(MENAFN- The Peninsula) The Peninsula
Lausanne:President of the Qatar Olympic Committee, H E Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, has attended the inaugural Board meeting of the Olympic Refuge Foundation following its official launch in September at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session in Lima, which also saw the Qatar Olympic Committee confirmed as a founding donating partner.
Playing sport in a safe environment is not a right granted to everyone around the world, especially for the 65 million or so people who have been forced to leave their homes by war, famine and other natural disasters, and who are now living in refugee camps.
Working in cooperation with the UNHCR, the Foundation, which is Chaired by IOC President Thomas Bach, will support projects across the world, to create safe, basic and accessible sports facilities and develop sporting activities for vulnerable people. Projects, which will use sport as a pathway to social, physical and emotional wellbeing, will take a community-based approach.
During the Foundation's first-ever Board meeting, the operational framework and scope of activities were approved, allowing the Foundation to go forward with the creation of the first safe spaces. Starting in early 2018, the Foundation, in close collaboration with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and with the relevant international partners and local authorities on the ground, will start the implementation of programmes and allocating grants through the generous donations of Olympic Movement partners, governmental institutions and private donors.
The Olympic Refuge Foundation is providing a unique opportunity to increase the understanding of sport as a positive factor for protecting and supporting vulnerable people. Based on knowledge and evidence, the Olympic Refuge Foundation will create tools, policies and resources that will contribute to deliver effective programmes. It will also leverage the Olympic Movement's considerable network in order to advocate for the adoption of policies related to the potential of sport as an agent for change.
The Members of the Foundation Board were formally introduced during the meeting and represent a group of individuals who share the belief in the power of sport to make the world a better place and who have concretely demonstrated it through their interest and experience.
During the meeting, IOC Honorary President Jacques Rogge was appointed as Honorary Member of the Foundation. The former Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General for Youth Refugees and Sport has advocated tirelessly around the world the benefits that sport can bring to young refugees and supported the direct implementation of sports programmes in Jordan, Ethiopia, Colombia and Rwanda.
MENAFN1312201700630000ID1096226773
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.