▲  안병일 = 한국스카우트연맹 사무총장     © 김현종 기자

현대사회의 우리 청소년들은 사회적 불안정과 최첨단 SNS 사회에서 가치관의 혼돈ㆍ물질주의 팽배 등에 따른 사회의 양극화 현상ㆍ고령화 및 저 출산ㆍ낮은 실업률 등에 따른 사회적 문제를 맞고 있다.

아울러, 급변하는 국제화와 세계화에 따른 문화화와 정보화에 의해 심리적 압박과 갈등ㆍ학교폭력ㆍ입시 중압감 등에 따른 청소년 방황 및 그들이 추구하는 이상과 현실적 가치의 괴리 현상 등 우리 기성세대들이 해결해 줘야 할, 수 많은 과제들이 산적해 있다.

 이러한 급격한 사회변화의 소용돌이 속에서도 세계 여러 나라들은 국가와 사회발전에 기여해야 하는 중차대한 사명감에 직면해 있다. 

 

이미 세계의 많은 국가는 국가 경쟁력 확보 수단으로 건전한 청소년 육성을 위해 큰 기대를 갖고 아낌없는 투자를 하고 있는 실정이다.

청소년들이 품고있는 무한한 잠재력과 자기계발의 욕구ㆍ창조적인 에너지를 사회와 국가발전에 기여 할 수 있는 활동으로 승화시켜 현재의 삶보다 밝고 건강한 마음을 갖고 꿈과 희망의 미래를 맘껏 펼치면서 성장할 수 있도록 돕는 일은 매우 중요하다.

 우리사회가 급변하는 세계화ㆍ문화화 틈바구니에서 청소년들의 본능을 쉴 틈 없이 유혹하고있지만 공교육에서 시행하고 있는 인성교육은 이 같은 유혹을 차단하기 부족하다는 생각이 든다.

 

 청소년문제의 증가는 사회적 불안정에 따른 가치관의 혼돈ㆍ급속한 문화화에 의한 윤리의식결여ㆍ물질만능주의 팽배ㆍ핵가족화에 따른 가정교육 기능약화ㆍ상업주의ㆍ입시를 위한 치열한 경쟁체제로 인한 인성교육 부재 등을 들 수가 있다.

 

 청소년들에게 경쟁적으로 이기심을 추구하도록 내모는 공교육으로는 계속 폭증하는 청소년들의 학교폭력과 사이버폭력 및 흡연ㆍ음주 등 청소년 일탈의 문제점을 풀어낼 수가 없다.

 

이것이 입시위주의 공교육이 안고 있는 한계점이기 때문이라 생각된다.

이 같은 한계를 극복하기 위해서는 무엇보다 청소년들로 하여금 전 세계 173개국에서 5천만명이 이상이 참여하고 있는 스카우트운동에 참여시켜 참된 인성교육을 통한 건전한 청소년으로 육성하는 방법이 필요한 시점이다.

 지금까지 입시위주의 공교육이 낳고 있는 여러가지 병리현상을 치유하기 위해선 적극적이고도 긍정적인 프로그램을 갖고 청소년을 수용해 대자연속에서 이뤄지는 스카우트운동을 통해바람직한 미래 주역으로 키워 내는데 청소년 준거집단 활동이 가장 효과적이기 때문이다.

 아울러, 스카우트운동은 대자연 속에서 친구와 어른이 함께 어우러져 부딪치면서 함께하는 소통과 교감활동 등을 실현해 줌으로써 청소년들의 역량을 강화하고 스트레스ㆍ불안감ㆍ사회규범과의 부조화에서 발생되는 욕구를 충족시킬 수 있어 인성교육의 표본이 되고 있기 때문이기도 하다.

 

 현대의 청소년들이 가지고 있는 사고는 국가와 겨레를 사랑한다는 것도 사람을 소중히 여기고 인권을 존중한다는 것도 남과 더불어 살아간다는 의식이 매우 약해지고 있는 것도 현실이다.

 스카우트운동에 참여하고 있는 대원들은 스카우트로서 나의 의무를 다하고 항상 다른 사람을 도와주겠다는 스카우트 선서와 12규율을 지킬 것을 다짐하고 1일 1선(매일 한 가지 착한 일을 함)을 실천하고 생활화하고 있다.

