INTERNATIONAL DAY OF SPORT FOR DEVELOPMENT AND PEACE
Soccer and wrestling for peace, education and inclusion

Soccer and wrestling for peace, education and inclusion

The Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the Technical Council of Diplomacy and Sports Cooperation held two events to commemorate the international day for development and peace.

A soccer tournament in collaboration with the Qatar Embassy in México where 13 diplomatic representations from Romania, Kazakhstan, USA, El Salvador, European Union, Russia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Peru, Canada, United Kingdom, Turkey and Qatar with the objective to promote solidarity, peace and give a message of fraternity among all the participants.

The presentation of the chapter “Diversity in wrestling” of the miniseries “Unmasking wrestling” in collaboration with the World Wrestling Council and the UNESCO Representation in Mexico. This presentation was made during a live wrestling performance in which representatives of the three institutions launched messages promoting sport for development and peace before hundreds of fans who raised white cards in support and commitment to the initiative.

Gala Lutteroth, Cultural Liaison Director of the World Wrestling Council thanked this opportunity to talk for the inclusion in sports, where there have been a lot of women who have Exalted Mexican wrestling all over the world while they are also supportive in their families. She spoke also for the LGBBTTQ community which has brought not only new wrestlers but also great human beings, athletes and joy to the ring and have given a new perspective for respect and freedom to the CMLL.

Erik Del Angel, Executive coordinator of the Technical Council of Diplomacy and Sports Cooperation accentuate on inclusive Societies and a more egalitarian, equitable and inclusive sport. He also said that it is inevitable to talk about the need for peace in different conflicts in the world where great initiatives, figures, associations, committees, and leagues appear but there are also small ones like the fans that manifest their willing to peace by having no Altercations within wrestling events

Finally Mr. Vacheron representative of UNESCO in Mexico said that according to a major Lancet study, more than 41% of physical activity was decreased in the first few months of lockdown. HE reminded us that  Sport within COVID-19 pandemic is fundamental to people’s psychological well-being. The decrease in physical activity is, therefore, a health problem, including mental health, of the utmost importance, which is even more worrying because today it mainly affects young people.

He also mentioned that UNESCO at the global level works closely with the International Olympic Committee and UN Women, with whom they have founded the World Observatory on Women, Sport, Physical Education and Physical Activity, whose mission is to better detect the obstacles that continue to hinder women’s access to sport.

HE celebrated the promotion of sport for all people which is also the challenge of the first phase of UNESCO’s “Fit for Life” initiative, which will measure the impact of sport and physical culture on the Sustainable Development Goals. This work will serve as a basis for a global reflection on the integration of sport into public policies, not only in the fields of sport, but also in those of health, education and youth. In this sense, we are working with Foreign Affairs and the Mexican Olympic Committee, to implement Fit for life in Mexico.

 

Soccer and wrestling for peace, education and inclusion

Soccer and wrestling for peace, education and inclusion

The Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the Technical Council of Diplomacy and Sports Cooperation held two events to commemorate the international day for development and peace.

A soccer tournament in collaboration with the Qatar Embassy in México where 13 diplomatic representations from Romania, Kazakhstan, USA, El Salvador, European Union, Russia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Peru, Canada, United Kingdom, Turkey and Qatar with the objective to promote solidarity, peace and give a message of fraternity among all the participants.

The presentation of the chapter “Diversity in wrestling” of the miniseries “Unmasking wrestling” in collaboration with the World Wrestling Council and the UNESCO Representation in Mexico. This presentation was made during a live wrestling performance in which representatives of the three institutions launched messages promoting sport for development and peace before hundreds of fans who raised white cards in support and commitment to the initiative.

Gala Lutteroth, Cultural Liaison Director of the World Wrestling Council thanked this opportunity to talk for the inclusion in sports, where there have been a lot of women who have Exalted Mexican wrestling all over the world while they are also supportive in their families. She spoke also for the LGBBTTQ community which has brought not only new wrestlers but also great human beings, athletes and joy to the ring and have given a new perspective for respect and freedom to the CMLL.

Erik Del Angel, Executive coordinator of the Technical Council of Diplomacy and Sports Cooperation accentuate on inclusive Societies and a more egalitarian, equitable and inclusive sport. He also said that it is inevitable to talk about the need for peace in different conflicts in the world where great initiatives, figures, associations, committees, and leagues appear but there are also small ones like the fans that manifest their willing to peace by having no Altercations within wrestling events

Finally Mr. Vacheron representative of UNESCO in Mexico said that according to a major Lancet study, more than 41% of physical activity was decreased in the first few months of lockdown. HE reminded us that  Sport within COVID-19 pandemic is fundamental to people’s psychological well-being. The decrease in physical activity is, therefore, a health problem, including mental health, of the utmost importance, which is even more worrying because today it mainly affects young people.

