Sport as a tool for building peaceful and inclusive societies was one of the central themes of the 9th Global Forum of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC). Held on the 22nd-23rd of November 2022 and hosted by the Kingdom of Morocco in the historic city of Fez, the 9th UNAOC Global Forum served as a platform to promote dialogue and cooperation between cultures and civilizations. The two-day event was packed with interactive thematic sessions on intercultural and interreligious dialogue, conflict prevention and peacebuilding, elevating youth voices, and other key priority areas.
During his opening remarks, H.E. Mr. Miguel Moratinos, Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for UNAOC, emphasized, “…The Alliance of Civilizations can precisely serve as a platform to facilitate understanding, comprehension, and respect for each of our cultures and civilizations. (…) In short, the Alliance of Civilizations must become an Alliance of Civilizations for Peace.”
More than 2,000 participants took part in the two-day event, including official delegations, political leaders, civil society, youth leaders, faith-based organizations, and multiple stakeholders from over 90 different countries.
Discussions were held on cross-cutting issues around UNAOC’s five pillars of action: youth, media, education, migration, and women as peacemakers.
In a segment entitled “Voices of the Wise”, UNAOC co-founder and Former President of Spain, H.E. Mr. José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, expressed optimism: “Humanity has shown us a continuous potential for moral progress,” he said. “I dream of a generation, not in the far distant future, that will completely abandon war and violence in international relations.”
Two Sessions Highlighting Sport and its Unifying Power
Within the framework of the Forum, a Breakout Session entitled “Sport as a vector for peace and inclusiveness” focused on the opportunities and limitations of sport as a tool in fostering social inclusion and provided recommendations on strengthening the impact of sport in building more peaceful and inclusive societies. Prominent speakers included Ms. Irene Lozano Domingo, General Director Casa Árabe; Mr. Joan Cuscó, President Beach Soccer WorldWide; Ms. Laura Georges, Secretary General French Football Federation; Ms. Georgia Dimitropoulou, Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Officer UNODC; Mr. Martin Kainz, Author of “PVE Through Major Sporting Events: A Handbook for Organizers”; and Mr. John Youhanes, Executive Director of Nile Youth Development Actions (NYDA).
A Side Event, meanwhile, saw the unveiling of the 10 recipients of the ‘Sport for One Humanity’ initiative by Turkish Airlines. This initiative was launched in March 2022 and received strong interest from grassroots civil society organizations working in the field of sport and development and promoting peace through sport, with nearly 600 submissions from 83 countries. The recipients will benefit from a comprehensive capacity-development program that includes tailored workshops on project design, implementation and evaluation, communication and advocacy, resource mobilization, fundraising, and partnerships.
Moreover, key sports stakeholders such as Mr. Christian Karembeu, and former France National Football Team player, Ms. Laura Georges, who currently serves as the Secretary-General of the French Football Federation, Ms. Rowena Samarasinhe, Managing Director, GENSport, and Ms. Ramata Almamy Mbaye, Director of the Human and Social Sciences Sector, Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), engaged in an interactive discussion focused on the impact of the sport and grassroots sport-based organizations in boosting peace and development.
Ms. Rowena Samarasinhe, Managing Director, GENSport, summarized the fruitful discussion as such: “Sports build community and it can also be very important to change perceptions on the playing field no matter where you come from or how you look. […] We should use sport as a tool to drive change”
