Politics and Scouting isn’t something usually mixes very much – or at least shouldn’t. After all, the Scout Association is a non-political charity. However, the World Organisation of the Scout Movement (WOSM) has released their Purple Manifesto for the EU elections titled “For a Better World, For a Better Europe“.

The manifesto asks the EU Parliament to achieve six main goals over the next five years:

• Empower Volunteers
• Better Social Inclusion of Young People
• Strengthen Global Partnerships for Development
• Remove obstacles to Scouting
• Make employability of young people a priority in European Union (EC)
• Integrate young people in shaping Europe

Admirable aims, all. Especially reoving obstacles to Scouting, which says:

Removing administrative and bureaucratic burdens to voluntary activities and functioning of volunteering organisations must become part of all EU initiatives on “better regulation”. Legislation cannot be developed with only professional actors in mind; the European Union must leave space for common sense and civic activities by citizens.

If only! But, unfortunately, I would be very surprised indeed if the EU took any notice of allowing people to use common sense.

Hopefully, most MEPs will at least browse this manifesto and try and bring some – if not all – of the goals to fruition.

via Nick