Now in their fourth year, the Great Lakes Friendship Games have become a key event for peace and diplomacy through sport. This project, spearheaded by the organization Peace and Sport, is gaining increasing recognition and support from political and sporting authorities in the region and attracting more and more visitors from the local community each year.
This gathering will bring together young people from youth centres in the areas bordering Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, for sporting, cultural and awareness-raising activities aimed at promoting peace. The Games provide the young people with a unique opportunity to forge friendships, embrace a sense of community, and play their part in strengthening peace efforts in the Great Lakes region.
Luvungi, Democratic Republic of Congo, will for the second time host the Friendship Games, in which more than 300 young people aged 9 to 15 will take part. The various different communities that these young people come from have been made vulnerable by years of widespread conflict.
"I am delighted that this fourth edition of the Friendship Games will take place in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and for the second time in Luvungi. The National Olympics Committee and the Ministry of Youth and Sport of the South Kivu province have got behind this Peace and Sport initiative and are supporting the work of the educators and youth centres taking part in the Games. More than just a sporting event bringing together young people, the Friendship Games represent a global and positive movement in the Great Lakes region. This international gathering is unique in its ability to unify different communities." says Mrs. Bernadette Masoka, Minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
A number of organizations are on board to help ensure the success of the Games, including the International Olympic Committees of Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, the Ministries of Youth and Sport of the three countries and the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO).
The contribution of these different actors to the event each year has enabled the Games to become a true catalyst for building sustainable peace in this region of Africa, which for many decades has been in the grip of conflict.
Joël Bouzou, President and Founder of Peace and Sport, says: "Over the last four years, the African Great Lakes Friendship Games have become a crucial event for all of these young people. A wider range of sporting activities is being run each year and an increasing number of young people are taking part. The culture of tolerance and respect engendered by sport means that the Games provide them with an opportunity to make friends, talk and overcome their prejudices. I would like to thank all of our partners in this initiative, who work daily to bring stability to this particularly fragile region of Africa, and without whom the Games would not be possible. Here is to a successful 4th Friendship Games and to many more in future!"
Vénuste Niyongabo: an outstanding ambassador
Gold medallist in the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games and Peace and Sport Champion for Peace since 2010, Vénuste Niyongabo is one of 78 international athletes that have joined forces with Peace and Sport to support the peace through sport movement.
In 2013 Vénuste Niyongabo will be ambassador for the Friendship Games for the third year running. His goal is to show the young people of Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda that it is possible to understand each other, find common ground and live together peacefully.
During the Games, Vénuste will also take the lead in the "Peace Run". This run, kicking off after the opening ceremony, will mark the official start to the Friendship Games and will be an opportunity for all of the participants to join him in celebrating this symbolic event while representing their respective countries.
"The Friendship Games between Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda are aimed at bridging gaps between communities and encouraging dialogue between different regions in these countries. This event, which promotes local cultural differences, fosters an approach that, through sport, can strengthen social cohesion. We need to incentivize local authorities to organize more such events if this initiative is going to stand the test of time." - Vénuste Niyongabo, ambassador for the 4th Great Lakes Friendship Games
"These Games are a unique event that gives the young participants an opportunity to experience and live in the same shared environment over two days. They also enable our mentors to spread a message of peace to the local communities.
Inter-community conflicts have caused lasting damage in this region, and I have found that these peace-building sports events have the power to get young people together and get them talking. The Friendship Games have therefore had a positive impact on daily life." - Romain Kiyuma, youth centre director
For more information contact: Peace and Sport
Laurent Dupont: + 33 (0)6 78 63 48 04 / ld@peace-sport.org
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