By Kate Giordan Flores
Second-year nutrition and dietetics student James Jason Isada from Silliman University (SU) represented the Philippines as its sole delegate in the World Scout Foundation peace workshop at Saudi Arabia.
Dubbed “Innovation in Youth-led Peace Education: Messengers of Peace Workshop,” the three-day event from Sept. 14 to 16 featured panel discussions, workshops, intergenerational dialogues, and sessions on various fields.
The Messengers of Peace, a flagship initiative of the World Organization of the Scout Movement launched in 2010, empowers scouts to take action beyond local communities and foster global peace.
According to Isada, his dialogue with other scouts and the speakers served as a reminder that despite their differences, they were united by “a common desire to build peace in [their] communities.”
“This entire experience affirmed my belief that young people have the power to claim space, raise awareness, and nurture advocacies that reflect our shared hopes for a more peaceful and sustainable future,” he said.
Isada furthered that he will continue to advocate for peace education and support the advocacy of world scouting and its call to be a “messenger of peace” in his own small and simple ways.
“Guided by the values of being a Sillimanian, I hope to give back in our grassroots communities […] which reflects the spirit of Scouting and the lessons I gained from this international experience,” he explained.
Isada is currently an adult scout leader in the Boy Scouts of the Philippines (BSP) – Negros Occidental Council, a rover scout in the BSP – Negros Oriental-Siquijor Council, and a volunteer at World Scouting Organization.
He was also assigned as the National Scout representative for Visayas from 2019 to 2021, representing the youth in the governance and decision-making process in the BSP.
As a current volunteer for the World Scouting Organization, he was nominated to participate in the said workshop last July 30.
Moreover, Isada was joined by over 60 participating scouts from Saudi Arabia across the five scout regions who were trained in the sustainable development goals, peace education, intercultural collaboration, and community service.
The participants, which are from the Africa, Arab, Asia-Pacific, Eurasia, Europe, and Interamerica regions, immersed in Saudi Arabian culture, history, and heritage sites.
