9th Peace and Sport International Forum

The Peace and Sport International Forum will take place from 23 - 25 November 2016 in Monaco under the High Patronage of H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco. Its purpose is to develop peace through sport throughout the world.

Founded in 2007, the event is politically neutral and works to develop worldwide peace through sport.

It has earned a reputation as a major international gathering for open and forthright dialogue with no taboos, focusing on one goal: cooperating, creating and sharing concrete initiatives that place sport at the service of peace in the world.

This year, more than 500 sports personalities, politicians and academics join forces with leaders from the private sector and civil society over three days to discuss the ability of sport’s capacity to build sustainable peace and train agents for change, committed to act for a better, more just and more united world.

With the main theme 'Game on for Peace: Changing the World through Sport', this year’s Forum will take place in a global context where peace seems in decline: widespread violence and extremist acts threaten the stability of our societies at all levels, and the most vulnerable are often the hardest hit.

The following 5 themes will at the heart of debates:

Sport Diplomacy

Sport Legacy,

Gender Equity in Sport,

Social Integration of Refugees,

Peace through Sport in the Digital Age

As in 2015, a Peace Walk will be held on 23 November at 6 p.m., leaving from the Terrasses de l'Opéra Monte-Carlo. In the presence of H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco, champions, dignitaries and celebrities will take part in a symbolic walk, united in a single movement, just before the official opening of the Forum.

In 2015, Chris Froome, Sergei Bubka and Yelena Isinbaeva were some of the most famous sportspeople to lead the walk.

Joël Bouzou "2016 has been a hard year for humanity. Conflicts, terrorist attacks and population displacement have marked, moved, and shocked us.In this disordered world, the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio were catalysts where sporting gestures and fraternity carried a message of values for a better world. Peace and Sport’s role is to take the best of these values and help build a peaceful world. The Forum is a time of reflection as well as action."

Some of the high-level speakers who will be present:

-Pal Schmitt, former President of the Republic of Hungary, current IOC Member and double Olympic Champion

-Thomas Weikert, President of the International Table Tennis Federation

-Aya Medany, Egyptian pentathlete, Champion for Peace and member of the IOC's Athletes Commission

-Representatives from international organizations: such as the Deputy Director of UNESCO Nada Al-Nashif and Yves Le Lostecque, Director of the Department of Athletics at the European Commission

-Many athletes will share their incredible stories including Maria Toorpakai. Disguised as a man for many years in Pakistan in order to practice weightlifting, she had to flee her country for Canada when she was found out to be a woman

-NGO spokespersons: including Ignacio Parker, General Secretary of the International Foundation 'Terre des Hommes'

-Media representatives: David Bernard-Bret, Vice-President at Eurosport

-And many other speakers you can find on our website.

Key statistics for the 2016 Peace and Sport International Forum

500 participants from 70 countries

More than 10 Heads of State represented

20 Ministers (Youth, Sport and Culture and/or Foreign Affairs)

25 Champions for Peace

50 Accredited Media

Click here for the full program.

For more information, contact:

Mathieu Mercier

(+33) 6 59 35 88 87

mm@peace-sport.org

Yves Perret

(+33) 6 07 31 62 72

yves@ypmedias.com

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