Sport for Peace: A Pathway to Post-Conflict Understanding
In times of conflict, people search for a route to – and definition of - peace: What does it truly mean to live in peace? Is it just the absence of war? How can it be best achieved? The situation unfolding in Ukraine has forced us all to seek answers to these challenging questions.
Nelson Mandela, the founding patron of Laureus, held his own unique vision for a peaceful world: “Peace is not just the absence of conflict; peace is the creation of an environment where all can flourish regardless of race, color, creed, religion, gender, class, caste or any other social markers of difference.”
“Peace is not just the absence of conflict; peace is the creation of an environment where all can flourish regardless of race, color, creed, religion, gender, class, caste or any other social markers of difference.”
Generations For Peace (GFP), a leading global non-profit peacebuilding organisation supported by Laureus Sport for Good, aims to reflect Mandela’s principles in their community-based work around the world. GFP’s commitment to sustainable conflict transformation at the grassroots is facilitated through a range of activities, the most popular being sport. Their CEO, Mark Clark MBE, explains that any definition of peace must include conflict.
“Conflict is a natural and important aspect of human life: it’s about differences, and differences are an essential condition for human innovation and development,” he said. “So peacebuilding is not about stopping conflict; and it goes beyond stopping direct violence to working on the more systemic issues of structural and cultural violence.
“So in our work in communities around the world, Generations For Peace is using the power of sport and other tools to engage people to transform their capacities to manage conflict without violence; to transform relationships between people across identity divides; and to transform the systems dynamics of seemingly intractable violence.
“[This is] achieved in our programmes in communities by promoting four values: youth leadership, community empowerment, active tolerance, and responsible citizenship.”
These young volunteers are impressive role models, leading change in their own communities, demonstrating the values of Generations For Peace and passing them on, from generation to generation.”
The organisation was founded by HRH Prince Feisal Al Hussein of Jordan in 2007 and GFP are the sole peace-through-sport organisation officially recognised by the International Olympic Committee.
“My father, the late King Hussein, was a truly pioneering peace advocate and my brother, HM King Abdullah II, continues to lead the call for peace,” said Prince Feisall. “Generations For Peace is part of that peacebuilding vision through which I continue my father’s work and legacy.
“The stories of extraordinary commitment and achievements of our Generations For Peace Delegates and Pioneers, working to build peace around the world, are a daily source of inspiration not only for myself, but for everyone involved in our organisation. These young volunteers are impressive role models, leading change in their own communities, demonstrating the values of Generations For Peace and passing them on, from generation to generation.”
Mark Clark, the organisation’s CEO, detailed the difference made by these young people within their communities. “Sport is part of our DNA,” he said. “Over the last 15 years we have trained more than 19,500 youth leaders whose programmes have impacted more than 1.4 million children, youth and adults in very diverse contexts across 52 countries.
“Certainly the universal language of sport makes it a powerful tool in every society: from engaging youth across ethnic identities in Rwanda through volleyball, using 3x3 basketball across tribal identities in South Sudan, using a variety of sport-based games and tournaments across religious divides in Sri Lanka and Northern Nigeria, empowering girls and shifting gender stereotypes through softball in Pakistan, using football and sport-based games to address violence on the South Side of Chicago, USA; to a combination of sport and life-skills programming integrated into schools and youth centres to engage Jordanian and Syrian refugee youth to strengthen social cohesion, protection, and mental wellbeing in Jordan.”
In a similar fashion, PeacePlayers – a long-standing programme partner of Laureus Sport for Good – uses the sport of basketball to create safe spaces for young people to build relationships and develop into community leaders. Founded 20 years ago by two American brothers from Washington DC, PeacePlayers’ work in divided communities is powerfully reflected in US programming launched in 2017 in partnership with Nike focusing on addressing racial equity in the United States. There are now five permanent programmes established across the United States – in addition to partner projects in the Middle East, South Africa, Northern Ireland and Cyprus.
While organisations like PeacePlayers and GFP continue to spread the message of peace within communities, Clark believes that a joined-up approach is essential to conflict resolution globally, both in Ukraine and beyond.
“It is good to see governments, private sector companies, and sports organisations all expressing similar condemnation and solidarity,” he said. “That type of global whole-of-society response is what should indeed be seen, but not only in response to Ukraine – also and equally in response to other violent conflicts and man-made humanitarian tragedies including Yemen, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Mali, Mozambique, the West Bank and Gaza.
“At the same time, condemning violence and expressing solidarity is insufficient unless connected with direct practical actions. Care must be taken not to jump onto news cycles without strategic action applied coherently and consistently across different contexts, where each organisation has proximity and strengths to offer. Peacebuilding work continues before, during, and after any violent conflict.
“The urgent peacebuilding work needed in relation to Ukraine is threefold:
(a) to highlight and direct concerned people to support non-violent efforts to bring about a cease-fire followed by a negotiated end to the hostilities;
(b) to ensure provision/access to humanitarian assistance inside Ukraine and for refugees who have fled to neighbouring countries; and
(c) serious diplomatic attention to manage the consequences of this war in a way that reduces the risk of further escalation."
Credit for images: Generations For Peace
Laureus is proud to support Generations for Peace, PeacePlayers and other programmes using the power of sport to build bridges and break down barriers in communities around the world.
Sport has the power to unite, and working together, we can use #Sport4Peace.
