Scouting for All
New Scouts Australia Diversity & Inclusion Policy
Scouts Australia is welcoming to all. We now have a National Policy that outlines the roles that we all play in ensuring everyone is included in Scouting. The Scouts Australia Diversity and Inclusion Policy clarifies what Scouts Australia has been putting into practice for many decades, and aligns the organisation with contemporary good practice.
Following many months of development with many bodies including the National Operations Committee, and an extensive approvals process, the National Executive Committee (NEC) approved Scouts Australia’s Diversity and Inclusion Policy and associated Standards on 15 August 2020. Scouts Australia has drawn on our experiences and the best practices of other member organisations to develop a policy that aims to:
- Ensure Scouts Australia and its members embrace the diversity of our communities, and inclusion that enables Scouting for all, in line with our Promise and Law; and
- Demonstrate our organisational commitment to diversity and inclusion as a responsible part of the Australian community.
The overarching policy statement is:
“The Scout Association of Australia (Scouts Australia) is inclusive of all (within the scope of its membership) regardless of gender, sexuality, race, spiritual beliefs, abilities or socioeconomic status and does not tolerate any form of harm, abuse, exclusion or neglect. Scouts Australia embraces the diversity of its community, aiming to reflect this diversity through its policies and practices, and provide inclusion that ensures access to Scouting for all.”
This policy will be incorporated into the next edition of Scouts Australia’s Policy and Rules, along with clarifications on:
- Our approach to specialist groups which may meet particular cultural, religious or disability support needs of members.
- Our commitment to ensuring inclusion of people with disabilities, including endeavouring to provide reasonable adjustments to enable participation of people with disability.
- Our commitment to inclusion of all people regardless of gender identity, and support and respect for gender diversity.
- Our commitment to ensuring financial hardship is not a barrier to membership.
- Allowances for additions or adaptions to the uniform because of cultural/religious requirements.
The Diversity and Inclusion Standards provide a Framework for implementation of the Policy and may be updated from time to time. Scouts Australia is also currently preparing detailed guidance to further support implementation of the Policy and Standards as part of the National Sustainability Toolkit.
World Scouting and Diversity and Inclusion
The World Organization of the Scouting Movement (WOSM) has a clear commitment to ensuring diversity and inclusion, in line with WOSM’s Vision 2023 and Triennial Plans, as well as the commitments to the United Nations (UN) Women’s HeForShe movement and Global Goals for Sustainable Development (the SDGs). Scouting is working towards ensuring that we are truly open and accessible to all, better reflecting the composition of our local communities. We are proud to have given generations of young people equal opportunities to grow and develop their full potential through empowering and enriching experiences regardless of their background.
Scouting strongly opposes all forms of prejudice and discrimination of any kind that could threaten a person’s rights and freedom, as stated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Many World Scout Conferences have passed resolutions in support of diversity and inclusion, including the 1977 Conference which reaffirmed their support for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In Australia we have opened Scouting to all regardless of gender for over thirty years, and provide programs that embrace the diversity of our communities and aim to be inclusive of all abilities.
How to Find Out More
Over the next year we will work out the best way to incorporate the full document into relevant Scouting resources, though you can access a copy of the full text here.
If you have any questions, please chat to the Diversity & Inclusion lead in your Branch, the National Adviser – Diversity & Inclusion ,Clare Hanley, or the Assistant National Commissioner – Sustainability, Patrick McCormick.
