Peace and Sport is delighted to present the initiatives nominated for the 2021 Peace and Sport Awards in three categories : April6 Initiative of the Year, NGO of the Year, Institution of the Year. From specific field programs to global initiatives, the nominees are promoting the unique power of sport, they unite people and they create dialogue beyond political, religious or ethnic differences.
Peace and Sport Awards’ mission is to provide a platform for stakeholders on sport for development and peace to connect and to generate more cooperation for the development of peace through sport programs.
The “April6 Initiative of the Year” online voting platform will be open from 17 until November 24.
All the Peace and Sport Awards winners 2021 and the next Champion for Peace of the Year will be revealed on our social networks, from 07 to 11 December. Stay tuned!
Joël Bouzou, President and Founder of Peace and Sport, declared:
“Over the past year, in a context marked again by the global health crisis, stakeholders in Sport for Peace have continued to use sport for social good and they have made a huge contribution to the peace-through-sport movement. The nominees of this 2021 edition have led inspiring projects that are symbolic of sport’s capacity to bring dialogue within and between communities. Through the Awards, we will come together to celebrate the unique power of sport ; we will highlight and reward with five prizes the incredible vitality and inventiveness of sport for peace initiatives. These Awards showcase best practices, so they can be duplicated to amplify our impact.»
The Jury of the 2021 Peace and Sport Awards is composed by outstanding Champions for Peace : Athletics Gold and Silver Medalist Mutaz Barshim ; First captain of the Palestinian women’s national soccer team Honey Thaljieh ; European gymnastics Champion Samir Ait Said ; Athletics Olympic Silver Medalist Charmaine Crooks ; Athletics Olympic Bronze Medalist Muriel Hurtis ; and World Karate Champion Laurence Fischer.
The « APRIL6 Initiative of the Year » Award rewards individuals and organizations who have contributed to the celebration of April6, the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, through a #WhiteCard initiative or an event that raises awareness on the use of sport as a tool for development and peace. The 2021 nominees are:
- Cape Verdean Olympic Committee – “Sport for Development and Peace Celebrations”
The ” Sport for Development and Peace Celebrations” initiative promoted by the Cape Verdean Olympic Committee (COC) brought together local Olympic clubs from 5 Cape Verdean islands that organized multisport events and conferences to celebrate the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace. Hundreds of people gathered on this occasion and raised their #WhiteCards as a symbol of the power of sports in maintaining peace and developing societies. The COC also organized a #WhiteCard campaign on social networks, encouraging the whole Cape Verdean community to show their support the Sport for Development and Peace Movement.
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mexico – “April6 Virtual Race – Forum: Diplomacy and sport cooperation in a world in turmoil”
The “April6 Virtual Race” initiative was launched by the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the Institute of Mexicans Abroad platforms and the Technical Council for Diplomacy and Sports Cooperation, inviting people to register and participate in this virtual celebration of April6. Participants were encouraged to run outdoors or indoors with a running range of three, five, ten kilometers and to raise their #WhiteCards as symbol of the positive power of sport for peace and social inclusion. The “April6 Virtual Race” mobilized several countries worldwide, as well as the Mexican diaspora which represents more than 20 million people. A Forum on “diplomacy and sport cooperation in a world in turmoil” has also been organized to mark the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace.
- World Rafting Federation Digital Awareness Campaign – “Be white water”
Through the “Be white water” initiative the World Rafting Federation aimed to highlight the meaningful stories of respect, sharing and inclusion that are at the heart of the Rafting community. On the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, Rafters from around the world were encouraged to share their testimonies and to celebrate the beauty that exists in diversity. Athletes and fans shared meaningful stories on the power of Rafting to bring people together and foster gender equity and social inclusion with initiatives that bring on the same boats’ men, women and para-rafting athletes.
