Great Lakes programme with Peace and Sport

A project managed by Peace and Sport

Peace and Sport is a neutral Organization based in Monaco and created in 2007 by Joël Bouzou, Olympic medallist and Advisor to H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco. Didier Drogba, Champion for Peace, became Vice-President in 2019.

Peace and Sport, with the involvement of National Olympic Committees, international sport federations, local authorities, and Champions for Peace, participates in the creation of a Culture of Peace by implementing its Methodology in extracurricular activities and youth centres.

Context

Since 2007, Peace and Sport has focused its efforts on the border region of the Ruzizi plain to use sport to strengthen inter-cultural, inter-ethnic and international dialogue between youngsters from Burundi, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, symbolised by the jointly-held annual Friendship Games

Methodology

The “Peace and Sport Methodology” is an innovative approach to build a culture of peace through sport and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

SDG 4 – Quality Education
The Peace and Sport Methodology is built to support educators and teachers in transmitting personal qualities through sport.

SDG 5 – Gender Equality
All of the proposed exercises are mixed in order to increase the participation of women in sports activities and thus participate in female emancipation.

SDG 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production
The digitization of the Methodology allows to reach isolated communities by reducing our ecological footprint and to train them in the construction of sports equipment from local resources.

SDG 16 – Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
Supported by reference organisations such as UNESCO, governments and Olympic communities, this approach contributes to the creation of peaceful communities.

Activities

Training seminars to the Peace and Sport Methodology
Coaching courses in several sports led by International Federations
Support with sport equipment
Capacity building: Management and administration trainings with the Directors of the centres and pedagogical trainings for more than 30 educators
Organisation of the Friendship Games each year
Financial support
Monitoring and Evaluation

A Champion for Peace involved

VÉNUSTE NIYONGABO

Atlanta 1996 – Vénuste became the first and only Olympic gold medal-winner in the history of Burundi in the 5000m run. Selected favorite in the 1500m, he decided to give his place to his compatriot who wasn’t able to take part in the previous Olympics as Burundi was not part of the Olympic family yet.

He says : “Sport is an excellent means of education. A good education changes our life and this is the reason why I think that sport really can change lives, especially the lives of children, therefore the whole of society”

Venuste has been an active member of the Champions for Peace club since 2009 and he is the figurehead of the Friendship Games in the Great Lakes region of Africa.

See the video report of 10th edition of Friendship Games

Impacts

Since 2007 : more than 4,000 young people aged 9-20 have benefited from the programme.
Since 2019 : 45 teachers from 20 schools in Burundi trained to the Methodology ; 700 kids attending to Peace through Sport sessions each week
Gender equity: 50% boys and girls

Funding

Average cost of the project for a pilot programme including 20 schools in Burundi: €105,000/year
Funds invested to date : more than €500,000 since 2010
Need for funding/research for the continuation of the project over 2021-2022 : €105,000/year

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