From competition to community: How Hope and Dreams Sports Festivals are supporting refugees and fighting discrimination

The Hope and Dreams Sports Festivals, held in Jordan in 2023 and 2024, exemplify how sport can support forcibly displaced children and youth living in refugee camps, helping to break down social barriers and bring young refugee athletes into the spotlight.  

Organised by World Taekwondo and Taekwondo Humanitarian Foundation (THF), the festivals revolve around a unique blend of sport activities delivered by International Sport Federations (IFs), as partners, enabling community exchange, celebration, and competition. Young Taekwondo athletes from THF’s academies in Azraq and Za’atari refugee camps are joined by fellow refugee athletes practicing Baseball5 and Badminton. The participants gather and compete in their discipline for one day within the camps and one day outside, in the urban settings of Amman.​

The festival is far more than a sporting event. It creates a safe, joyful, and dignified space where young people can play together. Through the shared language of sport, participants build confidence, develop life skills, and form meaningful connections that extend beyond the competition mat, court, or playing field.​

The THF Hope and Dreams Sports Festival 2024 took place in Jordan, featuring impactful moments at the Azraq and Zaatari refugee camps. Watch on YouTube.

Changing lives through integration

For many of the young people taking part, taekwondo is more than a martial art – it is a source of identity, discipline, and belonging. In urban environments, where refugees often face isolation and limited access to social services, sport programmes like these offer a rare but vital opportunity for participation and recognition.​

The Hope and Dreams Festival exemplifies how sport can create entry points for displaced youth to reconnect with education, community, and self-worth. In a context where settled refugees may be excluded from public sports infrastructure, the festival model helps reclaim space for them to thrive. Coaches and mentors from THF centres play a pivotal role in this process.​

One notable success story is that of Yahya Al-Ghotany, a Syrian refugee who began his taekwondo journey at the Azraq Refugee Camp. Through dedication and the support of THF, Yahya progressed to compete at the 2024 Summer Olympics as part of the Refugee Olympic Team and was honoured as a flag bearer. His journey underscores the transformative potential of sport in altering the trajectories of displaced youth. ​  

Learning from success, facing the challenges 

The success of the Hope and Dreams Festival lies not just in the event itself, but in the long-term ecosystem of support around it. THF’s year-round work in Humanitarian Taekwondo Centres lays the groundwork, while World Taekwondo’s global leadership and commitment to social impact ensures visibility and momentum. The presence of elite athletes and international officials at the festivals also sends an important signal: these youth are not an afterthought in sport, they are central to its future.​

There is also the challenge of scale. While the festival model has proven effective, replicating it in other contexts will require both resources and cross-sector collaboration. This is where the involvement of other IFs becomes crucial. At the 2024 edition, World Taekwondo was joined by representatives from the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) and the Badminton World Federation (BWF), expanding the festival into a multi-sport platform for inclusion and peacebuilding. Such collaboration not only broadens the festival’s appeal but also offers diverse opportunities for youth to engage in sports that resonate with their interests and backgrounds. ​  

Why it matters 

According to UNHCR, 30% of the world’s refugees are residing in refugee camps. They often fall through the cracks of both national support systems and international aid. Initiatives like Hope and Dreams address this gap – not only by offering an activity but by providing a sense of possibility. ​

Parfait Hakizimana, of the Refugee Paralympic Team in Tokyo and THF coach at Mahama Refugee camp, has shared his experience of how sport can transform lives, and be key in protection activities. He fled Burundi in 2015 and opened a Taekwondo school in a Rwandan refugee camp where he trains children. He is convinced of the benefits sport offers, especially when it comes to the mental well-being and inclusion of children. Talking about Taekwondo, he noted, “It is like belonging to a family. It helps the kids have a spirit, have the experience of belong to a team […] To have some hope to stay calm, to overcome difficulties […] helps them behave well in society.”  

He stressed that sport was also key for his own well-being, “On a personal level, sport has helped me to be confident, to really control my emotions […] When I participate in my sport, I feel calm. I feel happy. I feel that I can really do things as well.” He spoke of how sport has also helped him strengthen his role with his community, transmit values, create hope and, as a coach, offer new opportunities to children to take part in events. ​

What Hope and Dreams contributes is not just impact, but visibility. By celebrating the talents and potential of displaced youth, the festival challenges discriminatory narratives and reframes them as contributors, not just beneficiaries. This is sport as advocacy, as well as empowerment.​

Looking forward

As the festival continues to evolve, World Taekwondo and THF are exploring ways to enhance monitoring and evaluation, increase multi-sport collaboration, and integrate youth voices more directly into the design and leadership of future editions. They are also working to share lessons learned with other IFs and humanitarian actors, encouraging a wider adoption of sport-based inclusion models. ​

The recognition of THF’s efforts by the International Olympic Committee, through the awarding of the 2023 Olympic Cup, underscores the significance of such initiatives in the global sports community. This accolade not only honours past achievements but also sets a precedent for future endeavours aimed at supporting refugee athletes and promoting peace through sport.