Special Olympics and refugees: Bridging communities through sports

Game Changers: Stories from the Sport for Refugees Coalition
 
Following the Global Refugee Forum 2023, the Sport for Refugees Coalition (SfRC) aims to share the stories of SfRC members who are working with refugees and host communities, through sport. 

Two recent events showcased the Special Olympics' ongoing commitment to inclusivity. In Seville, Spain, Special Olympics athletes and refugees from the local Refugee Reception Center gathered for a Unified Sports exhibition match including unified bowling, basketball, and football. Over 250 participants, including local students, celebrated this display of community and support. Key partners such as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Lions Club International Foundations, ESPN, and the Spanish National Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security, and Migrations, played a significant role in making the event a success. 

In a separate Unified Football event during European Football Week in June, 43 participants, including local athletes and refugees, came together at the Evaggelos Florakis Multisport Center in Cyprus to take part in a regional football development platform. The programming provided the opportunity for Special Olympics athletes and refugees to team up together and compete.   

Impact and Reach 

Since its inception in 2016, the "Unified with Refugees" programme has engaged 13,018 participants, including 1,675 Special Olympics athletes and 10,613 people affected by displacement. These numbers reflect the programme's success in fostering inclusion and creating sustained opportunities for community engagement, social integration, and connection among two marginalized demographics.    

Reflecting on the programme's growth, Eleni Rossides, National Director of Special Olympics Cyprus, noted, “Looking back at our beginnings in Larnarca, in 2016 with the Unified refugee program, the recent unified football event demonstrated how far we've come in promoting inclusion across Europe, Asia and Africa. The friendship between Special Olympics athletes and refugee youth was truly powerful and motivates our movement to continue to create community connections through inclusive sports for all. The love and unity behind the simple practice of play is wonderful- and important.”   

Through their commitment to the Multistakeholder Pledge on Sport for Inclusion and Protection, Special Olympics International pledged to expand the Unified with Refugees programme and promote greater access to sport for refugees and host community  members of all abilities . To learn more about the Multistakeholder Sport Pledge, please visit here. 

To learn more about how sport can contribute to the protection and inclusion of refugees and find ways to get involved in the Sport for Refugees Coalition, visit our webpage or get in touch at [email protected]. 

Photo Credit: Special Olympics