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Sports Programs
Sports for Peace
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Friendly sports competitions among people of diverse backgrounds have great potential as instruments for peace.
- Goal: Integrate sports and education in order to promote peaceful communities.
- Method: Organize programs in schools and communities that bring together people from diverse backgrounds in the spirit of friendly competition to promote sportsmanship, understanding, and good will.
Examples of programs:
- Play Football Make Peace brings together diverse teams in friendly matches that promote good sportsmanship and build friendship. (Estonia, Honduras, India, Israel, Kenya, Palestinian Territories, Russia, Switzerland)
- Run Hour relay races in parks and public spaces mobilize youthful energy to publicize worthy causes. (Georgia, Russia)
- Super-marathons bring people together for several days of running in turns on an extended route. (Belarus, Georgia, Russia, France, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania)
- Peace Cup professional football tournaments (Korea and Spain)
- Peace Trophy interreligious tournaments in Italy.
- Estonia - UPF-Estonia Co-Sponsors ‘One Korea’ Event
- Russia - UPF-Russia Hosts 1,500 km Run with Anti-Drug Message
- Switzerland - Swiss Football Event Includes Peace Education
- Russia - UPF-Russia Holds Children’s Chess Tournament
- Moldova - UPF-Moldova Honors International Day of Families with Peace Road Event
- Russia - Moscow Football Event Promotes Noble Rivalry
- Russia - UPF-Russia Holds ‘Cosmonautics’ Football Tournament
- Thailand - Thailand “Peace Road” Draws Hundreds of Cyclists
- Russia - UPF-Russia Interviews ‘Sports Ambassador’
- San Marino - UPF-San Marino Hosts ‘Football for Peace’
- Russia - UPF-Russia Holds Children’s Chess Tournament
- Russia - UPF-Russia Co-Sponsors Football Tournament
For resources for organizing a community-wide sports day, click here.
"The reason for my devotion to soccer teams, symphony orchestras, and ballet companies is that these activities are a means to bring world peace. The world famous footballer and peace activist Pelé and I found that we shared this kind of thinking, and so we created a new competition of international dimensions called the Peace Cup, and tournaments have been held every two years since 2003. All profits from the tournaments are used to support soccer events for children and youth in developing countries. In particular, we use soccer to help children with physical disabilities keep their dreams alive." - Rev. Dr. Sun Myung Moon, Founder, Universal Peace Federation
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