The Launch of Sport Solidarity for Haiti
At the request of the Haitian Olympic Committee (HOC), “Peace and Sport, l’Organisation pour la Paix par le Sport” based in the Principality of Monaco under the High Patronage of HSH Prince Albert II is today launching a campaign for solidarity within the international sports movement in order to support the HOC in its mission to support and give guidance to Haitian youth through sport.
SPORT AS A TOOL FOR RECONSTRUCTION IN HAITI
100,000 children and adolescents from 8 to 20 years now live in survivor camps in Haiti, left to their own resources and disoriented after the tragedy that hit the island on 12 January. Sport is one of the main ways of helping these youngsters to overcome their trauma, to resume living together in confidence and to rebuild the country on sustainable, peaceful and fair foundations.
UNICEF and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has asked the Haitian Olympic Committee, a point of reference for sport and social development in Haiti, to help them introduce a structured living environment in survivor camps, with the help of sport.
Two programs managed by the HOC are planned:
1. CAMPS FOR THE FUTURE: a program to supervise 50,000 young people through daily socio-educational sports activities with psychosocial support in selected camps. Children will be able to learn many sports (football, volleyball, basketball, tennis, badminton, rugby, chess …) and practice them every day, thanks to the involvement of 200 Haitian educators. The structured playing of sport will facilitate their reintegration and return to normal life in society.
2. DIGNITY FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS IN DISPLACED PERSONS CAMPS: a program to combat violence and discrimination against young women in these camps, through sports and educational activities.
APPEAL FOR DONATIONS AND COLLECTION OF SPORTS EQUIPMENT
Peace and Sport has been commissioned by the Haitian Olympic Committee with the backing of the Haitian Government to support these two missions and give it the means to act.
To do this, collecting sports equipment is the number one priority. The objective is to collect footballs, taekwondo kimonos and judo suits, handball balls, basketballs, rugby balls, gym mats, volleyballs, badminton kits, tennis kits, athletics equipment (hurdles, markers, long jump boards), whistles, stopwatches and board games.
In liaison with the HOC, Peace and Sport will contact global sports governing bodies, major sports clubs, professional leagues and international companies to collect donations of sports equipment (new or used), to coordinate sending sports trainers to Haiti and to encourage financial donations.
THE FIRST PLEDGES
Two International Sports Federations have already given their support. The International Chess Federation (FIDE) and the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), both partners of Peace and Sport, will respectively send 500 chess games and 50 table tennis kits to Haiti. These first donations will enable organized sports activities in the camps to start immediately.
AN INTERNATIONAL COORDINATION CELL
Peace and Sport has set up a coordination unit to solicit international stakeholders and centralize pledges. It will also have the task of sending equipment donations to Haiti and monitoring their use in response to specific needs in identified programs, with complete transparency.
Jo√´l Bouzou, President and Founder of Peace and Sport, declared: “The appeal for mobilization that we are launching today should very quickly allow us to gather enough equipment to enable the HOC to accomplish its mission. The needs we have identified are simple, accessible and realistic. The programs will therefore be easy to implement if everyone is involved, giving all possible means. Every bit helps to restore familiar landmarks, rules, a framework for life and give hope to children and adolescents who have lost everything in Haiti. “
“I am convinced that, through this operation the sporting world will demonstrate its solidarity and its ability to quickly and effectively act to confront extremely urgent situations.”
Coordination cell for Haiti – Contact details:
Sylvain Heraud
haiti@peace-sport.org – +377 97 97 7800
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