 그러나 이 같은 내용은 누구나 실천해가야 할 덕목임에도 불구하고 굳이 스카우트 대원들이스카우트 선서와 스카우트 12규율을 실천할 것을 다짐하는 까닭은 무엇일까?

 이러한 이유에서 현대사회의 병리현상을 치유하기 위한 수단으로서 스카우트운동이 필요한 것이며 이를 통해 선서와 규율, 사회적 봉사와 솔선수범 등을 실천할 수 있는 건전한 청소년 육성이 절실히 필요한 시점이라 생각된다.

 한국스카우트연맹은 2017년 8월 16일 아제르바이잔 바쿠 콘그레스센터에서열린 제 41차 세계스카우트총회에서 160여개 회원국의 투표 결과, 2023년 제25회 세계스카우트잼버리 개최지로 대한민국 새만금이 선정되는 쾌거를 일궈냈다.

 

한국스카우트연맹이 제25회 세계스카우트잼버리를 유치한지 어느덧 6년이 지났다.

 

오는 8월 1일부터 12일까지 '2023 새만금 제25회 세계스카우트잼버리'가 전북 부안군 새만금의 광활한 280만평 야영지에서 개최된다.

 

140일 앞으로 다가선'제25회 세계스카우트 잼버리'라는 도전이 우리를 기다리고 있다.

 

제25회 세계스카우트 잼버리는 새로운 한국스카우트운동의 100년의 시작을 알리는 중요한 국제행사이자 청소년에 대한 인식 전환을 위한 상징적인 잼버리다.

 

한국스카우트연맹은 1991년 강원도 고성에서 개최한 제17회 세계스카우트 잼버리를 성공적으로 개최했다.

 

또한, 13번의 아시아태평양 스카우트 잼버리ㆍ14번의 한국잼버리를 개최한 경험을 바탕으로 제25회 세계스카우트 잼버리를 성공적으로 개최하기 위해 심혈을 기울이고 있다.

 

특히 '제25회 세계스카우트 잼버리'는 환경잼버리ㆍ평화와 디지털 잼버리 등 청소년들에게 교육적 가치를 부여하는 특별한 의미의 새로운 장이 펼쳐 질 것으로 기대된다.

 

미래 청소년들이 건전한 가치관과 창조력, 무엇보다 풍부하고 다양한 경험을 체득할 수 있는 잼버리가 되도록 한국스카우트연맹은 고민하고 노력하고 있다.

 

우리는 그동안 코로나19 펜데믹이라는 불확실성의 시대에서 분명하게 깨달은 것이 하나 있다.

 

바로, 연대와 협력ㆍ소통의 중요성이다.

 

스카우트가 가지고 있는 ▲ 사람의 힘 ▲ 연대의 힘 ▲ 소통의 힘이 시대와 지역을 넘어 변화의 원동력이 될 것으로 확신한다.

 

청소년기는 사회인이 되었을 때 삶을 살아가는 방향과 가치관을 고착화시켜주는 중요한 시기라 학자들은 말하고 있다. 

 

이러한 중요한 시기에 청소년들에게 청소년 준거집단 활동을 통해 올바른 민주시민으로 성장할 수 있는 발판을 마련해주어야 하는 일은 우리 기성세대의 몫이 아닌가 생각된다.

 

☞ 아래는 위 칼럼을 구글 번역으로 번역한 영문의 '전문'이다.

구글 번역은 이해도를 높이기 위해 노력하고 있으며 영문 번역에 오류가 있음을 전제로 합니다.

【Below is the 'full text' in English translated by Google Translate in the column above.

Google Translate is working hard to improve understanding, and assumes that there are errors in the English translation.】

 

【Column】The power of people, solidarity and communication!

Ahn Byeong-il = Secretary General of the Korea Scout Federation

 

 

Our youth in modern society are facing social problems such as social instability, chaos of values ​​in the cutting-edge SNS society, polarization of society, aging, low fertility, and low unemployment due to materialism. I

 

n addition, due to rapidly changing internationalization and globalization, Due to culturalization and informatization, there are numerous tasks that our older generation must solve, such as the wandering of youth due to psychological pressure and conflict, school violence, and pressure from college entrance exams, and the gap between the ideals they pursue and realistic values.

 

Even in the whirlwind of social change, many countries around the world are faced with an important sense of mission to contribute to national and social development.

