Today, 18 December 2023, the Slovenian Girl Scouts and Scouts and representatives of Scouts from abroad brought the Light of Peace from Bethlehem to the Ombudsman Peter Svetina.

This year's message, "Hope, Trust, Step Up", encourages people to keep hope that they can change the world, trust in their fellow human beings to help them and step up together to make change happen.

In their quest for peace and respect for human rights, the Scouts are also raising funds for charity for the 34th year with the Light of Peace. This year, they will donate to their Polish colleagues for flood relief, to the  association called Power, which offers psychological support to young people, including victims of violence, and to the Helping Paws programme, which uses therapy dogs to develop reading skills.

Ombudsman Peter Svetina was once again delighted to hear their message, as he himself is committed to change that starts with ourselves. "As a community, we can only be as strong as each other," he stressed, adding that the message of the light of peace coming from troubled areas is particularly important in these uncertain times, as it also sends the message that it is our responsibility to build a shared, trustworthy and peaceful world.