My name is Mihajlo and I’m a part of the Next Billion Fellowship. During the past six months, I have been working to bring the advantages of Web3 to the World Scouting Movement.
Growing up in Serbia during the 90s, I experienced the damaging effects that wars and sanctions had on young people. There were few opportunities to find good role models or supportive peers. I think it’s because of technology and the scouting movement that I was able to stay away from the wrong path.
In 1996, I was searching for ‘Izviđači’ (Serbian for ‘scout’), and I came across one of the first scouting groups in the world to have its own website. That’s when my journey started. Since then, I have been involved in various activities such as learning, volunteering, and professional engagement. Currently, I’m employed by the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM), a global community with more than 57 million Scouts belonging to 170 National Scout Organizations.
The Scouting movement is decentralized, with each chapter bringing its own individual abilities and objectives to a community focused on providing an environment of learning, personal growth, and mutual respect. Scouts are guided by a general framework and principles, but have autonomy in how they implement projects and initiatives. With technology, scouts have a full online presence and platform to coordinate and contribute to global initiatives, keep track of local chapters, and communicate with the global movement. We are now ready to upgrade to Web 3.0!
At the Next Billion Fellowship, my first task was to create educational content for scouts on the basics of Web3. I hosted two sessions at the Jamboree on the Internet and I encouraged attendees to mint the first-ever World Scouting NFT badge using POAP.
Digitization of scout badges is a great use case, and we are working on creating new blockchain-based badges for scouts around the world. But there is much more potential for Web3 in the scouting movement. New mechanisms for voting and governance could allow scouts worldwide to have more effective coordination on big initiatives. A world scouting curriculum for Web3 could help millions of young people learn how to safely keep and use digital assets. A world scouting wallet could guide and reward scouts on their journey of learning, and allow local chapters to create and export their own challenges and badges to a global community.
That’s why we are now preparing to build the first foundational layer of the World Scouting Web3 vision: The Scout’s Passport. This identity system would be compatible with digital badges, tokens, signatures, messages, etc. It would also allow for social recovery for scouts, DAO scouting groups, crowdfunding and governance, and NFTs and digital badges or certifications. The Scouts wallet will be open-source, so everyone can contribute to and benefit from modules in our identity platform. We hope to have an MVP of the World Scouting Wallet ready in time for the World Scout Jamboree in South Korea this August.
My work at the Next Billion Fellowship includes implementing a technical framework for World Scouting Educational Initiatives and Scouts for Sustainable Development Goals Badges based on verified credentials that will be stored in the Scout’s wallet module. With this framework, we can start to build a brighter future for Scouts worldwide.
If you’re interested in learning more about my project and staying up to date on my progress, feel free to connect with me on Twitter or LinkedIn.
The World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) is a vibrant global community, representing more than 57 million Scouts across over 170 National Scout Organizations. As one of the largest youth movements in the world, WOSM plays a critical role in shaping the lives of young people, fostering values of leadership, community service, and environmental stewardship.
As of today, applications for Cohort #3 of the Next Billion Fellowship are closed. We would like to thank everyone who applied, and we will be reaching out to all applicants with a decision in the coming weeks.
