Celebrating International Day of Sports for Development and Peace

Sports is a tool of unification, solidarity and peacebuilding; it creates a level playing ground for members of the society at different levels to come together on one platform, casting aside differences. Sports can also empower children with positive characteristics such as team work, equality, fairplay, collaboration and lots more.

The International Day of Sports for Development and Peace 2019 is another opportunity to join other peacebuilders around the world to advocate Peace through Sports.

We are glad to have participated in the global #WhiteCard Campaign slated to commemorate this initiative.

The campaign requires participants to hold up a #WhiteCard, just like a referee. This singular act symbolises the positive power of sport. In contrast with the red card, which signifies the most serious offense in sport, the White Card is a gesture of inclusion, equity, and peace.

Sharing her opinion on how Sports can serve as a tool for development and peace, Pemi Lawal, a volunteer with One African Child Foundation said, “I believe that sports can be a tool to foster peace because when sports is involved, everyone forgets their biases and come together as one. It is pretty amazing.”

Iyunoluwa also emphasised how Sports reinforces team spirit. In her words, “Sports as a tool for development and peace is a form of promotion of teamwork and trust!”

As a foundation focused on education for sustainable development, we believe that Sports is a major tool to drive this, and that’s why we took on a partnership with Global Sports Initiative, Germany. This collaboration involved visits to Lagos, Ibadan, and Kwara to enlighten students and teachers in communities we work with on how Sports can fuel inclusive and innovative ways of learning.

We will continue to strive for education for sustainable development and will recruit innovative ways like sporting activities to advocate this.