Press Release - Peace and Sport

Peace and Sport and SportAccord Unite Forces
Monaco, 2 December, 2010 - Olympic and non-Olympic International Sports Federations (IFs) will
now have more resources and tools to effectively contribute to the advancement of peace in the
world through sport.
This was announced today by "Peace and Sport, L’Organisation pour la Paix par le Sport’ and
SportAccord, the umbrella organisation representing IFs, after signing a strategic alliance on the
occasion of the 4th Peace and Sport International Forum which runs from 1- 3 December in Monaco.
This alliance aims to facilitate interaction between Peace and Sport’s Programmes and Field
Operations Department and SportAccord’s newly-created Sports’ Social Responsibility Department.
In this context, SportAccord’s member IFs will now have access to a wide range of services,
information and expertise that will enable them to become more involved in programmes for peacebuilding
and peace-promotion across all five continents.
Hein Verbruggen, President of SportAccord said: “Signing a strategic alliance with Peace and Sport
aims to increase the involvement of IFs in conducting adapted sports programmes in regions of
instability around the world.”
"Many IFs are already engaged in pioneering programmes to promote peace, social stability and
reconciling communities through sport", explains Joel Bouzou, President and Founder of Peace and
Sport. "In so doing, they are also helping to expand their sport in new regions. Through this alliance,
we will be able to offer IFs a comprehensive platform for deploying and adapting their resources and
expertise in order to help vulnerable communities."
In particular, Peace and Sport and SportAccord will work in close collaboration to:
• Support SportAccord’s member IFs in deploying programmes for peace-building through
sport;
• Identify and exchange information on best practice examples of peace through sport
initiatives and make them known to IFs;
• Assist IFs in organising sports events that promote peace;
• Produce teaching materials and technical tools designed for IFs and their National
Federations;
• Make IFs aware of the vital role they can play in creating and sustaining peace.
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For more information please contact:
Peace and Sport
Valérie Amant
Tel : +33 (0)6 83 37 66 21
Email : press@peace-sport.org
www.peace-sport.org
SportAccord
Ingrid Beutler
Tel : +41 (0) 21 612 30 70
Email: ingrid.beutler@sportaccord.com
www.sportaccord.com
About SportAccord
Founded in 1967 as the General Association of International Sports Federations, SportAccord is the umbrella organisation
for all Olympic and non-Olympic international sports federations as well as organisers of international games and sportrelated
international associations. Currently with 104 members, SportAccord’s mission is to unite, support and promote its
members in the co-ordination and protection of their common aims and interests, communication and cooperation, while
at the same time conserving and respecting their autonomy.
The international sports movement possesses considerable potential to contribute to social change, especially in the areas
of child and youth development, the environment, gender, health, persons with disabilities and peace. With the aim of
harnessing this potential and enhancing efforts to achieve the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, SportAccord
recently established a Sports’ Social Responsibility Department. By developing strategic alliances with partners such as
Peace and Sport, SportAccord will provide specific services for its Members in the form of facilitation, coordination,
assistance, training and support.
A dynamic organisation, SportAccord recently hosted its first multi-sports games, the World Combat Games, bringing
together 13 Martial Arts and Combat Sports, both Olympic and non-Olympic with the World Mind Games and World Beach
Games to be hosted in the near future. The establishment of a Doping-Free Sports Unit and a Sports Integrity Unit
complement the services offered by SportAccord in order to assure an ethical and socially responsible sports movement.
About Peace and Sport
Peace and Sport, L’Organisation pour la Paix par le Sport is a neutral and apolitical international initiative.
Peace and Sport puts sport and its structuring values at the heart of development projects led within communities in crisis
around the world. With interventions in areas of post-conflict, extreme poverty or lacking social cohesion, Peace and Sport
makes sport a vehicle for tolerance, respect, sharing and citizenship at the service of sustainable peace.
Supported by governments, world sport governing bodies, international organisations, major international companies in
the private sector and international sports champions, Peace and Sport creates synergies between various different
stakeholders to carry out four types of action:
- Organising an annual International Forum (4th edition in Monaco, 1 - 3 December 2010);
- a Resource Centre for sport and peace;
- the Peace and Sport Awards, to reward individuals and initiatives contributing to peace;
- Locally-Based Projects, concrete actions in different regions of crisis in the world.
Today, Peace and Sport has operations in Cote d'Ivoire, Burundi, Israel-Palestine, Timor Leste, Colombia and Haiti.
Peace and Sport was founded by Joel Bouzou, current President of the organisation. Mr. Bouzou is an Olympic medallist,
world champion of Modern Pentathlon and current Secretary General for the International Union of Modern Pentathlon
(UIPM). He is also Advisor to H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco.
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