"Actúa sin violencia, lidera con el ejemplo" Scouts Ecuador's National Campaign 2026
The campaign “Actúa sin violencia, lidera con el ejemplo” (Act Without Violence, Lead by Example) was inspired by the growing challenges of violence and insecurity in Ecuador and the need to promote a culture of peace, respect, and nonviolence among young people and their communities.
As Scouts, we believe that young people can be agents of positive change through their everyday actions. Through our National Good Deeds Campaign, we wanted to encourage Scouts across Ecuador to lead by example, practice peaceful conflict resolution, promote empathy and respect, and take meaningful action to create safer and more peaceful communities.
The initiative also reflects our commitment to the Messengers of Peace programme and the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.
We implemented “Actúa sin violencia, lidera con el ejemplo” (Act Without Violence, Lead by Example) as a national Good Deeds Campaign coordinated by Scouts Ecuador, encouraging young people and adult volunteers to promote peace and nonviolence through everyday actions.
The campaign combined digital awareness-raising with community-based activities. Through social media, we shared messages promoting peaceful coexistence, empathy, respect, self-care, and the prevention of violence.
Scout groups were encouraged to turn these messages into action by organizing local initiatives that reflected the needs of their communities and demonstrated how small acts of kindness and positive leadership can contribute to a culture of peace.
The “Actúa sin violencia, lidera con el ejemplo” (Act Without Violence, Lead by Example) campaign contributed to promoting a culture of peace, nonviolence, empathy, and positive youth leadership across Ecuador, combining direct Scout participation with national awareness-raising activities.
The project achieved the following results:
- 1,411 Scouts directly engaged in project activities, including 1,221 young people and 190 adults, exceeding the initial target of 1,200 participants.
- 5,931 Scouts indirectly benefited from educational resources and communication materials developed through the project, including 5,019 young people and 912 adults.
- 7,342 Scout beneficiaries in total, exceeding the initial target of 6,200 by approximately 18%.
- 33,818 social media impressions, significantly exceeding the campaign's initial target of 6,400.
Beyond these quantitative achievements, the campaign encouraged young people to become active promoters of peace through everyday acts of kindness, respect, and nonviolence. It also strengthened the connection between Scouting values, community engagement, and the Messengers of Peace initiative.
Through educational content and digital communication, the campaign extended its messages beyond Scout membership, reaching wider audiences and encouraging reflection on peaceful coexistence, wellbeing, and self-care.
Overall, the project demonstrated the potential of youth-led initiatives and national communication campaigns to mobilize Scouts and promote positive social values.
One of the main lessons we learned is that building a culture of peace starts with everyday actions. Small acts of kindness, respect, empathy, and nonviolence can inspire positive change when young people take the lead and encourage others to follow their example.
We also reinforced the importance of connecting awareness-raising campaigns with practical community action. Sharing messages about peace is valuable, but encouraging Scouts to apply these values in their daily lives and communities makes the experience more meaningful.
Another important learning was the value of empowering Scout groups to develop initiatives adapted to their local realities, recognizing that communities face different challenges and that young people can contribute creative solutions.
Finally, the campaign highlighted the importance of continuing to integrate peace education, violence prevention, and youth leadership into our educational activities, making them part of an ongoing commitment rather than a one-time campaign.
