Submitted by Girl Scouts of Colorado Global Action Team
World Thinking Day Theme – Peacebuilding
Stand Together for Peace. World Thinking Day brings more than ten million Girl Guides and Girl Scouts together this year to stand together around the world to call for and create peace; in our lives and in the world.
The World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS), along with Girl Scouts of the USA and the other WAGGGS member organizations, have celebrated World Thinking Day since 1926. That’s when delegates from around the globe met at Camp Edith Macy—now called Edith Macy Conference Center—in New York and agreed that February 22 would now be known as a special day for Girl Guides and Girl Scouts worldwide.
While it may feel that today, peacebuilding is more relevant and necessary than any other time, peacebuilding has been at the heart of Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting for the last 100 years. Peacebuilding includes each and every one of us and comes about in so many different and meaningful ways if done with intention and authenticity.
There are three strands to this year’s peacebuilding theme:
Stand Strong
Understand what peacebuilding means
Explore the issues and actions that can lead to conflict and those that lead to peace
Empower themselves to be peacebuilders
Stand Up
Explore conflict situations from different perspectives
Practice adapting their behaviour to resolve conflict and build peace
Explore the link between discrimination, exclusion, and peace
Stand Together
Make choices rooted in their values
Consider the ripple effect of their actions, and how they may impact different groups
Take action towards creating a more welcoming and peaceful society
This year, the GSCO Global Action Team encourages you to complete at least two activities from the free downloadable activity pack. If you’re feeling inspired, consider completing the World Thinking Day badge (requirements at bottom of WTD page). There are also additional World Thinking Day activity downloads on this GSUSA page.
Finally, if you would like to do the World Thinking Day activities together with girls from around the world, you can sign up for a World Thinking Day Session with WAGGGS on February 20, 21, or 22, 2021. View all and register here.
We want to hear how your girl is using her Girl Scout skills by taking initiative, caring for the community, and Girl Scouting at home. She can send in her story here.