an easy journey. It was an even more valuable time for the crew,” he said.

“A lot has happened in the past few days,” Alhendawi said. It wasn’t easy, it was hard, but it was impressive,” he said. “You guys faced the ordeal and turned it into a rather special experience.”

At the beginning of the Jamboree event, which opened in Saemangeum, Buan, Jeollabuk-do on the 1st, basic hygiene problems such as toilets and showers arose one after another in the scorching heat, and British and American scouts retired early, and all crew members were forced to leave the country due to the influence of Typhoon ‘Kanun’. It seems to be an indirect expression of the difficulties caused by evacuation.

Secretary-General Alhendawi said, “This experience showing creativity and resilience in the face of challenges is even more valuable. We came back, and the Jamboree reunited,” he said. “What we know and have proven once again is that if anyone can do it, it’s a scout,” receiving cheers from the 40,000 members gathered at the stadium.

“This gathering tonight was only possible because of the organizers who made it possible for us to get together again before we left,” he said.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Han Deok-soo, who was in charge of the closed consulate, said, “I feel sorry for the scouts who have suffered from unprecedented heat waves and typhoons due to climate change throughout the event.” We did our best so that the crew could enjoy various programs in a safe place away from the site.”