Saudi Arabia Donates $3 Million to World Scout Foundation
Donation Supports Gifts for Peace Program to Promote Cultural Understanding
| Source: Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia
WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwire - May 8, 2009) - On behalf of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,
Saudi Minister of Education and President of the Saudi Arabian Boy Scouts
Association,
HH Prince Faisal bin Abdullah bin Mohammed, today is delivering a $3
million donation to Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf, Honorary Chairman of the
World Scout Foundation, to support the
Gifts for Peace program. Gifts for Peace was created
under the patronage of
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz in
November 2001 at a Scouting Conference in Riyadh.
"Gifts for Peace is a truly worthy program and represents an extension of
Saudi Arabia efforts to promote peace and cultural understanding
worldwide," said Saudi
Ambassador to the United States Adel A. Al-Jubeir. "Through Gifts for
Peace, King Abdullah and King Gustaf have already inspired more than ten
million young people in 110 countries to work for peace and understanding
in their local communities."
The Gifts for Peace program is the World Scout Foundation's key centennial
program for all Scouts to tackle local issues and make a difference in
their communities. These Gifts for Peace are gifts of education,
understanding, tolerance and respect for others, given by Scouts in the
form of community projects to other young people and their communities to
help to build a better world. This latest donation from Saudi Arabia will
bring the Kingdom's total contribution to Gifts for Peace to approximately
$7 million since the program's inception in 2001.
The Boy Scouts of America (BSA)
recently signed a historic agreement with the Saudi Arabian Boy Scouts
Association to participate in a youth and leader exchange program to
further promote understanding of different cultures.
In addition to the Gifts for Peace program, which already includes Scouts
in more than 100 countries, the BSA, through its Good Turn for America
program, is focusing on supporting issues connected to food, shelter and
good health habits; Scouts in South Africa are working on an HIV/AIDS
awareness project; Scouts in Egypt are addressing child labor; Scouts in
Saudi Arabia are working to develop inter-cultural and inter-religious
understanding; Scouts in New Zealand are working on health issues and
tackling youth suicide; Scouts in Brazil are working to disarm young people
and tackle violence in the home and on the streets; and Scouts in Namibia
are combating domestic violence and the abuse of women and children.
This is distributed by Qorvis Communications, LLC on behalf of the Royal
Embassy of Saudi Arabia. Additional information is available at the
Department of Justice, Washington, DC.