With such a long list of complementary players who have agreed to meet and put their heads together to achieve peace through sport, how can we not be full of hope that this cause is making great advances?

To do this, we want the 3rd edition of the Peace and Sport Forum to be more than a simple extension of the first two.  It will be a milestone in the evolution of Peace and Sport’s networking platform and the fruit of an initiative that I started three years ago, with the constant and unwavering support of His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco.

This newsletter gives you a small taste of all that the 2009 Forum will contain:

• A practical programme made up of plenary sessions and workshops with a central, binding theme: sustainability of actions for peace through sport
• Speakers from very different backgrounds, ranging from Heads of State to coaches in the field
• And countless memorable moments

As you know, Peace and Sport is a neutral organisation with the aim of supporting field actions, underpinning them and making them sustainable. To achieve this we have two prestigious institutions as partners: the United Nations Office for Partnerships -UNOP and the United Nations Office on Sport for Development and Peace –UNOSDP.

These partnerships are a landmark in our history. I have no doubt that they will help us to achieve our ambition of advancing the cause of sustainable peace through sport.

One last word to tell you that the Peace and Sport community has never been so united. I have the feeling that we are part of a family that is opening its arms to newcomers. A family that I have the pleasure of seeing again year after year.

Thanks to all of you for your support! I look forward to seeing you at the 3rd Peace and Sport International Forum in a few days time.

Sportingly yours,

The cause or peace through sport has never before brought together such an influential community of decision-makers from sport, politics, the private sector and civil society. The third edition of the Peace and Sport International Forum looks to be exceptionally mobilizing. No less than 400 high-profile personalities from 80 countries have already said yes to Peace and Sport’s appeal to put sport at the service of sustainable peace in the world. Placed under the High Patronage of H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco, this summit meeting will unite over 400 prominent personalities and experts from 80 countries to debate a major issue: how to best support policies and grassroots initiatives intended to alleviate social tension and the consequences of conflict in the world through sport, and make them sustainable.

Joël Bouzou, President and Founder of Peace and Sport, explains: To progress the cause of peace in the world is a major concern of inter-governmental institutions as well as citizens and all responsible entities in our international community. Today, sport is increasingly proving to be a legitimate and efficient instrument to achieve this objective. The community dedicated to committing or increasing their involvement in this initiative is expanding all the time, illustrated by the growing success of the International Forum. Peace and Sport’s networking platform is designed to federate, enhance and encourage all initiatives and persons wishing to act to put sport at the service of peace.

Some of the high-profile delegates who will attend the 3rd Peace and Sport International Forum:

• 45 governments (Heads of State, Prime Ministers, Ministers of Sport and Ambassadors)
• Major international organizations (including the UN, the World Bank, the Council of Europe, the International Peace Bureau, etc.)
• Many members of the International Olympic Committee (Thomas BACH, Sergey BUBKA, Carlos Arthur NUZMAN…)
• At least 30 National Olympic Committees
• 25 International Sports Federations,
• Organizing committees of major sports events (Sochi 2014, Rio 2016, Youth Olympic Games...)
• Nearly 50 leading Non-Governmental Organisations (Right To Play, Sport Sans Frontières, British Council, Play Soccer, Education 4 Peace Foundation…)
• Prestigious universities (University for Peace, Swiss Academy for Development…)
• Companies from the private sector (PUMA, Barclays, DBD, Korean Air, Société Générale...).

To animate debates and discussion, Peace and Sport has invited many different speakers ranging from Heads of State to players in the field, including:

H.E. Dr. Danilo TÜRK, President of the Republic – Republic of Slovenia
Dmitry KOSAK, Vice Prime Minister of the Russian Federation
Rama YADE, Secretary of State for Sports – France
Amir DOSSAL, Executive Director – UNOP (United Nations Office for Partnerships)
H.R.H. Prince Nawaf Faisal Fahd ABDULAZIZ, IOC Member, Vice-President and President of the Executive Bureau of the NOC,
Wilfried LEMKE, Special Adviser to the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Sport for Development and Peace
Prof. Federico MAYOR, President - Foundation for a Culture of Peace
Dr. Ralf-René WEINGARTNER, Director of Youth and Sport – Council of Europe
Jean-Edouard BAKER, President – Haitian Olympic Committee
Patrick MCQUAID, President – UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale)
Klaus SCHORMANN, President, Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM)
H.E. Mr. Dae-Ki KIM, Vice Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism - Republic of Korea
H.E. Dr. Vivian BALAKRISHNAN, Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports
Republic of Singapore
Leandro OLVECH, Development Programmes Coordinator ITTF (International Table Tennis Federation)
Caroline GUTTON, Director – Sport sans Frontières
Wisam SHWEIKI, Head of Training in Palestine – Right to Play International
Asheesh BHALLA, President of the US Board of Directors - Skateistan
Monica Ospina REMONT, Member of the Board – Colombianitos
Georges VANDERCHMITT, President, Carat Sport
Pascal BONIFACE, Director – IRIS (Institut des Relations Internationales et Stratégiques)
Simon BALDERSTONE, General Manager of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Bid General Manager,

And many others!

For the first time, the Forum has been organized in partnership with the United Nations Office for Partnerships, the UN Office for Sport at the service of Development and Peace.

The full programme for the Forum and list of participants are available here.

What's the link between legendary footballer Christian Karembeu, the great Cathy Freeman, Olympic and World Champion Bradley McGee, pole vaulting star Yelena Isinbayeva, the first Olympic Medallist from Togo, Benjamin Boukpeti, and marathon record-breaker Paula Radcliffe? Besides all being top-level athletes, they are all… Champions for Peace!

