Laureus trains seven Rio charity sports projects how to promote peace through sport

July 8 2013

The Laureus Sport for Good Foundation has come together with Peace Players International (PPI) to train seven NGO charity sports projects in Rio de Janeiro in the use of sport as a tool to promote social inclusion.

The training forms part of a global Laureus programme that has so far trained over 50 grassroots organisations in 38 countries to tackle pressing social problems through sport. The training took place in Jacarepagua from 9 to 12 July.

Gunnar Hagstrom, Organizational Learning Specialist, PPI, said: "I am delighted to be working with local NGO's in Rio on behalf of Laureus and PPI. The training will help to create a platform to for like-minded organisations to share and learn from one another as well as see how other organisations around the globe are using sport as a tool to talk to young people about conflict."

Ahead of the training, PPI and Laureus teamed up to develop a groundbreaking programme focusing on the use of sport to unite divided communities by breaking down cycles of conflict and alienation.

In addition to accessing expertise from PPI and Laureus, participants also had the opportunity to share their experiences, creating a forum in which knowledge is exchanged interactively between trainees and trainers.

Charity projects taking part in the training assist young people living in difficult social environments, from 6 to 17 years old, offering sports, education and professional training for social promotion through sport.

Luciana Porta, Latin America Manager, Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, "One of Laureus’s core goals is to facilitate the sharing of good practice in sport for good across countries and continents. In Brazil this means we not only fund community sports projects but also create opportunities for local projects to exchange knowledge with other Laureus grantees from around the world. At the end of the training participants receive ongoing support to adapt the methodology to their own local circumstances, ultimately enhancing the impact for young people and local communities."

Peace Players International is a strategic partner of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation. It is a registered international NGO that uses the game of basketball to unite, educate and inspire young people in divided communities worldwide. PPI’s year-round integrated youth basketball programs have thus far reached over 55,000 participants.