People say that behind every successful man, there is a woman. But I believe that also behind every successful woman there is a man. At the International Women’s Day, I desire a world where opportunities are free from gender stereotypes, where men and women do not...
Throughout the course of history many athletes have spoken out in favor of social issues. Their actions and commitment have demonstrated that sportspersons can play an important role inciting social change. Today the question is: how can we create effective and...
Recently I attended a junior’s wheelchair basketball tournament at Ability 360. This is a 62,000-square-foot universally designed, accessible and transit-oriented non-profit resources center serving the disability community in the Greater Phoenix, Arizona Metropolitan...
Sport is a universal language. I think we all understand its potential. To harness this potential, we need the interface of social science research, young people and government – this is not just about engaging ministers of sport but also education, health, labour,...
“Good wishes alone will not ensure peace”, said Alfred Nobel. Last week at the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates, I was pleased to see so many young people and civil society organizations leading a new wave of community mobilization and political advocacy for...
The use of recreational sport to advance peace building in highly volatile contexts has experienced a notable upsurge in recent years. This has been the case in conflict regions such as Colombia and Northern Ireland where NGOs (e.g. Colombianitos; Football for Peace,...
At some point in our lives we come to what can best be described as an awakening. It's a moment that stops us in our tracks, a moment that brings the life we've been living suddenly and clearly into focus. For those of us fortunate enough, it becomes an opportunity to...
Sport is an effective tool for ameliorating diplomatic relations and exceeding social, economic and cultural differences. With that thought in mind, Rugby Sin Fronteras (Rugby without Borders) foundation has organized the first rugby match between the U.S and Cuba...
For years I have believed in the huge potential of sport to bring about peace and development. At the same time, I’ve been aware that my sport – tennis – has been playing, at least in my view, a modest role in this mission. When last year I was given the chance to...
As 2016 drew to a close I want to delve into the importance of using digital media and information platforms in the service of peace. Sport information content focused on peace and development has a potential to become a vehicle for social change. Through stories,...
The magic of sports is its ability to show us that we all want to help each other to reach our most ambitious goals. It helps us discover our true altruistic nature to inspire others to succeed. It makes us strive as a society that truly embraces the noblest Olympic...
Two premises guide the work of the Academy: that sport has a part to play in addressing the challenges that face humanity in the 21st century and to be seen to be addressing such challenges. Born out of a desire to serve communities locally and globally The Academy of...