Malta Girl Guides Join Global Dialogue at the 2025 Overture Diversity Network Meeting
From the 5th to 8th June, the Overture Diversity Network Meeting brought together Guiding and Scouting leaders from around the world in Bucharest, Romania, for a powerful exchange of ideas on diversity, equity and inclusion. Hosted by Cercetașii României and co-organised by WOSM and WAGGGS, the event marked a transition for the network, with Tomás Arias from UK Scouting stepping into the role of Ambassador and the organising responsibilities being handed over to WAGGGS and WOSM. With a shift toward a self-sustaining model, participants looked ahead to next year’s event, set to take place in Rome under the guidance of Italian Scouts. Representing the Malta Girl Guides, Sasha Bilocca, a member of the Diversity team, attended the event and actively contributed to discussions and reflections throughout the weekend.
Across the sessions, participants explored practical ways to strengthen inclusion within their organisations. One such session, centred on the World Scouting Diversity & Inclusion Data Report, encouraged attendees to reflect on national challenges using a buddy-based discussion format. The session highlighted how intentional, data-informed inclusion practices can drive long-term cultural change. In another impactful session, participants learned about the Romanian Scout Edu HUB, a grassroots initiative that emerged in response to the Ukrainian refugee crisis. Through community-driven activities like storytelling circles, language learning groups and empathy-building exercises such as sharing refugee meals, the initiative showcased how Scouting spaces can be transformed into safe, welcoming hubs.
Mental health and emotional wellbeing were key focus areas. Participants engaged with tools to support emotional awareness, including mindfulness practices, HALT self-checks and the playful yet effective ‘Mood Man’ used to communicate feelings. The ‘Lost Sock Project’, a story of resilience born from repeated project rejections, demonstrated how perceived failures can become powerful moments of growth. The theme of empowerment continued in a session led by Elena Fuduli, who shared her experience working in a low-income neighbourhood to deliver skills-based programming and community-building through Scouting. Her approach sparked conversations on how to better reach and support disadvantaged youth across different countries.
A particularly meaningful workshop explored the link between peace education and human rights using a visual flower metaphor to represent basic needs and the external conditions required for wellbeing. This session illustrated how inclusion is deeply connected to structural peace and social equity. Adding a deeply personal perspective, Paul Pop recounted his experience as a 17-year-old Scout responding to the Ukrainian refugee crisis at the Romanian border. His account of building trust, offering support and becoming a symbol of safety for displaced families underscored the critical role young people can play in humanitarian action.
Sessions on neurodiversity offered further insights into inclusion, with participants discussing visual schedules, pre-arrival guides and dedicated programmes such as Denmark’s ‘The Bears’, which caters specifically to autistic members. These approaches showed how inclusive design can benefit everyone, not just those with specific needs. On the final day, leaders from across Europe shared innovative inclusion tools from their own organisations, such as Belgium’s ‘Threshold Quartet’ card game, the UK’s extensive EDI resource hub, and Israel’s ‘Scouts for All’ initiative operating in prisons.
As the network looks toward its next gathering in Rome, the 2025 meeting reaffirmed the collective commitment to making Scouting and Guiding welcoming for all. Through shared stories, practical tools and honest dialogue, the Movement continues to evolve with empathy, resilience and inclusivity at its core; thanks in part to the active participation of members like Sasha, whose presence ensured Malta’s voice was part of the global conversation!
