Monaco, 27 March 2017
With less than two weeks to go until the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, World Olympians Association (WOA) is urging Olympians around the world to get behind Peace and Sport’s #WhiteCard digital campaign as a symbolic action for fostering peace and understanding through sport.
The annual campaign, which was launched in Monaco last week, recognises the importance of the United Nations’ International Day of Sport for Development and Peace on April 6. Officially declared by the UN in 2013 and supported by the International Olympic Committee, April 6 is a day that celebrates the power of sport to drive social change and community development, foster peace and promote understanding. It falls on the anniversary of first modern Olympic Games in 1896.
As part of the #WhiteCard campaign Olympians, members of the Olympic Family and wider sports community are invited to share a photo of themselves on social media using the hash tag #WhiteCard and holding up a symbolic white card to show their commitment to peace efforts worldwide.
This year Peace and Sport is encouraging people to add a location in the post or to take their photo against identifiable and iconic backgrounds such as the Eiffel Tower, Copacabana Beach, the Statue of Liberty, Tokyo Tower or Sydney Harbour Bridge so that the shared images tell the story of the universal nature of the campaign and demonstrate the connectedness of the global community on the peace through sport movement. Olympians can also upload details of their planned activities and events to Peace and Sport’s April 6 website – a platform dedicated to promoting initiatives that celebrate International Day of Sport for Development and Peace.
Joël Bouzou, WOA President and President and Founder of Peace and Sport, said:
"Olympians are a source of inspiration for young people everywhere, putting them in a unique position to act as leaders within their communities, drive awareness around social issues and help create a more harmonious world. By coming together and sharing the Olympic values we can utilise the power of sport to promote tolerance and understanding.
"With the fourth year of International Day of Sport for Development and Peace nearly upon us, I call on all Olympians to get behind the #WhiteCard campaign and demonstrate our shared commitment to fostering peace and reconciliation through sport around the world."
Olympian Chris Froome, three-time Tour de France winner and Champion for Peace, added:
"From the high plateaus of Kenya to the banks of the Thames, sport is a source of inspiration and motivation for young people. I hope that #WhiteCard will encourage more people to develop sports projects for peace around the world."
-ENDS-
Notes to Editors:
More information about Peace and Sport’s April 6 and #WhiteCard campaign can be found here: https://www.april6.org/en/white-card.html
About Peace and Sport
Peace and Sport is a politically neutral international organisation founded in 2007 under the High Patronage of H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco, by Joël Bouzou, Olympic medallist and World champion in modern pentathlon.
Peace and Sport works to build sustainable peace throughout the world by promoting the practice of structured sport as a tool for educating young people and fostering social stability, rapprochement and dialogue among communities.
About World Olympians Association
WOA is the member organisation for the more than 120,000 Olympians worldwide. Our remit is to work for the benefit of all Olympians at all stages of their lives, empowering them to serve society and help make the world a better place. With 148 member National Olympians Associations (NOAs) spread across all five continents, WOA provides support to Olympian-run events and projects based on the Olympic ideals laid down by the founder of the modern Olympics, Pierre de Coubertin.
For more information
Amelia Fisher-Starzynski
VERO Communications
afisher-starzynski@verocom.co.uk
+44 (0) 207 812 6589 / +44 (0) 7557 418 187
Connect with World Olympians Association
Website: www.olympians.org
Twitter: @worldolympians
Facebook: www.facebook.com/WorldOlympiansAssociation/
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