The Secretary General of the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM), Ahmad Alhendawi, joins Alberto Lidji as the 100-day countdown starts to Word Scouting’s general assembly in August 2024; bringing together members from 174 countries as they launch their new global strategy for the next 10 years; unveiling a refreshed brand, and leveraging their collective strength to tackle the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
World Scouting has 57 million members globally and has been around for more than 100 years. Their new strategy takes a bold stand and champions key aspirations, including empowering youth to take on a more active leadership role, tackling climate and the global sustainability agenda, and committing to peace, inclusivity and dialogue.
We take a look at the challenges of managing both a global organization and a global movement; the importance of non-formal education; and the power of millions of scouts to tackle some of our world’s most pressing problems.
This is an inspiring episode showcasing how a global movement can make a positive impact and help achieve the SDGs.
About Ahmad Alhendawi
Ahmad Alhendawi of Jordan is the Secretary-General (CEO) of the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM), where he directs the support to a federation of 174 National Organizations. Over the past seven years, the World Scout Movement recorded the largest growth period in its history by reaching 57 million members and unlocked new strategic partnerships and resources.
Previously, Alhendawi served as the first-ever UN Secretary-General's Envoy on Youth, responsible for establishing the new office and developing its programmatic, financial, and political mandate. He helped transform the UN approach to youth development by coordinating several strategic initiatives, leading to the establishment of the new UN Youth Office and the adoption of the historic Youth, Peace, and Security Agenda by the Security Council.
Earlier in his career, Alhendawi served at UNFPA-Iraq and at the Emergency Programme of Save the Children in responding to the humanitarian emergency in Iraq. He then transitioned to working on sustainable development at the regional level as a Policy Advisor at the League of Arab States, UNFPA, and later at the World Bank-funded program supporting the Arab League Institutional Development.
Alhendawi serves as a trustee on the International Board of the World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF), Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizenship, and in his home country, Jordan, at the Crown Prince Foundation, among other volunteer and board roles.
Alhendawi holds a master's degree in Advanced European and International Relations from the European Institute in Nice, France, a Diploma on European and International Organisations from the Centre international de formation européenne (CIFE), and a Bachelor's degree in Computer Information Systems from Jordan.
Alhendawi is a recipient of His Majesty King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein's Order for Distinction, and was named for two consecutive years as one of the 100 most influential Arabs under 40. A Jordanian national, he is married and a father of a daughter. He studied and worked in Jordan, Iraq, Egypt, Turkey, France, Germany, the United States, and Malaysia.