Steve Kent
a member of the World Scout Committee of the World Organization of the Scout Movement, has called on Catholic Scouts around the world to help form a new generation of peacebuilders through faith, service, and interreligious dialogue.
Mr. Kent addressed members of Catholic Scouting America (formerly known as National Catholic Committee on Scouting) who in Wichita, Kansas for its annual meeting. In an address titled “Inspiring Our Future Through Peace Building,” he emphasized that Scouting must go beyond developing practical skills to form young people of character, compassion, and moral courage. “Scouting is not only about forming capable young people; it is about forming good people — people of character, people of conviction, people of compassion, people of peace,” he said.
Reflecting on his upbringing in Canada, he described how Scouting and the Catholic faith were deeply intertwined in his life from childhood. His parish-sponsored Scout group, continued involvement in the Church, and decades of volunteer leadership alongside his wife and children, he said, demonstrated the lasting impact of faith-centered Scouting.
He praised Catholic Scouting organizations for their role in helping young people explore spirituality, embrace service, and understand leadership as responsibility rather than status. “In a world that often pulls people apart, your ministry helps bring people together,” he said.
The speech highlighted the global reach of Scouting, noting that the movement now includes approximately 60 million young people and volunteers across 176 countries. Yet despite that scale, the speaker warned that today’s youth are inheriting a world marked by polarization, mistrust, identity conflict, and fear of difference. “If wars begin in the minds of people, then peace must also be built there — in the mind, in the heart, in the habits of everyday life,” he said.
He argued that Scouting offers a unique model for peacebuilding because young people experience cooperation and coexistence directly through shared activities, service projects, and intercultural encounters. “Scouting is one of the few global movements where young people do not simply learn about coexistence as a theory — they practice it,” he said.
The address also underscored the importance of spiritual development within Scouting, including initiatives such as Messengers of Peace, interreligious dialogue badges, and faith-and-belief programs at international Scout events. The speaker stressed that spiritual growth should encourage young people to seek truth, listen deeply, and engage others respectfully while remaining rooted in their own beliefs.
Particular attention was given to the upcoming 6th World Scout Interreligious Symposium, scheduled for October in Marseille, France. Organized under the theme “Education for Peace through Interreligious Dialogue,” the symposium will bring together faith representatives, religious educators, and Scout leaders from around the world.
Describing Marseille as a symbolic gathering place because of its cultural and religious diversity, the speaker said the symposium aims to deepen spiritual development within Scouting, provide practical tools for peace education, amplify youth voices, and strengthen trust between faith
communities. “This symposium is not a policymaking body,” he explained. “It is a unique space to share, to listen, to build trust, and to strengthen how Scouting helps young people grow spiritually and morally in a diverse world.”
He challenged Catholic Scouting leaders to continue promoting peacebuilding efforts in their councils, dioceses, and communities long after the Symposium. “Faith can be a bridge for peace, not a boundary of fear,” he said. “Let us form a generation that sees difference not as danger, but as a gift — and peace not as a dream, but as a duty.
“The world does not only need more leaders,” he said. “It needs more peacebuilders — and Scouting can help raise them.”