Welcome to the pitch, welcome in the community: the power of sport to foster solidarity — World Refugee Day 2024

Each year on June 20th, World Refugee Day serves as an international day to amplify the voices of displaced people around the globe. With more than 117.3 million forcibly displaced people worldwide according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees’ (UNHCR) June 2024 Global Trends report, this day emphasizes the stories and experiences of refugees while advocating for their protection, inclusion, and support. Globally, this year’s World Refugee Day celebration focuses on fostering solidarity with refugees, emphasizing a world where refugees are welcomed. 

The power of sport to welcome refugees is in the spotlight as the Refugee Olympic and Paralympic Teams prepare to compete at Paris 2024 alongside athletes from around the world. From these mega sporting events to the community pitch, sport provides a platform to promote cohesion and belonging between refugees and host community members, promote physical health and psychosocial wellbeing, break down barriers, contribute to participants’ life skills development, and engage people of all backgrounds in meaningful community activities.

Channeling these ideals into action, at the Global Refugee Forum 2023, more than 145 entities – from grassroots clubs and civil society organizations to governments and sport governing bodies – committed to building a better world for refugees and host communities by promoting access to, and opportunities through, sport, making commitments towards the Multistakeholder Pledge on Sport for Inclusion and Protection. More than 130 of these entities have joined the Sport for Refugees Coalition. The coalition serves as a platform bringing these organizations together to jointly communicate and advocate around refugee issues and the important role of sport. Through sharing participant stories from programmes carried out by Special Olympics, the Government of Colombia, Skateistan, and Just.Childhood, we showcase the stories of refugees and displaced communities participating in sport programmes.

Sasha Empowered by Special Olympics’ Unified with Refugees Initiative

When the war broke out in Ukraine, Ms. Lyudmila Mantula and Sasha, her child who has nonverbal autism, fled the country, “we decided to flee because I realized that even if we’re not killed by bombs, we’ll simply starve to death there. Or die from the cold.” As bombs fell in Kharkiv, Ms. Mantula and Sasha fled their home in hope of finding safety in Slovakia. There, they faced new sets of challenges, including language barriers.

Through Special Olympics’ programme, Ms. Mantula and Sasha connected with people in their community and found new opportunities. At the Dream Day Activity Center in Bratislava, Sasha participated in activities like swimming. Affectionately comparing her child to a “beautiful fish,” Ms. Mantula noted that the programme helped Sasha thrive, improving his discipline, listening skills, healing and teamwork.  

Through this unique programme, Ms. Mantula expressed that Special Olympics' initiative has had a profound impact on their lives, “we hope to return home to Ukraine … but for now, Special Olympics is our only hope here that keeps us going and pushes us forward.”

Since 2016, Special Olympics’ Unified with Refugees initiative has provided opportunities to refugees and people with intellectual disabilities to integrate in their communities worldwide through sports. This programme has already impacted more than 10,000 people.

Pictured: Sasha swimming as a participant of Special Olympics’ Unified with Refugees initiative / © Special Olympics

Government of Colombia’s International Sports Exchange helps Daniela realize her dreams

Daniela, a 15-year-old from Mocoa, Colombia recently participated in the Government of Colombia's Sports Exchange in Mixed Football programme which brought her to Rio de Janeiro earlier this year to play football with both male and female participants. Daniela shared that this programme allowed displaced children’s dreams to come true; 

“In my experience [the sport exchange] had a huge transformative potential. It seems to me that these types of activities [that benefit children from displaced communities] should continue because many children are waiting for this dreamlike experience to come to them, and it would make me very happy if they can also fulfil it.” [Translated from Spanish]

The Sports Exchange in Mixed Football programme is a part of the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs' sports diplomacy initiative. Through this initiative, the Government of Colombia is committed to using sport to promote peaceful existence for vulnerable children and adolescents, many of whom are victims of armed conflict and internal displacement.

Refugees foster resilience and joy through Skateistan and Just.Childhood skateboarding programmes

In the Shatila Refugee Camp in Lebanon, young Syrian refugees participate in a skateboarding programme conducted by Skateistan and Just.Childhood. Regular community-based sports give them something to look forward to and help improve their social and emotional wellness. A 10-year-old girl shared, “Skateboarding helped me heal from depression. I look forward to skating every week; it makes me feel positive.” Another 10-year-old participant said, “Skateboarding has increased my self-confidence. It's a relief for me, and I wish I could skate every day.”

Beyond learning skate skills, participants find joy, fulfillment, and encouragement. One participant reflected, “I feel happy when I skate and proud of myself after dropping the big ramp. I love my friends for encouraging me to try new tricks.” These experiences highlight how the programme foster emotional resilience and community among young refugees in Lebanon.

Skateistan is a nonprofit, non-governmental organization that uses skateboarding and education to empower marginalized communities. Just.Childhood is a nonprofit, non-governmental organization operating in Lebanon's education and psycho‐social support sector to support children. Together, these two organizations collaborate to benefit refugee communities, including those at the Shatila Refugee Camp in Lebanon.

© Skateistan / Just.Childhood

Sport is a powerful tool for fostering solidarity and creating solutions for refugees. The activities of Sport for Refugees Coalition members include refugees and host communities in various contexts—(mega)-sporting events and competitions, grassroots initiatives, and scholarly research, among others. Through sport, Sport for Refugees Coalition members are committed to advancing solutions and promoting better outcomes in inclusion, protection and psychosocial wellbeing.

On World Refugee Day, and every day, we recognize the potential of sport to welcome refugees, as demonstrated by the stories from the participants of Special Olympics, the Government of Colombia, and Skateistan and Just.Childhood's programmes.

Banner image credits: Left to right, top to bottom: © Adidas / Girl Power / @seanychandler, © Special Olympics, © Cricket Without Boundaries, © Deutscher Olympischer Sportbund, © International Judo Federation, © International Judo Federation, © KLABU, © Skateistan / Just.Childhood.