Another success for judo at the 5th UNOSDP Youth Leadership Camp

The Camp, which commenced on 15 May, was the fifth one organised by the UNOSDP and this time it concerned a range of French Speaking African and Eastern Mediterranean countries. The Objective of the Youth Leadership camp is to "support deserving young community workers who work with basic education levels and limited resources, by providing them with access to theoretical and practical training on how sport can be better used to effect positive change in their communities."

Sport as a powerful tool
Mr. Wilfried Lemke, UN Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Sport for Development and Peace, who attended the opening ceremony, addressed the young participants: “Sport is a powerful tool in promoting gender equality, inclusion of people with disabilities, world peace and development. These areas of development have been exhibited on the mega scale sporting events such as the London Olympic and Paralympic Games, and also take place in day-to-day community activities. As such, the programme helps the young community leaders better take advantage of sport from grassroots to facilitate positive changes social changes.”

The 11-day camp featured a theme per day, covering sport and gender, inclusion with people with disabilities, education, peace, event planning, and program development, etc. A team of experts and experienced practionners played the facilitators.

Teaching judo values
On 19-20 May, the theme was 'JUDO' and the 30 participants had the pleasure to discover it through several judo clinics. Led by Nicolas Messner, IJF Media director and coordinator of the IJF development activities, the judo clinics mainly focused on the judo values:

• Politeness - It’s respecting other people
• Courage - It’s doing what is right
• Sincerity - It’s talking without falsehood
• Honor - It’s keeping your word
• Modesty - It’s talking about oneself without pride
• Respect - It's instilling confidence
• Control of oneself - It knows how to keep your anger in check
• Friendship - It’s the purest of all human feelings

The participants really enjoyed the judo clinics and the discussions and they were impressed by the implication of the IJF in development activities. At the end of the two days, they all received as a present the Greenhill (IJF master supplier) judogi that were put at their disposal during the clinics: "It's really a nice present and we will keep it as a great souvenir and a reminder of the judo philosophy", declared the participants.

• Visit the UNOSDP to read the original and full article

[This article has been edited by the Operating Team.]