On the occasion of the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace celebrated on April 6th and in the context of an unprecedented global health crisis, H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco, Patron of Peace and Sport and five-time Olympian, appeals from the Principality for cooperation and unity through the positive values of sport and the symbol of the #WhiteCard.
The 2020 #WhiteCard digital campaign initiated by Peace and Sport is anchored in the values promoted by the Principality, in its involvement in the sport movement to promote peace. As such, this year, the Monegasque organization mobilizes a worldwide network of institutional, political, sporting and associative actors to raise awareness on the unifying role of sport for development and peace.
At a time when the entire planet is fighting daily for its health, faced with a virus with effects that are still uncontrollable, sport could seem secondary, even futile. But it isn’t. “The universal and neutral nature of sport is sustaining the collective effort to fight the epidemic” says the Prince. “Using sport to protect our planet and reinforce our bonds with each other is a huge responsibility we owe to our children and future generations.”
For Joel Bouzou, Peace and Sport President and Founder: “It is the time to stand together as one global team through the #WhiteCard on April 6th. Today, from the Principality of Monaco, and thanks to the support of H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco, the #WhiteCard is crossing borders and connecting people for global solidarity.”
Through the symbol of the white card, at a time when it’s impossible to meet, this digital campaign makes it possible to maintain dialogue and communication almost everywhere in the world, despite isolation and confinement. By analogy with the yellow and red cards in the world of sport, the #WhiteCard unites people behind a positive message of peace through sport. Athletes and sports organisations in the Principality are responding to this call, like AS Monaco FC, by participating in the #WhiteCard campaign initiated by Peace and Sport.
During the past editions of the #WhiteCard campaign, many Monegasque organizations got mobilized. In 2019, the teams of ASM Football Club, ASM Football Féminin, ASM Basketball, ASM Athletics, the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation and Monaco City Council raised their #WhiteCard and relayed the message of peace through sport on their social networks.
