WILLEMSTAD - Daniël Corsen Jr. was elected this week as Chairman of the World Scout Committee, one of the most important bodies within the World Scouting Movement. Earlier this week, he, along with 11 others from countries such as Hong Kong, Ivory Coast, Germany, Egypt, and Canada, was chosen as a committee member. Following that, a collective decision was made on who would become Chairman and Vice-Chairmen, and the honor of Chairman went to Daniël.
Daniël Corsen Jr.
This week, the World Scout Conference took place in Cairo, Egypt. The World Scout Conference is the governing body of the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM). Every three years, national scouting organizations from around the world gather to decide on the future of scouting. Policies are set, new leaders are elected, and decisions are made on where future major scouting events will take place.
Corsen and the other eleven committee members are tasked with implementing the policies and decisions of the conference over the next three years. This impacts over 170 national scouting organizations with approximately 57 million youth and volunteers.
Personal Motivation
Daniël’s personal motivation to run for this position stems from his dedication to youth empowerment and leadership development. “As a volunteer within the scouting community, I have witnessed firsthand the transformative power of scouting in fostering personal growth, resilience, and a sense of global citizenship among young people,” said Corsen.
“In today’s rapidly changing world, the vision of scouting is more relevant than ever. The challenges we face, such as climate change, social inequality, conflicts, and technological advancements, require a new generation of leaders equipped with the skills and values that scouting provides. By promoting inclusivity, dialogue, and sustainability, scouting can remain a force for positive change.”
Scouting Career
Daniël has held many leadership roles throughout his scouting career. He began as Vice-Chairman and Chairman of the National Youth Network in Curaçao from 2003 to 2010 and has been a scout leader with the Cariben group since 2005. In 2009, he also coordinated a large camp, the National Jamboree.
At the regional level, Daniël served as Youth Network Coordinator for the Inter-American Scout Committee from 2007 to 2010. Between 2012 and 2014, he led the 15th Caribbean Jamboree, and from 2016 to 2022, he was Vice-Chairman and later Chairman of the same Inter-American Committee.
At the global level, Daniël helped organize the 22nd World Scout Jamboree in 2010-2011. Later, from 2018 to 2021, he was involved in an international group focused on the growth and strategy of scouting worldwide. He also served as Regional Chairman of the World Scout Committee from 2018 to 2022. Now, he has been elected as Chairman of the World Scout Committee.
The Significance
For Scouting Antiano, the national scouting organization of Curaçao, Bonaire, and St. Maarten, this is a significant moment. Delegation leader from Curaçao and also the father of Daniël Corsen Jr., Daniel Corsen, explains:
“After a long struggle to become a recognized member of WOSM, a dream that was finally realized in 2018, what we’ve achieved in the past eight years is truly remarkable. Since we became full members, we have had our own people in committees at both the regional and international levels, as Vice-Chairman and now as Chairman of the World Scout Committee. And this, coming from such a small island, is something that has never been seen before in the movement.”
He continued: “I cannot emphasize enough how significant this is for us. It shows that we as Curaçaoans are capable of great things. Not only in sports, but also in scouting, we can achieve so much, even though we come from a small island.”
Corsen elaborated: “Next year, we are organizing the Inter-American Scout Conference in Curaçao. At this conference in Egypt, there were more than 1,000 people from all over the world. Now, surely about 80-90% of them know where Curaçao is, what we do, and who we are. So, it also contributes to the international recognition of Curaçao.”