Saltar al contenido principal

United Nations Office Includes Initiative "Sport for Peace and Development in Darfur" as a model for countering extremism

Países
Sudán
Fuentes
UNODC
+ 2
Fecha de publicación

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has included the "Sport for Peace and Development in Darfur" initiative as a successful model for countering extremism in its Technical Manual on "Preventing Extremism through Sports". The guide was launched last Thursday during an online event attended by more than 250 government representatives and experts from all over the world.

"Sport for Peace and Development in Darfur" was launched by Qatar Fund For Development and Qatar Charity and implemented by Save The Dream and aimed to promote peace and development through sport for internally displaced people (IDPs) in Darfur. The initiative came within the framework of the Doha Peace Document for Darfur in western Sudan.

The Technical Manual on Preventing Violent Extremism through Sport, which was developed in consultation with international experts and other UN entities including UNESCO, provides comprehensive guidance on how to use sport and sport-based programs effectively to prevent violent extremism.

The report issued in the technical guide indicated that the initiative implemented by Save the Dream in 2019 in cooperation with Qatar Fund for Development and Qatar Charity, in partnership with various sports and educational entities, such as Aspire Academy, aims to promote peace and prevent violent extremism and utilized sport as a tool for integration, tolerance, peacebuilding, and social cohesion.

Implementation of the five mechanisms

The report said that the field activities that were implemented in the city of El Fasher,
North Darfur, included several sports and cultural initiatives, awareness campaigns, and training workshops on sport for peace and development.

The main objective was to cultivate community engagement and build the local capacity to design and manage sustainable sports-based peace-building projects.

The report also touched on the project’s model of forming local committees to sustain interest and leadership. In Darfur, 80 community leaders were brought together in a committee to build trust with the youth and their families, and to provide a safe environment where the youth could meet and interact without any obstacles.

“Sport for Peace and Development in Darfur” targeted IDPs and the host communities in Darfur and employed multifaceted sports programs aimed at promoting social integration and peacebuilding, with adequate training in project development, conflict resolution, strategic planning.

Mr. Yousef bin Ahmed Al-Kuwari, CEO of Qatar Charity, said: “ The Doha Document for Peace represents the largest framework for peacebuilding in Darfur, and was welcomed by the Secretary-General of the United Nations as such in 2011”. He added that “Qatar Charity launched the "Sport for Peace and Development in Darfur" initiative in partnership with Qatar Fund for Development with the utmost conviction that the intrinsic values of sport can be harnessed to advance social cohesion, dignity and equality”. Mr Al-Kuwari also pointed out that mentioning this initiative in the report of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime is a celebration of the power of sport and its role in achieving peaceful coexistence and social harmony in Sudan, and said he hoped that this report would open the door to potential sport-based initiatives that would bring about peace and positive change in Sudan.