HRH Prince Feisal: Power of sport can ease the plight of refugees

HRH Prince Feisal Al Hussein, Founder and Chairman of Generations For Peace, today marked the International Day of Peace by calling on the international sport community to harness the unique power of sport to ease the plight of refugees and build sustainable peace in Jordan and in communities affected by conflict around the world.

With more than 1.4 million Syrian refugees currently in Jordan, of which 620,000 have registered to receive assistance, the great majority living outside refugee camps in host communities, and 51.6% of whom are under the age of 18 (UNHCR 2015), there has never been a more crucial time to utilise sport, art, advocacy, dialogue, and empowerment with youth in our communities to change lives.

HRH Prince Feisal, who is also a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Public Affairs and Social Development through Sport Commission, underlined the power of sport as an entry point to engage with children and youth to help tackle localised conflict, inequality and exclusion, and stimulate social development:

"The response from the International Olympic Committee and international sports clubs and federations is truly inspiring, and we welcome IOC President Bach’s pledge to donate two million dollars to National Olympic Committee programmes supporting migrants and refugees. Likewise, through the transformative power of sport, Generations For Peace activities can ease the plight of refugees and local youth in host communities under enormous pressures. But we must not stop there. We must continue to educate and promote the positive effects of sport and encourage the international sport community to build sustainable peace here in the Middle East, in Africa, Europe and around the world."

In Jordan, with support from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Generations For Peace programmes are utilising sport and other peace-building tools to improve social cohesion between Syrian refugees and host community members, and with support from USAID and the Belgium Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to reduce violence in schools. These programmes are benefiting nearly 7,000 young people living in vulnerable communities in Jordan.

Generations For Peace efforts are proving to have a positive impact and have also attracted support from the Norwegian Government, Samsung, Orange and DHL.

For more information, contact:

Generations For Peace Media Team

Tel: +962 6 500 4600

Fax: +962 6 568 2954

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