A Journey to the United Arab Emirates
A Rover Scout’s Report from The Sharjah 8th International Scout Gathering
Read how Rover Scout David Uber whet his appetite for international travel when he represented Scouts Australia at The Sharjah 8th International Scout Gathering, held in the United Arab Emirates in early February 2018.
If His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan Bin Mohamed Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah sounds like a long name to you – try remembering it and five others like it in front of 300 people, a media team including three television cameras, and a bulky security team and entourage to the Sultan.
I will never forget the first week and a half of February at the 8th Sharjah International Scout Gathering in the Sharjah – an emirate of the United Arab Emirates on the Arabian Peninsula.
Around a hundred participants from 82 countries gathered under the patronage of His Highness and the Arab Scout Region to celebrate a love of literature, and to discover Sharjah and the UAE.
The first day involved a multi-hour media conference in Arabic to open the event – me and new friends from Madagascar, Maldives, Bhutan and Bolivia had no clue what to expect! We were in for a treat though.
Being bussed around the highlights of the region – with an ambulance and often police escort – we were shown some of the natural and man-made wonders of the region, including Al Noor island – a botanic garden sitting in the middle of a lagoon, covered in exotic plants, a butterfly house and modern art.
There was little shortage of wonder from there: Our large group of scouts was waved past lines as VIPs, to visit the top of the Burj Kalifa – the tallest tower in the world. We arrived at a pristine and deserted beach to find a fancy lunch with the trimmings had been set out for us. We flew over sand dunes in 4WDs, or on desert-police ATVs.
We did do some work though!
We gave presentations on our home countries. We discussed and debated the importance and future of reading and literature in Scout forums. Pioneering constructions and cultural exhibitions were prepared for the Sultan’s visit.
It was my pleasure to be asked to deliver the valedictory on behalf of the participants during the Sultan’s visit to our campsite. I was happy to tell him and the world, that the participants of the gathering had really developed a sense of global citizenship.
Living in a harmonious campsite but hearing stories of Scout rescue teams in the Nepalese earthquakes, or Scouts cleaning up after the hurricanes that flattened Dominica reinforced to each of us how immaterial national borders are between all people, but especially Scouts.
David thanks the Scouts Australia National Rover Council for endorsing his application to this event, UAE Scout Association and Arab Region Scout Office for organising the event, and His Highness Sheikh Sultan Al Qasimi for his generous patronage.
For your opportunity to apply to represent Scouts Australia at an international event such as The Sharjah 8th International Scout Gathering, visit the International website for event updates as they come to hand.
