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Call to Action on sport and refugees launched at the RESPONSIBALL Forum
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An event in Lausanne, Switzerland, has recognised the importance of sport for the integration and inclusion of refugees.

On 8 November, RESPONSIBALL held an event to promote the use of sport to support refugees. Speakers and attendees came from a variety of backgrounds and had the chance to hear stories, share experiences and learn how to more effectively run programmes.

Refugees were among the panelists, alongside sports federations, NGOs and governments. The event ended with a Call to Action that aims to put sport higher up the agenda as a tool to work with refugees while encouraging more coordination between different organisations. The full text of the Call to Action is below. 

We, the participants of the RESPONSIBALL Forum on Sport and Refugees, meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland, on 08 November 2018, and like-minded organisations and individuals, recognise the contribution and enormous potential of sport for the inclusion and integration of refugees.

To realise this potential, we recommend:

  • establishing a collaboration and coordination mechanism enabling stakeholders to share tools, experiences and create opportunities to exchange.
  • leadership from sport governing bodies to develop a strategy on sport for refugees, as a high priority  within their organisations.
  • capacity building for governments, non-governmental organisations, sports organisations and clubs in implementing appropriate sport activities with refugees.
  • support from governments, corporates and foundations to local organisations and clubs to integrate refugees into their activities and management structures.
  • evidence from researchers and practitioners to demonstrate the impact of sport programmes focused on the integration of refugees.

In addition, we recommend the organisation of follow-up conferences on sport and refugees with a view to setting the agenda and taking stock of the progress that has been made in the last two years in achieving this Call to Action.

Sport has the potential to be a significant tool in guaranteeing that governments, the private sector, international organisations, NGOs and the public can achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda and ensure that no one is left behind.

sportanddev formed a partnership with the RESPONSIBALL Forum, providing media coverage, presenting on organisations and initiatives in the field of sport and refugees, and facilitating a workshop on project implementation. We have launched a call for organisations using sport to work with refugees to share details of their projects on our website. 

 

Authors

Senior Project Manager
International Platform on Sport and Development