Created in 2008, the annual Peace and Sport Awards reward organizations and individuals who have made an important contribution to peace, dialogue and social change in the world through sport. Throughout the years, the Peace and Sport Awards have become a distinguished reference in the peace-through-sport movement: the winners of these prestigious prizes are a source of inspiration for other stakeholders on how to use sport as a tool for social development and peace.
In 2020, amid challenging times, sport remained essential to promote values such as respect, unity and solidarity. The first digital edition of the Peace and Sport Awards enabled everyone using sport as a tool for social development and peace to connect and it rewarded the best peace-through-sport practices from around the world. The 2020 edition of the Peace and Sport Awards notably appointed the Argentinian soccer prodigy Lionel Messi as Champion for Peace of the Year and applauded the NGOs “ISF Cambodia”, and “TIBU Maroc”, as well as the Kosovo National Olympic Committee and the Olympic Channel for their outstanding initiatives.
Watch the Best Of video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OV1pC_DYjxU
In 2021, stakeholders in Sport for Development and Peace (SDP) have continued to use sport for social good. They have brought courage and hope to the most vulnerable communities and they have implemented ambitious field actions. To reward change makers who have had a positive impact in their communities, Peace and Sport is organizing a second digital edition of the Peace and Sport Awards. This prestigious online event invites you to meet remarkable actors in the field of SDP, to discover innovative peace-through-sport initiatives and to find out who will be the next Champion for Peace of the Year.
President and Founder of Peace and Sport, Joël Bouzou, said:
“This second digital edition of the Peace and Sport Awards will emphasize the resilience of individuals through sport and highlight impactful initiatives for development and peace. But, more importantly, this 2021 digital edition of the Peace and Sport Awards wants to demonstrate the importance of investing in SDP programs. We want to convince policy-makers and private companies to choose sport as a unifying tool to accelerate social transformation in countries affected by instability and poverty.”
Five prizes will be awarded to exceptional and innovative initiatives promoting peace through sport, under the following categories:
- April6 Initiative of the Year
- Institution of the Year
- NGO of the Year
- Special Jury Prize
- Champion for Peace of the Year
Applications for the “April6 Initiative of the Year”, the “Institution of the Year” and the “NGO of the Year” Awards are now open, and close on 31 October 2021.
