Peace and Sport Partners with the International Judo Federation to Improve the Lives of Underprivileged Young People

The international organisation Peace and Sport and the International Judo Federation (IJF) today signed a major global agreement to set up joint programmes aimed at education and development everywhere in the world, using sport as the vector.

The partnership agreement was announced today during the 2008 SportAccord Convention in Athens.

This partnership strengthens Peace and Sport’s capacity to implement projects designed to bring the thrill and discipline of sports to underprivileged kids. The organisation will benefit from the IJF’s support, technical resources and expertise to help improve living conditions for thousands of young people in distress.

Based in Monaco under the High Patronage of HSH Prince Albert II, Peace and Sport acts in targeted areas ravaged by poverty, lack of social cohesion or in the aftermath of armed conflict. It uses the values and the practice of sport to reconcile divided communities and to achieve sustainable Peace. Working in close collaboration with governments and with local parties, “Peace and Sport” has the support of National and International Sports Federations, National Olympic Committees and elite athletes to implement its programmes.

Through its partnership with “Peace and Sport” the IJF reaffirms the role that Judo plays in society and the Federation’s determination to actively help the most disadvantaged communities on the planet.

Marius L. Vizer, President of the IJF, declared:

“Judo has a natural predisposition to serve Peace. It’s very rule-orientated and the same sporting rules apply everywhere in the world, whatever the cultural differences. We already have an extensive experience in leading projects for Peace. For example our mission called ‘Judo for Peace’. In joining the Peace and Sport platform we can now integrate our activities into one global project, where other institutions intervene; notably governments and players involved at a grassroots level. This gives a whole new legitimacy to our work. Our ability to intervene will increase tenfold. We are delighted to have a partnership with Peace and Sport, whose vision we share with them, as well as their structured approach and values.”

Joël Bouzou, President of Peace and Sport, added :

“This global partnership with the IJF looks as if it will be extremely fruitful. It is fully in line with the policy of our international organization which encourages decision-makers from the worlds of sport and politics to join their resources, expertise and skills to work together in structured projects. The IJF, already very active in many countries, brings Peace and Sport first-class support in accomplishing its missions. We are ready to intervene in a spirit of cooperation and solidarity in all areas of the world where sport can help bring stability to fragile communities.”

The first communal operations IJF-Peace and Sport are currently implemented in Cote d’Ivoire where the IJF is supplying equipment, human resources and coaches for ‘Caravan of Peace’ a programme to promote peace organised by Peace and Sport.

A symbolic event to raise awareness among the Ivorian population about the on-going National Reconciliation process, ‘Caravan for Peace’ travels to the country’s main towns and organizes multi-sport demonstrations to spread messages about peace. At each leg of the journey, the programme renovates sports infrastructures and facilities in the area. The International Federations for Taekwondo, Boxing, Wrestling, Volleyball and Handisport are also associated with this programme.

Through this work, Peace and Sport helps to improve living conditions of 500,000 young Ivoirians by bringing them together and involving them in supervised sporting activities. The organisation is also helping to establish a local sports framework and to finance sporting events, working alongside the Government and the National Olympic Committee.

Peace and Sport has other projects in Burundi, in the Great Lakes of Africa region, in Timor Leste and is planning to intervene in Israel-Palestine, Columbia and Haiti in the very near future.