INTERVIEW
One of the example was the creation of the association « Rassemblement par le Sport » (« Together through Sport »), which during 10 years of existence , helped to bring 20,000 young people off the streets on a long-term basis by involving them in a sporting activity .
foster communication and political reconciliation at the highest level . Elsewhere , we have helped to bring together athletes from Pakistan and India in 2011 , Russia and Ukraine in 2016 , and most notably , the women ’ s ice hockey teams of North and South Korea in 2017 .
HM : What do you consider to be the most important achievement for you personally as president of the organization ? JB : One project that has sat particularly close to our hearts over the last ten years has been the Friendship Games , of which we have organized 8 editions . The Games draw a focus on the borderlands between Burundi , Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo , with the aim of bringing together youngsters from the three nations to promote inter-cultural dialogue and highlight the power sport can have in bringing conflicting nations together . As a resource centre , our ambition is to duplicate the model of the Friendship Games between other countries everywhere it is needed . Across the three days of sport , workshops and exchanges , children and athletes alike took part in 12 disciplines , all of which were designed around the concept of ‘ Sport Simple Solutions ’.
HM : What do you expect from the anniversary edition of your Peace and Sport International Forum , which will be held in Monaco in December ? JB : In 2017 the Forum will take delegates on a journey to discuss the latest social innovations , trends and transformative new ways that can be combined with sport to tackle today ’ s most pressing societal problems and future global challenges . Nobel Peace Prize laureate and social business pioneer Professor Muhammad Yunus , together with UEFA Champions League winner , four-time Premier League Champion and Champion for Peace Didier Drogba , will be speakers for the Peace and Sport 10-Year Gala on December the 7th . I warmly invite the readers of Hello Monaco to register for this exceptional evening . together . BWF ( Badminton World Federation ) is nominated thanks to the « Shuttle time connect » initiative which promotes people to people connections by directly linking many primary-school students in Asia and Australia for a cultural , educational and sporting exchange . It directly contributes to the three focus areas of contributing to health , social inclusion and peace building .
HM : What interesting projects are we to expect from Peace and Sport next year ? JB : In 2018 , Peace and Sport will keep promoting activities in Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan with the aim of increasing the quality and quantity of sporting activities in the camp . Sport can play a healing role for refugee children , helping to address education as well as social and developmental needs . These activities are part of the « Live Together » program in partnership with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees ( UNHCR ), the NGOs operating in the camp , and with the support of the Jordan Olympic Committee . The strength of the « Live Together » program is that it bridges all stakeholders together . It is the first time that various International Federations will work side by side for social development . Also , NGOs and Federations will learn from each other ’ s expertise , and will work together to benefit refugees . We are particularly interested in working in topics related to refugees , children living in vulnerable areas as well as the promotion of gender equity . We will implement our « Sport Simple Solutions » methodology to all our development projects .
North-south Korea whitecard
HM : Who are the nominees for the Peace and Sport Awards this year ? JB : Created in 2008 , the annual Peace and Sport Awards reward organizations and individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to peace , dialogue and social stability in the world through sport . This year the ceremony for the Peace and Sport Awards will be held in Monaco on Thursday 7th of December , as part of the evening of the Peace and Sport International Forum Gala . On this occasion eleven awards will be granted for exceptional initiatives promoting peace through sport ! Champions for Peace and the Jury will respectively be in charge of selecting the winners of the « In memory of Guo Chan : Coup de Coeur by Champions for Peace » and « Special Jury Prize » Awards . For instance , WAKO ( World Association of Kickboxing Organizations ) is nominated for the Peace and Sport Awards Federation of the year category thanks to their overall policy towards Sport for development and peace and their constant engagement in involving the whole kickboxing community in this cause . FIVB ( Fédération Internationale de Volley-Ball ) is nominated thanks to the « Volleyball your way » initiative which celebrates all forms of volleyball regardless of how or where it is played and brings a large number of people
50 / Hello Monaco – Winter 2018