This year’s World Thinking Day theme is Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. These are big topics, and since Girl Scouts is an inclusive movement that celebrates diversity and strives for equity, it’s important to help our girls understand this. Guides for how to earn this year’s award can be found at girlscouts.org/worldthinkingday, with age-appropriate material for Girl Scouts of every level.
As girls are engaging with diversity and navigating cultures other than their own, it’s important they do so sensitively and respectfully. Cultural appropriation is the act of taking or using things from a culture that is not your own, especially without showing that you understand or respect the culture. As you’re planning World Thinking Day or Global events/activities, use the questions and statements below as a guide.
If the event or activity involves exploring other cultures, have you:
- Connected with people who are a part of the culture?
- Researched the culture from credible and respectful resources?
- Invited members of the community to be a part of the event/activity?
- Considered partnering with local organizations/groups?
- Determined the goal or objective of the event/activity?
Examples of well-informed and respectful global exploration are:
- Going on a tour at a local museum, led by a subject-matter expert
- Hosting an educational movie screening followed by a panel discussion with members of the culture and/or community that the movie represents
- Organizing a virtual connection with another member-organization of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGs)
Examples of distasteful global exploration are:
- A Global Fair where girls are representing cultures and/or communities that they’re not a part of
- Learning about other communities by wearing their cultural garments, eating food that’s assumed to be from their cultures, and promoting stereotypes
If you have questions about a global event and/or activity you are planning and whether it follows these suggested guidelines, please reach out to travel@gssem.org.