 

Many countries around the world are already investing generously with high expectations to nurture sound youth as a means of securing national competitiveness.

 

By sublimating the unlimited potential, desire for self-development, and creative energy of young people into activities that can contribute to the development of society and the country, helping them grow while having a healthier mind that is brighter than their current life and spreading their dreams and hopes for the future to their heart's content.

 

Work is very important. In the midst of rapidly changing globalization and culturalization in our society, the instincts of young people are constantly tempted, but I think that the character education implemented in public education is not enough to block such temptation.

 

The increase in youth problems , chaos of values ​​due to social instability, lack of ethical awareness due to rapid culturalization, prevalence of materialism, weakening of home education function due to nuclear family, commercialism, absence of character education due to fierce competition system for entrance exams, etc. there is.

 

Public education that encourages youth to pursue selfishness competitively cannot solve the problems of youth deviance, such as school violence, cyberbullying, smoking and drinking, which continue to explode.

 

I think this is because of the limitations of public education centered on entrance exams. To overcome these limitations, above all, we encourage young people to participate in the scouting movement, in which more than 50 million people in 173 countries around the world participate, to provide true character education. Now is the time when we need a way to nurture healthy youth through active and positive education.

 

In order to heal the various pathological phenomena that have been produced by public education centered on entrance exams, we have an active and positive program to accommodate youth and become desirable future leaders through scouting in the great outdoors.

 

This is because youth reference group activities are the most effective.

 

In addition, scouting can strengthen the capabilities of youth and satisfy the needs arising from stress, anxiety, and discord with social norms by realizing communication and sympathetic activities in which friends and adults mingle and collide in nature.

 

It is also because it is becoming a model of character education. It is also true that the thinking of modern youth is that they love their country and people, value people, respect human rights, and live together with others.

 

Members participating in the , pledged to fulfill their duty as a scout and to keep the scout oath and 12 rules to always help others, and are practicing and living the 1 line a day(doing one good thing every day).

 

However, this Despite the fact that the same content is a virtue that everyone should practice, what is the reason why Scout members are determined to practice the Scout Oath and the 12 Scout Rules?

 

For this reason, the scouting movement is necessary as a means to heal the pathological phenomena of modern society, and through this, it is considered that it is a time when it is urgently needed to nurture sound youth who can practice oaths, discipline, social service, and leading by example.

 

The Korea Scout Federation On August 16, 2017, at the 41st World Scout Congress held at the Congress Center in Baku, Azerbaijan, as a result of the votes of 160 member countries, Saemangeum, Korea was selected as the venue for the 25th World Scout Jamboree in 2023, a feat that was accomplished.

 

Six years have passed since the Korea Scout Federation hosted the 25th World Scout Jamboree.

 

From August 1 to 12, the '2023 Saemangeum 25th World Scout Jamboree' will be held at the vast 2.8 million pyeong campground in Saemangeum, Buan-gun, Jeollabuk-do.

 

The challenge of the '25th World Scout Jamboree' is waiting for us in 140 days.

 

The 25th World Scout Jamboree is an important international event that marks the beginning of the 100th year of the new Korean Scout Movement and a symbolic Jamboree for changing the perception of youth.

 

The Korea Scout Federation successfully held the 17th World Scout Jamboree held in Goseong, Gangwon-do in 1991.

 

In addition, based on the experience of hosting the 13th Asia-Pacific Scout Jamboree and the 14th Korea Jamboree, they are putting their heart and soul into successfully hosting the 25th World Scout Jamboree.

 

In particular, the '25th World Scout Jamboree' is expected to unfold a new chapter of special meaning that gives educational value to young people, such as Environmental Jamboree, Peace and Digital Jamboree.

 

The Korea Scout Federation is contemplating and making efforts to make the Jamboree a place where future youths can acquire sound values, creativity, and above all, rich and diverse experiences.

 

In the meantime, there is one thing we have clearly realized in the era of uncertainty called Corona 19 Pendemic.

 

That is the importance of solidarity, cooperation and communication.

 

I am convinced that the ▲ power of people ▲ the power of solidarity ▲ the power of communication possessed by Scout will become a driving force for change beyond era and region.

 

Scholars say that adolescence is an important period to solidify the direction and values ​​of life when one becomes a member of society.

 

At this critical time, I think it is up to our older generation to prepare a foundation for young people to grow into upright democratic citizens through youth reference group activities.