On 13 and 14 November, 300 young players from the program “Escuelas de mi Barrio” led by IDRD and the program “Goles en Paz” led by the municipality of Bogota as well as children of Medellin will join the Peacemakers Project beneficiaries and their peace animators to participate in a special edition of the Friendship Games. Together, they will learn together about the positive values of sport. The first event will occur in Campincito Stadium, in Bogota, and the second in Aurora Stadium, in Usme.
This gathering takes place in the framework of the Peacemakers Project, an international program led by Peace and Sport in 10 countries. As part of this worldwide initiative, the Colombian NGO COP Colombia will use football as a tool for dialogue and social inclusion for the next two years, applying the Peace and Sport Methodology devoted to peace-building.
The event will be organized by COP Colombia with the support of Peace and Sport and the Colombian Ministry of Sports (Mindeporte). The event will also be supported by our official partners of the Peacemakers Project, Danone Nations Cup and MyCoach, and by local institutions such as the Municipality of Bogota, the Municipality of Usme, the District Institute of Recreation and Sports (IDRD), the Football League of Bogota, Bolivar Davivienda Foundation and UNICA University.
Laurent Dupont, CEO of Peace and Sport, declared:
« The 12th edition of the Friendship Games celebrates the six months implementation of the Peacemakers Project, and it will focus on empowering and engaging Colombian youth through sport. NGOs provide a critical conduit for information and feedback on target population needs and policy and program impacts. They play leadership roles in advancing the practical integration of sport for development and peace in the field. As such, I would like to warmly congratulate Cop Colombia for the first results of the Peacemakers Project and for being the first Peacemaker to organize this event in the field. Thanks also to Mindeporte and to our Colombian partners for bringing their support to the initiative. »
Hugo Florez, International Relations Director of Cop Colombia, declared :
“Organizing the Friendship Games in Colombia is a great opportunity to highlight the positive impact of sport for development and peace in our country and to celebrate the six months of the Peacemakers Project. Since the program’s launching, 15 peace animators have been trained to the Peace and Sport Methodology, and 200 children have attended the peace-through-sport activities. The use of this structured methodology, through the Peace and Sport by MyCoach Mobile App, directly impacted the quality of our sports sessions. We are delighted with the first results of its implementation, and we look forward to expanding the program in other areas in Bogota and Colombia.”
Martín Ramírez, Director of the promotion and development of the Colombian Ministry of Sports, declared:
“In 2018, we signed a cooperation agreement with the Principality of Monaco, which promotes the development of social inclusion sports activities in Colombia. Supporting the Friendship Games means transcending the social, reaching families, the entire community and, above all, creating spaces for community integration. Deliver a message of peace to the whole community that sport is the symbol of integration, socialization and helps build the social fabric. This is an important step in our cooperation with Peace and Sport and the Principality of Monaco.”
Since 2009, to promote the use of sport as a tool for dialogue worldwide, the Friendship Games allow youngsters to forge dialogue and experience the power of sport for peace.
