World Moot Mexico 2000

The World Scout Moot held near Teutiuacan near Mexico city, was an event which involved 5,000 young people aged between 17 and 26 from all corners of the globe.

Shelley has described above the events in the eyes of a participant. I attended the Moot as part of the UK Global Development Village team and got a very different perspective. My work started in October 1999 and we worked flat out organising two projects to run in Mexico these were based on the GAPP project. The most difficult part of the organising was probably the logistics of getting all the equipment to Mexico. At the event our stand was very well attended and we received many excellent comments.

Like Shelley I left on the July 8th but I was at Heathrow by 4.45 am! I flew with 44 others to Mexico City via Madrid. I joined the contingent touring Mexico City but had work to do at Villa Moot, as soon as I arrived I was asked by a representative of The World Scout Bureau to assist with the organisation of Security at the ceremonies.

As the contingents left to visit the sites, we stayed to run the GDV for non Moot participants that lived in Mexico City. We then joined Shelley and 800 others at Hidalgo for a few days before returning to run the GDV activities for the Moot participants.

As well as the great friendships made and experience had, one of the memorable moments of the Moot was to see 5,000 Scouts climb the pyramids at Teutiuacan. And then as we had a panoramic photo taken of all of us on the pyramid and surrounding temples, with one side shouting Ogi, Ogi, Ogi - to provoke a response from the opposite temple, it really was international friendship gone mad.

Like Shelley I got a chance to see more of Mexico after but only for a few days. 43 of us travelled to Acapulco for a few nights where we really did go Loco, and managed to take over the Planet Hollywood Restaurant by dancing right through the seating area. Who said Scouts are square?

Stephen Morton UK GDV Team Co-ordinator, 11th World Scout Moot