Conclusion of the International Peace and Sport Forum 2011: “Peace through sport must go where it is needed”
The call for using sport as a tool for peace is now launched to leaders worldwide.
Sochi (Olympic city in 2014) will host the 6th edition of the Peace and Sport Forum in 2012.
– 500 leaders, gathered in Monaco during the 5th International Peace and Sport Forum, witnessed a demonstration when 4 heads of state called to strengthen peace through sport.
-Heads of state are becoming increasingly determined to work for peace through sport.
“Since my election as President, my commitment to sport has not changed,” stated H.E. Pál SCHMITT, President of the Republic of Hungary. “
“Through its ability to attract, mobilize, and inspire individuals, communities, and nations, sport helps us promote the notions of peace, tolerance, justice, non-violence, and solidarity,” declared the President of the Republic of Macedonia, H.E. Gjorge IVANOV.
“In recent years, sport has become a truly unifying element in my country, Burundi,” affirmed H.E. Pierre Nkurunziza, President of the Republic of Burundi.
For the King of the Kingdom of Lesotho, H.M. LETSIE III: “The time has come for us as leaders to realize that the world will be greatly endangered if we do not create a conducive environment for Peace and Development. One way to create these conditions is to employ sport, in all its facets, as a platform for promoting peace and understanding.
– “The peace through sport community has never been so strong, united, and capable of making a difference!” enthused Joël Bouzou, President and Founder of Peace and Sport, and in the presence of Prince Albert II of Monaco, highlighted the exceptional common will driving the members of the Peace and Sport community: “As with previous editions, the 2011 Forum vintage was without any diplomatic language or clichéd statements. The discussions were sometimes lively and the opinions strong, but we all felt that everyone wanted to put on the table what was on their mind to then try to come up with solutions to use sport for peace in the best possible way.”
– A memorable highlight of the Forum was the joint proposal put forward by H.E. Professor Manuel HASSASSIAN, Ambassador – General Delegation of Palestine in Great Britain, Avraham BURG, former Speaker of the Knesset, and Alain LEROY, former Under-Secretary-General responsible for UN Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO).
During an exceptional meeting, these 3 speakers called on Peace and Sport to play the role of third party and neutral mediator to organize a Regional Forum for peace through sport between Israel and Palestine.
