Elite soccer players will grab the headlines this summer, but sport can have a transformative impact in every society, connecting communities across borders and generations, and creating space for dialogue, solidarity and mutual respect.
In just two months, the world’s biggest sports tournament will begin in Mexico City and, as always, billions of people from all over the world are expected to attend.
From June 11 to July 19, the World Cup will pit 48 national football (or, if you live in the US, “soccer”) teams against each other and more than 104 games will be played across Mexico, Canada and the US.
© UNICEF/Gabriel Mamina/Elephant
An event was convened in each host city area of ​​the three countries. group play Will provide funding and support for community sports organisations, creating safe spaces for disadvantaged young people.
The project is a joint initiative of the Adidas Foundation, Beyond Sport Foundation and Common Goal, a global non-profit that has built a worldwide network of community-based organizations that serve 3.6 million youth each year.
make room for each other
united nations
Mary Connor (second left) and Nawal El Mutawakal speaking at UN Headquarters
Mary Connor, Executive Director of Common Goal, was one of the keynote speakers building bridges, breaking barriersan event organized to mark International Day of Sports for Development and Peacewhich takes place every year on 6 April to highlight the transformative power of sports in driving social change. sustainable development goals (SDGs), and bringing together people and communities around the world.
Ms Connor drew parallels between football, where supporting teammates is central to success, and the work of the United Nations, a place where, she said, “we come together across different cultures, across cultures that keep us apart” and “make space to find a way for each other despite a lot of adversity.”
Nawal El Mutawakel, leading Olympian
In two years, the United States is set to host another massive sporting event, the 2028 Summer Olympics, which will be based in Los Angeles.
Leading athlete Nawal El Mutawakel was one of the stars of the last Olympics to be held in LA. At the 1984 Games, she became the first Moroccan, African, Arab, and Muslim woman to win an Olympic gold medal (for the 400 meters hurdles).
Her Olympic victory is seen as a turning point, giving Moroccan women the confidence and courage to pursue sports previously considered the domain of men.
She has received numerous international honors for her contributions to sports and social progress and is currently the Vice President of the International Olympic Committee.
© UNICEF/Tsiori Andriantsorana
overcoming life’s obstacles
Speaking at Wednesday’s event, Ms El Mutawakel compared her discipline to the struggles she faced in her early sports career.
“My race was the 400 hurdles, a race where there is a beginning and an end, and 10 hurdles in between. And for me, those were life’s hurdles that teach you discipline, coordination, determination, passion. Sometimes you experience setbacks, but I never gave up.”
Today, he said, the fact that, for the first time in 100 years, the IOC president is a woman (Kirsty Coventry is also the first African to hold the position), and the organization is 50 percent women at all levels, points to progress.
Ms El Mutawakel and Ms Connor were joined by a number of prominent young athletes who described the positive impact sport has had on their lives.
These include Aileen Lopez, who overcame mental health issues through football, and is now a youth leader with Street Children United, an organization that uses sport to support youth living on the streets or in extreme poverty.
