Event
“Athletes Game On for Peace” a UNESCO – Peace and Sport International Dialogue
Registration
To participate in this event, please register here!
To celebrate the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (6 April), UNESCO and Peace and Sport have joined forces to organize a unique event showcasing the role of athletes in promoting peace and sustainable development, on and off the sport field.
As role models and inspirational figures, athletes play a key role in leading social change in and through sport. Their powerful voices can advocate for more inclusive and peaceful societies, while their actions can inspire children and young people to engage in sport and physical activity and encourage them to become agents of change.
As public figures with millions of fans worldwide, athletes possess a unique platform that can be leveraged to empower youth and inspire change in societies. However, this great visibility may also pose challenges to them, notably when they express themselves openly on sensitive social and political issues.
Following the round table organized by UNESCO at its 7th Global Conference of Ministers of Sports on athletes' engagement in the collective action to promote sport for all, this International Dialogue will be an opportunity to narrow down and focus on understanding the role of athletes as key advocates for peacebuilding as well as the expectations and challenges they encounter. High-level athletes will take the floor to share their personal stories as well as their views on the support they expect from sport-related organizations.
Join the #WhiteCard campaign!
Join the #WhiteCard campaign! On 6 April, to commemorate the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, join a worldwide movement involving over 180 million people in 118 countries. Because a gesture is worth a thousand words, this year show your support in a unique way: by raising your #WhiteCard and making the choreography of the hands forming the letters of the word P.E.A.C.E. your own, share your photos and videos on social networks with the hashtag #WhiteCard.
It's a powerful symbol of peace, dialogue and unity, to show that together, with the Peace and Sport Champions of Peace, we're using sport as a tool to build a better world.
Visit the official webpage for more information!
Programme
2:30 pm – 3:00 pm: Welcome words
UNESCO – Gabriela Ramos, Assistant Director-General for Social and Human Sciences
Peace and Sport – Joël Bouzou, President and Founder
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm: Framing the debate
Moderation and introduction:
Pascal Boniface, Founder and Director of the Institute of International and Strategic Relations (IRIS)
Panelists:
Brendan Williams, Chair, the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) Athletes Advisory Commission
Erin Bourke, Project Leader, FIA's United Against Online Abuse in Sport Coalition
Francine Raveney, Deputy Executive Secretary of EPAS, Council of Europe
Valentin Guéry, Doctor in Sport Sciences, Université Paris-Nanterre - UNESCO-SPORTSD&P Chair co-founded with Peace and Sport.
4:00 pm – 5:30 pm: The athletes’ voice
PART I - Champions for Peace consultations
Moderation: Gustavo Merino, Director for Social Policies, UNESCO’s Social and Human Sciences Sector
Restitution of the Champions for Peace consultations, previously organized by Peace and Sport, to identify the needs, aspirations, and challenges that athletes experience in their societal positions.
Panelists:
Jean-Jérôme Perrin-Mortier, Director General of Peace and Sport
Marlène Harnois, Taekwondo Peace and Sport Champion for Peace
PART II – Exchange with high-level athletes, peace leaders
Moderation: Anne-Laure Bonnet, sport journalist and TV presenter
Testimonials from internationally renowned Champions on their positions, wishes, obstacles, and challenges in building their engagement and image.
Panelists:
Didier Drogba, Vice President of Peace and Sport and international football player
Masomah Ali Zada, Head of Mission for the Refugee Olympic Team Paris 2024
Siya Kolisi, International Rugby Player
5:30 pm: Closing of the conference
Background
UNESCO’s Social and Human Sciences Sector, through its sport flagship initiative, Fit for Life, and Peace and Sport, through its Champions for Peace Club created in 2007, support athletes who wish to deploy their power of influence and contribute to sustainable development and the creation of peaceful and stable societies.
On 29 June 2023, the above-mentioned round table “Unlocking the potential of grassroots sport: athletes unite” brought together around ten high-level athletes who made concrete recommendations regarding awareness-raising, advocacy, and capacity-building actions aimed at achieving positive social change in and through sport. The Brazilian NGO “Atletas pelo Brasil”, a movement of top athletes advocating for inclusive sport policies in Brazil, showcased its national model for collective engagement developed for and by athletes. This segment was followed by an interactive dialogue in which athletes shared good practices on their social engagement and highlighted the importance of coming together to influence decision-making processes on various themes, including youth empowerment, gender equality, sport and priority Africa, the fight against racism in and through sport, and disability inclusion.
Contact Information
For any questions or additional information, please contact Ms Giulia Scacchi, g.scacchi@unesco.org.
