Sydney, Australia - UPF Founder Dr. Sun Myung Moon saw the great potential to use sport, and soccer in particular, to promote peace, health and harmony in the world. In this spirit, on Feb. 2, 2014 in Sydney, Australia, the first presentation of soccer awards for Peace, Health and Harmony took place.
The awards presentation was organized by two UPF Ambassadors for Peace, Mr. Ghassan Alassadi, president of the Iraqi Renaissance, Inc., and Amjed al Jibory, founder and coach of the Talents Soccer School. They asked UPF-Sydney to encourage peacebuilding among young people in the community by presenting “Youth Peace-Builders” awards to the young graduates of the soccer academy.
Coach Mr. Amjed al Jibory was a champion professional soccer player in the A-League in Iraq for ten years as well as a coach for five years. He later gained his master’s degree in physical education. With the full backing and support of Mr Ghassan Alassadi, they launched the Talent Soccer Academy to train youth in the Liverpool suburbs and surrounding areas. The school teaches not only the finer skills and tactics of soccer but also sportsmanship, self-esteem and character development.
Especially in large, multicultural cities such as Sydney, young people can face many temptations such as drug abuse, the influence of gangs and even radicalization by terrorist organizations. Excellent initiatives such as the Talent Soccer School, backed by businesses, families and community leaders, play a valuable role in assisting young people to grow into healthy, law abiding citizens.
The wording of the certificate given to the soccer players and young officials was:
The Universal Peace Federation
Consistent with its mission to establish world peace, the Universal Peace Federation seeks to promote and encourage universal moral values, strong family life, interreligious cooperation, international harmony, living for the sake of others and the establishment of a culture of peace, transcendent of racial, national and religious barriers.
In acknowledgement of admirable efforts to practice these ideals, the Universal Peace Federation is proud to present this Youth Peace-Builder Award to