Week of Action on Sport and Refugees

sportanddev and UNHCR are launching a Week of Action on the topic of Sport and Refugees between 21-27 September. Have a look at the activities below.

According to UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, 79.5 Million were forcibly displaced at the end of 2019. The figure, which has increased significantly in recent years, includes refugees, asylum seekers and internally displaced persons (IDPs). Sport has proven to be an effective tool to promote and ensure the rights of refugees, including by encouraging social inclusion, social cohesion and psychosocial wellbeing.

The International Platform on Sport and Development (sportanddev) and UNHCR, are launching a series of activities as part of a Week of Action on Sport and Refugees starting on 21 September, the International Day of Peace. The activities will raise awareness of sport’s role in addressing challenges faced by refugees, encourage discussion and partnership building, and provide guidance and resources for organisations working on the topic.

Webinar: Sport for protection: How can sport address challenges faced by refugees? (Monday, 21 September 14:00-15:30 CEST)

Speakers from UNHCR, civil society, a refugee football team and academia will share their experience on how to best use sport to protect and ensure the rights of refugees.

Find out more and register

Twitter Q&A with Jojo Ferris, Head of the Olympic Refuge Foundation (Thursday, 24 September 14:00-15:00 CEST)

Jojo Ferris will answer questions related to sports and refugees live on Twitter. The event will explore the strengths and limitations of sport, the future of the movement around sport and refugees, and the role of the Refugee Olympic Team. Why not get involved if you’re working with refugees and forcibly displaced young people? Join the conversation live by using the hashtag #SportAndRefugees. We will retweet and share the best responses throughout the debate.

Find out more

Section on using sport to protect and ensure the rights of refugees (21-27 September)

sportanddev will launch a new online section over the course of the Week of Action, with one sub-section published every day on the sportanddev website and social media. It will highlight the Sport for Protection Toolkit published by UNHCR, the International Olympic Committee and Terre des Hommes; and we will share information about the Global Refugee Forum pledges. The section will also provide practical advice and examples of progamme implementation, monitoring and evaluation and partnership building.

Call for articles on sport and refugees

sportanddev recently published a call for articles on sport and refugees, receiving more than 30 contributions from around the world. These are being published in the run up to and during the Week of Action.