 The Champions for Peace club will be launched by Joël Bouzou and HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco at the Opening Ceremony of the 3rd Peace and Sport International Forum on 25 November.This initiative will bring together top-level sports champions who are either still active or retired from their sports career, who wish to actively or symbolically contribute to a real culture of peace throughout the world by using sport to help the most disadvantaged communities.

The Champions for Peace club will be a flexible structure where everyone can participate according to his or her own desire by supporting Peace and Sport and taking part in peace-promotion operations or even taking action in the field as part of peace-building programmes.

Joël Bouzou explains the origin of the initiative: “More than anyone else, sports champions are aware of the federating power of sport, its power to inspire youngsters and its ability to transcend political, social, racial and religious differenced, which are often the source of conflict in the world. The Champions for Peace initiative was created by Peace and Sport to offer them a structure for communal expression and action to support sports projects at the service of peace and human and social development."

Over 30 well-known athletes have already agreed to become "Champions for Peace"!

Their names will be announced during the launch of the programme. 22 nationalities are represented from all 5 continents, 23 sports disciplines and a common will: to give some of their time and talent or resources and put their reputation at the service of peace through sport.

What and who can follow last year’s handshake between Turkey and Armenia, and Award winners Serge Betsen, Rally Ireland and the International Judo Federation?

2008 NGO Award winner Serge Betsen with Joël Bouzou and HSH Prince Albert II

Who will win Peace and Sport Awards in 2009 - incentives created to reward initiatives and people who have outstandingly contributed to peace and social stability in the world using sport?

The answer to this question will be given on 26th November during the prestigious Gala Evening of the 3rd Peace and Sport International Forum at the Hotel de Paris in Monaco in the presence of HSH Prince Albert II.

There are four prize categories:

• Award for the best peace project from an International Sports Federation
• Award for the best sports event for peace of the year
• Award for the best sports Non-Governmental Organization for peace of the year
• Award for the best Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative of the year

For the second edition of the Awards, to pay tribute to the many initiatives that do irreplaceable work in the field, Peace and Sport has decided to improve its selection process. This year, winners of the Peace and Sport Awards will be chosen by a jury of eminent personalities, deeply invested in peace-promotion or the consolidation of peace through sport:

• Joel Bouzou, President and Founder of Peace and Sport, Modern Pentathlon Olympic medallist
• Wilfried Lemke, Special Advisor to the UN Secretary General of the Office on Sport for Development and Peace.
• Hellen Sambili MP, Minister of Youth and Sport for Kenya,
• Wilson Kipketer, triple World Champion in Athletics (800m)
• Pernilla Wiberg, Ski Olympic Champion and member of the International Olympic Committee
• Johann Koss, President of Right To Play, Speed Skating Olympic Champion
• Matvey Shparo, Arctic explorer
• Erik Monjalous, Director of Sales and Marketing for Agence France-Presse

The four Awards will be awarded on the base of a rigorous analysis and selection procedure, founded on impartial evaluation criteria: the capacity to innovate in implementing sport for peace, involving local stakeholders, the importance placed on sustainability and the transfer of skills, adapting the project to the local environment, innovative ideas about what sport represents in the local context, the quality of follow-up….

During the 2009 Awards Ceremony, the Peace and Sport Image of the Year Award will be presented for a photograph of the granddaughter of the German athlete Luz Long and the granddaughter of American champion Jesse Owens at the 2009 Athletics World Championships in Berlin, during the medal-giving for the long jump. This image perpetuates the courageous and unforgettable friendship between their grandfathers that began during the 1936 Olympics. It bears testimony to the immense power of sport to be stronger than hatred and extremism. The Award for the Peace and Sport Image of the year is awarded in partnership with the news agency Agence France-Presse.

The third edition of the Peace and Sport International Forum will take place in partnership with the prestigious news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP). This association with one of the world’s leading news agencies underpins the major geo-strategic importance of the event.

In this context, AFP will marshal its various areas of expertise (copywriting, photos, videos, graphic design and multimedia) to demonstrate recent progress in the importance of sport in peace-building and peace-promotion throughout the world. With authority and objectivity, AFP will bring innovative ways of thinking to Forum delegates and members of the "Peace and Sport networking platform.

“The Peace and Sport Forum is the only neutral international platform where the importance of sport to contribute to social stability and peace-building is recognised and optimised" explains Joël Bouzou, President and Founder of Peace and Sport. In areas of the world that have been weakened by conflicts, extreme poverty or lack of social cohesion, sport enables inter-community dialogue and accelerates reconciliation and to strengthen diplomatic efforts. We are honoured that Agence France-Presse is taking part in our debates. AFP is a pioneer in social responsibility in the major international media."

Since 1835, AFP has covered major happenings in world current events” says Eric Axelson, Marketing Manager for sport for AFP. "Our reporters are at the forefront of big changes that shape our world and their hidden consequences. As such, our news agency has been a privileged witness to the increasing influence of sport in the evolution of international relations. We are pleased to share this experience with decision-makers at the Peace and Sport International Forum, so they are fully aware of the enormous potential that sport offers to relieve tension in the most disadvantaged areas of the world. "

On September 29 the Biathle Championships were organised for the first ever time in Burundi, on Lake Tanganyika. In this troubled border region, the event aims to promote peace and alleviate ethnic tensions.

Created in 1999 by the Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne, Biathle is a new discipline consisting of two of the base events of modern pentathlon: running and swimming. A popular sport that is accessible to all and spectacular to watch, Biathle can be practiced without equipment or facilities (all that’s necessary is clean water; either a swimming pool, or a natural water span) making it particularly easy to implement in the most deprived areas.

If you would like more information about Peace and Sport, please contact us:
Tel : + 377. 9797.7800
Fax : + 377 . 9797. 1891

E-mail: contact@peace-sport.org - Web site: www.peace-sport.org