Taking advantage of the fact that several of our partners were in Beijing, Peace and Sport used the Olympic Games as a networking opportunity and an occasion to initiate and advance our Locally-Based Projects.

Several meetings with the International Judo Federation (IJF) focused on Africa, discussing interventions underway in Cote d’Ivoire and Burundi.

Joel Bouzou meets M. Marius L. Vizer, President of the International Judo Federation

The IJF/Peace and Sport partnership has meant that action in Cote d’Ivoire started just weeks ago already has two successes to its name: firstly, training two executives from the Ivorian Federation who took part in the Olympic preparation of the German Judo Team; secondly, providing two competition mats for Cote d'Ivoire so that Judo competition venues in Abidjan could be renovated. The old mats were used to equip 2 new sports halls in Bouaké (in the North) and San Pedro (in the South). Another IJF/Peace and Sport programme will soon start in these two regions to give young outcasts the chance to try Judo and to learn the important values of the sport.

In Burundi, together with the organisation Judo For Peace, we are developing a programme to socially reintegrate war orphans. Peace and Sport organised a meeting in Beijing between Mr Jan Eirik Schiotz, Director of Judo for Peace, and Mr Tharcisse Harerimana, Executive Secretary for the Burundi National Olympic Committee so that they could set the operating methods for this project. The outcome is an agreement to support training coaches from the Burundi Judo Federation, to provide equipment and help find financial aid. In Burundi Judo has proved itself as an excellent way to access young people in distress. Traumatised by attacks that were directed towards groups, they are wary of collective sports. Individual sports act as a vector for the values of citizenship, respect and sharing and give youth self-confidence and confidence in society.

Joel Bouzou met the President of the International Paralympic Committee, Sir Philip Craven, to underpin the link between Peace and Sport’s on-site experts and national Paralympic and Handisport Federations which play a crucial role in countries in crisis. Many children are traumatised or are physically handicapped as a result of violent conflicts. Sport encourages their reintegration into society and teaches them to accept their handicap. Sir Philip Craven will attend the next Peace and Sport Forum to emphasize this message.

Another agreement made during the Games was with the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) concerning a joint programme in Colombia. The ITTF is one of the most active Federations in the fight against discrimination, the reconciliation of divided communities, the promotion of peace and fighting for disarmament (for more information, www.ittf.com). Under the guidance of Peace and Sport, a project will soon be started with the NGO Colombianitos, offering young people in the street the chance of education through sport. The next step planned is a joint Peace and Sport/ITTF Official Visit to Colombia at the end of October.

From our many meetings with Sports Federations, IOC members, athletes and government representatives during the Olympic Games, we particularly noticed the increasing implication of the Olympic and International Sports Movement in the major concerns of our era: to combat poverty, defend the rights of children and youth and maintain Sustainable Peace.

There is no doubt that sport is establishing itself more and more as an important social and economic player in the world.

Peace and Sport has been involved in Timor Leste, South-East Asia, since the beginning of the year and has been actively contributing to the national reconstruction process that the government has implemented.

Our priorities are to promote education, facilitate access to sport for all and help define a national sports policy. This is done in an effort to strengthen social cohesion and to build a strong national identity in this country that suffered so much during years of civil war.

What better that the Olympic Games to transmit the message about peace and fraternity that sport brings, uniting people regardless of frontiers and differences, through fair-play, respect and hope?

When the Olympic Truce was announced in Beijing, a few thousand miles away Peace and Sport decided to organise 15 days of local sporting events to coincide with the Games, allowing thousands of young Timorese living in Dili to benefit from the great Olympic festivities.

From 8 – 24 August a giant screen was erected in the Plaza in front of Government House, enabling the audience to watch major competitions and ceremonies of the XXIX Olympiad live.

With the support of local youth centres, thousands of young people were able to get together and support their national team in a jubilant atmosphere. They were given the opportunity to meet people from sports organisations and to be made aware about the Olympic values.

At the same time an immense sports ground was improvised, situated between the Government Plaza and the sea front where there were demonstrations of six Olympic sports with initiation sessions for children. Under the supervision of trainers and professional coaches from National Sports Federations, these events showed young people the rules of each sport in a fun environment and enabled them to try the sports of Athletics, Karate, Wushu, Taekwondo, Boxing and Football.

Before each major competition young participants learnt the basic rules of each discipline and greatly enjoyed the experience of trying it out, at the same time as encouraging national champions who were competing in Beijing.

For the second consecutive year, the Principality of Monaco will host a historical event for peace and for sport; the second international Forum Peace and Sport 2008 will take place on
3 – 5 December at the Sporting d’Hiver.

Under the High Patronage and in the presence of H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco, this unique event will assemble all main international players involved in peace and sport. A unique occasion to discuss how to put initiatives and partnerships into place to make sport a vehicle for stability, reconciliation and community development throughout the world.

After just one edition, held in December 2007, which had an exceptional attendance rate, the International Forum Peace and Sport has established itself as an essential event in the diplomatic sports calendar.

The 2008 version of the Forum looks to be even more ambitious: numerous prominent figures have already confirmed they will be present, including Wilfried Lemke, Special Advisor to the UN Secretary General for Sport, the legendary sports champion Nawal el Moutawakel, now Minister of Sport for Morocco and IOC member, plus more than 20 governmental delegations.

For the second edition, the International Forum Peace and Sport has chosen 'Building Sustainable Peace’ as the main theme which will unite all plenary sessions.

This primordial issue will be examined from various angles during the following sessions:

• Geopolitical factors
• Ways in which governments and the sporting movement can collaborate
• Cooperation methods between international and national organisations
• The key role that corporations play
• The challenge of sustainability

Each session will take the format of a round table discussion led by a moderator who is an expert in the field.
It will be illustrated by a case study demonstrating the progress that has been made in accomplishing peace in different places around the world, notably:

• Israel – Palestine
• The Great Lakes region in Africa
• Timor Leste

This new format will encourage interaction between participants, providing a favourable environment proposing tangible action.

For the full list of provisional participants and to see the programme for the second International Forum Peace and Sport, visit www.peace-sport.org