National Council welcomes Peace and Sport to the Chamber
The international organisation was invited to the National Council Chamber on Wednesday evening as part of the celebration of the UN International Day of Peace.
It was an opportunity for several Peace Champions, in particular Venuste Niyongabo, the Olympic 5000m champion, and Fiorina Berezovsky, the chess champion, to talk to representatives of Monaco’s youth.
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A National Youth Council of which the swimmer Théo Druenne, also a Peace Champion, is a member. In the presence of Stéphane Valeri, President of the National Council, Joël Bouzou, President/Founder of Peace and Sport and Marine Grisoul, President of the Commission for Education, Youth and Sport, the Champions for Peace presented the charity’s different initiatives, stressing the crucial role of sport for peace.
The Friendship Games, Peace and Sport’s next big event
“Peace through sport is not just an ideal, we regularly have tangible evidence that it is possible. Our grassroots programmes have shown that sports-based initiatives can accelerate social transformation in very concrete ways,” said Jöel Bouzou.
“In Burkina Faso, Togo, Colombia, India, Mali, Morocco, Burundi and Rwanda, peace through sport is being taught through our Peacemakers Project. Since May 2021, thousands of children have benefited from ready-made ‘peace through sport’ sessions delivered by hundreds of educators trained by Peace and Sport.”
Peace and Sport representatives are currently in Colombia for the 13th Friendship Games, which will take place from 23 to 25 September.
“Over the past few years, the sports dynamic has already enabled you to rehabilitate child soldiers, give confidence back to war orphans, take in refugees and facilitate access to schooling,” stressed Stéphane Valeri, speaking to Peace and Sport. “At the same time, your successes on the ground have raised awareness among policy makers and governments to see sport as a real conduit for peace.”