The “Institution of the Year” Award rewards a public entity, (State, Government, Region…), a sports institution or a company leading and/or supporting a sustainable program that contributes to the development of peace through sport. The three nominees in this category are:
- Portuguese Institute of Sports and Youth – Youth and Sports Secretary of State – “The National Plan for Ethics in Sport (NPES)”
The National Plan for Ethics in Sport (NPES) is promoted by the Youth and Sports Secretary of State and streamlined by the Portuguese Institute of Sports and Youth through the NPES Coordination Office. The NPES is based on through five major axes: training and education, focusing on primary and secondary education teachers. Sports practice and events encourage the experience of ethical values of peace such as sincerity, friendship, respect, loyalty. Publications, Research and Digital Platform dealing with scientific studies; awareness campaigns on Radio, TV and the “Fairplay Card” that aims to recognize relevant attitudes of practitioners. 350.000 of children from all over Portugal benefited from the NPES, and were encouraged by famous local athletes.
- International Paralympic Committee Worldwide Digital Awareness Campaign – “#Wethe15”
#Wethe15 is a worldwide digital awareness campaign that places people with disabilities at the heart of the inclusion agenda. Launched before the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, #WeThe15 aims to end discrimination against people with disabilities who make up 15% of the global population, by publicly acting for visibility, accessibility and inclusion. #Wethe15 gathered a massive response on social media, with over 2.5 billion interactions. More than 125 iconic landmarks around the world, such as the Colosseum in Rome and the Empire State Building in New York, were lit up in purple, the campaign’s color.
- International Cycling Union – “Evacuation procedure of Afghan refugees”
Following the takeover of Kabul by the Taliban in August 2021, the International Cycling Union (UCI), its President David Lappartient, and other members of the Cycling community have been key players in the evacuation of 165 refugees from Afghanistan. Thanks to this operation, female cyclists, members of the Afghan cycling management, artists, judges, journalists, and human rights campaigners have been able to reach Europe. Thirty-eight of these Afghan evacuees, were welcomed to join the UCI World Cycling Centre (WCC), in Aigle in Switzerland. A great demonstration of solidarity, proving the power of sport to unite people, transform lives and build a better world.
The “NGO of the Year” Award rewards an NGO that invests in sport as an educational and social tool for sustainable peace and has demonstrated its capacity to involve local stakeholders. For this 2021 edition, the nominees are:
- International Federation of Red Cross Red Crescent Societies – “Uniting through the power of football”
The International Federation of Red Cross Red Crescent Societies is a worldwide humanitarian aid organization working in more than 192 countries, bringing together nearly 14 million volunteers for the good of humanity. The “Uniting Through the power of Football” is a project that combines the Football for Development (F4D) project and IFRC’s youth leadership program, Youth as Agents of Behavioural Change (YABC). It aims to develop leadership and social entrepreneurship skills among vulnerable youth through football activities, training courses, psychological and financial support, and workshops.
- Malaika – “Malaika community center”
Founded in 2007 by Noella Coursaris Musunka, an international Congolese/Cypriot model and philanthropist, Malaika has grown into an all-encompassing ecosystem, impacting thousands of lives each year. Through its four core programs, within free access to the entire community, Malaika provides a school for 400 girls, a community center, a sustainable agricultural program, and a clean water program. The “Malaika Community Centre” initiative provides activities that follow a specific methodology centered around soccer and tennis where players establish the rules in advance and resolve conflicts independtly. Malaika aims is have kids learn life skills including leadership and conflict resolution.
- Dunk Grassroots – “Inclusive Sport Unites”
Dunk Grassroots is an NGO that mobilizes and empowers youth and children from poor urban communities in Ghana through sports. It aims to promote social cohesion, gender equality, and education, and to transmit life skills for the youth to become active and peaceful citizens in their communities. Through a strong expansion of free-open youth community centers in Accra, came to life the “Inclusive Sport Unites” project that focuses on basketball and soccer activities and tournaments, support for after-school classes, leisure programs and internship opportunities. Also included in the activities is a “Playmakers” project that aims to create change agents to empower the community and raise awareness for social inclusion.
