FIFA World Cup winning footballer and social activist Lilian Thuram has been announced as the latest speaker for the 2017 Peace and Sport International Forum, as excitement builds ahead of the annual meeting of leaders from across the peace-through-sport movement.
Thuram, who’s playing career spanned 17 years and saw him become the most capped player in French national team history, will speak on the Social Innovation in Challenging Times panel at the 2017 International Forum. He will discuss his role as the Founder of the Education Against Racism Foundation, his fight against discrimination, and the role of sport in social change.
Thuram has authored a number of books on equality, racism and inclusion, and has been an active member of French society since his retirement from football, leading marches through Paris in support of same-sex marriage, racial equality, and social justice.
Joining Thuram among the new speakers announced for the Forum are Olympic artist Roald Bradstock, United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Secretary General Taleb Rifai, and Horn of Africa Development Initiative (Hodi) founder Fatuma Adan.
Adan, a women’s right activist and recipient of the Stuttgart Peace Prize, set up Hodi in 2003 and the non-profit organisation aims to provide free legal advice to those who cannot afford it in the Masrabit region of Kenya. On top of this, Adan is a current board member of Streetfootballworld, an organisation that helps to set up football programmes in poor communities around the world, offering local children structure and opportunity. She will speak at the Forum about her experiences working with communities around the world and the importance of sport in urban regeneration.
Discussing the Forum, Lilian Thuram said:
“Sport is a global phenomenon. It is watched by millions around the world, and has the power to unite people behind a common cause. This cause must be to show that our skin colour, gender, religion or sexuality do not determine our intelligence, or our ability. We are all human beings and we must be committed to equality.”
The Peace and Sport International Forum, taking place from December 6th – 8th, brings together leading thinkers from across both the sport movement and the peace movement to share best practice. This year will celebrate the tenth year of the organisation’s existence, and the theme of the Forum will be Sport Innovation for Social Transformation, focussing on the importance of social innovation, disruption and forward-thinking in helping to transform societies through sport.
The Forum also incorporates the annual Peace and Sport Awards on Thursday 7th of December, which reward organisations and individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to peace, dialogue and social stability in the world through sport. A full list of awards and nominees can be found here.
