Boris Herrmann, the offshore sailor and skipper of Team Malizia, has today been announced as the first headline speaker at the 2019 Peace and Sport International Forum, which begins on 11 December in Monte Carlo One, Monaco.
Boris Herrmann recently sailed Greta Thunberg to the United Nations World Climate Summit in New York in his zero-carbon racing yacht, the Malizia II. He will give a masterclass on “Safeguarding our planet through sport” and will provide concrete inputs and recommendations for taking action through sport to safeguard populations and our planet.
The committed sailor has done three laps around the world, one of them non-stop and will soon be attempting this challenge single handed for the 2020 Vendée Globe, making him the first German to compete in the race. Besides sports competition, Malizia II aims to contribute to research, environmental protection and youth education. A sensor is attached to the boat which collects data on the temperature, the pH and salt levels and the carbon dioxide content of the water for marine research.
Discussing the Forum, Boris Herrmann said:
“It is exciting to have the opportunity to share the inspiring experience of Malizia II in its race to protect our planet. Through collective action and courageous leadership, sport has the power to inspire people to create sustainable changes. We are convinced that sport in general can raise awareness, and that the sport of sailing in particular, has a great influence on fighting for Climate Action Now. When ocean racing, we are performing in the most extreme elements nature has to offer, whilst also showcasing clean technologies in order to circumnavigate the world emission free. This is a Race We Must Win.”
Joining Boris Herrmann among the new speakers announced for the Forum are Champion for Peace and Olympic Medalist Sylvia Poll, Founder and CEO Futurous Philippe Blanchard and Co-Founder Humankind Jorn Wemmenhove.
First Costa Rican athlete to win Olympic medal at 1988 Seoul Olympics, Sylvia Poll is currently Deputy Ambassador in the Mission of Costa Rica to the United Nations in Geneva and Head of the Project Support Division at ITU’s Telecommunication Development Bureau. She will speak at the plenary session on “Sport for good in an age of technological revolution” alongside Philippe Blanchard. They will contemplate the role of sport in addressing new technological challenges, whilst remaining a platform to foster dialogue, human relationships and peacebuilding within online communities and beyond.
About Peace and Sport International Forum
This year’s Forum will be a hub for over 600 key decision-makers including Heads of State, strategical leaders from business and the sports world, Nobel Peace Prize Laureates, representatives from civil society and international organizations, and bright young talents, who will all embark on a journey to explore the theme “Investing in Peace, Acting through Sport”.
This 12th Peace and Sport International Forum will be held into the very latest conference centre in Monaco – the One Monte-Carlo – located in the heart of the Principality, on December 11-13. This edition will mark the 10th anniversary of the Champions for Peace club, paying tribute to 10 years of commitment of more than 100 high-level athletes.
