From 23 July to 2 August 2018, Scouting Nederland organises the 2018 edition of Roverway. This will be a challenging international Rover and Ranger event for European guides and scouts between the ages of 16 to 22. This event is organised by the European Scout Region of the World Organisation of the Scout Movement (WOSM) and the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS).

About 3,000 Rovers and Rangers will participate in Roverway, coming from over twenty countries. The participants will be divided into international teams, with whom they will participate in the Path of their choice. These Paths are located throughout the Netherlands. After the Path, the participants travel to International Scout and Guide Centre Zeewolde where the central camp will take place for another few days. During Roverway, young people from all over Europe come into contact with each other and develop both themselves and others.

Event Motto – Opposites Attract

The 2018 edition of Roverway focuses on personal development of the participants as part of their role in society. Roverway wants to create an environment in which Rovers and Rangers can interchange experiences, knowledge and ideas. The three educational objectives of Roverway encourage this and centralize around society and intercultural learning.

Encounters and debate are essential in our daily lives: there is you and the other, but one does not exist without the other: there is no fight without an opponent. No boys without girls. No land without water. No North without South and no youth without growing old.

In our society it is easy to walk away to what you know and choose the easy road, but humans are curious creatures that want to discover what is behind it all. Roverway challenges Rovers and Rangers to explore the unknown paths and uncharted waters with us and to develop a constructive and critical mind-set about their role in society. Let’s approach each other in open and honest debate.

Educational Objectives

Youngsters in Europe are facing a changing society. Rising youth unemployment in the South of Europe, the increasing power of online means, debates challenging gender and diversity and immigrants coming to Europe to look after a better future, are only some examples of this change.

The Dutch democracy is driven by the necessity to control and navigate the waters. Reclaiming lands and sailing the seas and rivers have fostered the Dutch economy until today. These Dutch roots can help promote tolerance, foster future perspectives and help overcome differences. This will help Rovers and Ranger to fulfil the expectations of their citizenship. The Roverway educational objectives that help today’s youth bridge their challenges in our society are:

Character:
Rovers and Rangers will challenge themselves to approach others in debate, to foster tolerance and develop a constructive and critical mindset about their role in society and to find an answer to the question how they can contribute to challenges ahead?

Career:
Rovers and Rangers will be supported to become an active European citizen, equipped to gain a place in the economy and know their strengths and weaknesses.

Curiosity:
Rovers and Rangers will be inspired to be open and curious to others, understanding the challenges of diversity and minorities in an inclusive society.

The four statements of the identity matrix are the pillars on which the Paths will be built. The identity matrix revolves around personal growth and development and getting to know one’s impact on the world. The identity matrix consists of four statements, which together make a person aware of themselves and the impact they have on the world around them. This makes Roverway 2018 different from a ‘normal’ summer camp. We want Roverway 2018 to give the participants a great and super fun camp and also be a learning opportunity and maybe even spiritual experience. The four statements of the identity matrix are:

“I recognise myself” to encourage participants to be self aware. We want them to be aware of their own strength and weaknesses and accept them.

“I am open to others” to foster an open and safe atmosphere where everybody is included without preconceptions and is treated equal. We want to celebrate our differences and create an event in which we can learn from each other.

“I can make a difference” to show that we are all responsible for our own destiny. There are no barriers to making a difference. Every event, no matter if it is small or big, starts with the action of one person: you!

“I am involved in the world around me” as our actions have consequences for ourselves as well as for the world around us. We want to stimulate a strong moral conscience for our participants and encourage them to contribute in a manner that is socially, politically and environmentally sustainable. We also hope we can motivate them in supporting others to become involved in the world around them.

For more information, visit the Roverway website!