He also mentioned that UNESCO at the global level works closely with the International Olympic Committee and UN Women, with whom they have founded the World Observatory on Women, Sport, Physical Education and Physical Activity, whose mission is to better detect the obstacles that continue to hinder women’s access to sport.

He celebrated the promotion of sport for all people which is also the challenge of the first phase of UNESCO’s “Fit for Life” initiative, which will measure the impact of sport and physical culture on the Sustainable Development Goals. This work will serve as a basis for a global reflection on the integration of sport into public policies, not only in the fields of sport, but also in those of health, education and youth. In this sense, we are working with Foreign Affairs and the Mexican Olympic Committee, to implement Fit for life in Mexico.

 

Ball To All and Celebrity Goalie Ivo Mapunda Deliver in Tanzania

Ball To All and Celebrity Goalie Ivo Mapunda Deliver in Tanzania

Ball To All will make its largest delivery of soccer balls to kids who can not afford them.  Ivo Mapunda will lead the event in Tanzania.

Ball To All is a non-profit (501c3) organization that was founded with a simple premise: keep kids playing – it will help them grow healthier, happier and at the same time, keep them out of trouble.

The mission is simple and captured in the slogan: Every Kid Can Have A Ball.

 

Ball To All and Celebrity Goalie Ivo Mapunda deliver soccer balls to kids who can not them in Tanzania. Promoting sports, equality and world peace. We are all raising a #WhiteCard in support of April6.org

Imagine kids who have nothing, and nothing to do…

Is the risk of them getting into trouble greater?

Is the risk of them feeling that “no one cares” greater?

Is the risk of them being swayed by extremism greater?

We all want “World Peace”, yet many children around the world do not have the basic means to grow up happy and joyous…

It is a simple problem, with a simple solution.

Aikido for peace

Aikido for peace

The International Aikido Seminar gathered Aikidoka from Romania, USA, Netherlands and Poland, also Slovakia and Sweden.

The event took place in Romania, one of the members of the International Aikido Federation.

There were several trainings that were enjoyed by beginners and also black belts, by men and women, also by youth and teenagers. When on tatami, an Aikidoka has no competition behavious. Everyone develops oneself in several ways: communication, kindness, focus, posture, attitude, reaction, self control, perseverence. Aspects that come over techniques, speed of reaction, movements of the body. 

After one of the trainings, we seized a moment of #Whitecard.

Aikido is a martial art, but the philosophy is around peace and friendship. It is actually called ”The Art of Peace”. It directs you to find how to succeede in a nonviolent way when facing a conflict. The Aikido principles can be applied into our daily life and can help us face all kinds of challenges we encounter – in our personal life, job, business, social relations.

 

Zakhi: finding inner peace with yoga

Zakhi: finding inner peace with yoga

Zakhi is a certified yoga teacher working with the association Yoga and Sport with Refugees, in Greece. He started joining yoga classes when he was on Lesvos in 2019 and then decided to follow the Yoga teacher training offered by the organization.

Story:
“In the first step since I started to do yoga it helped me to change so many things inside me which I’m so grateful, beside when I train with people in class and when I observe the peace inside them that makes so appreciative, it is important for me because through Yoga I’m getting to know more myself, I’m very thankful that I’ve learnt this skill through Yoga and Sport with Refugee NGO.”

Abhinav Bindra: history-making sportsman and philanthropist

Abhinav Bindra: history-making sportsman and philanthropist

Abhinav Bindra is an Indian Olympic champion specialising in shooting. After making history in India, including winning the country’s first individual gold medal, he also set up his own foundation.

“Having retired from professional shooting in 2016, I wanted to give back to the sporting community and do my bit to ensure everyone gets the opportunity to experience sport and all that it has to teach. It is what drove me to find the Abhinav Bindra Foundation, with the aim to build an ecosystem of excellence in the Indian sporting ecosystem and bring athletes, players at the grassroots, their stakeholders, and the general public together. The key pillars of our initiatives are Intervention (through high-performance training), Education, and Social Upliftment.”

Story:
“Sport has been and continues to be my greatest teacher. It has not only taught me how to win but also how to lose, thereby giving me the gifts of humility, acceptance, and self-reflection. It has been my greatest motivator, my greatest drive to work harder towards achieving excellence. Along the way, the sport has also provided me opportunities to form bonds with my teammates, coaches, and rivals.”