The 2009 Peace and Sport International Forum will be taking place in 2 weeks in Monaco. Part of the forum is an awards program. Peace and Sport just announced the nominees for its varied categories and the esteemed judges panel.

(Press release)

Monaco, 13 November 2009 – « Peace and Sport, l’Organisation pour la Paix par le Sport » today unveiled the list of organizations nominated for the Peace and Sport Awards 2009.

Inaugurated in 2008, these awards recompense sports initiatives and individuals who have particularly contributed to peace and social stability in the world. The winners have led projects that are symbolic of what sport can accomplish to build bridges between divided or opposed communities.

The Awards Ceremony will be held during the Gala Evening of the 3rd Peace and Sport International Forum on 26 November at the Hotel de Paris in Monaco in the presence of H.S.H. Prince Albert II and over 300 decision-makers from the worlds of sport and of peace.

The Peace and Sport Awards Jury for 2009

Winners of the Peace and Sport Awards will be chosen by a jury of eminent personalities, invested at a high level in peace-promotion or the consolidation of peace through sport:

• Joel Bouzou, President and Founder of Peace and Sport, World Champion in Modern Pentathlon and Olympic medallist.
• Wilfried Lemke, Special Advisor to the UN Secretary General of the Office on Sport for Development and Peace.
• Hellen Sambil 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.

Award for the Best Peace Project from an International Sports Federation

This prize recognizes excellence from an International Federation which has put its sport at the service of social action, whilst also contributing to the sport’s national development. Nominees for this category:

• The International Cricket Council (ICC) for its “Catch the Spirit” project which promotes peace and reconciliation in areas where inter-community tension runs high in the Indian subcontinent (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka).
• The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) for its development programmes which use the values of table tennis as an instrument of integration and social stability in the disadvantaged urban areas in Afghanistan, Yemen, Jordan and Colombia.
• The International Powerboating Union (UIM) for its “Race for Peace” initiative aimed at bringing communities together in Northern Ireland, Southern Ireland and the United Kingdom.

Award for the Sports Event for Peace of the Year

This prize is awarded to an event that has demonstrated its ability to effectively promote a message of peace through sport in identified communities. Nominees for this category:

• The African Nations Championship, organized by the Confederation of African Football in Cote d’Ivoire to identify upcoming rising African stars.
• The Futsal Cup, organized by the International Council of Military Sport (CISM) and FIFA to initiate dialogue between the armed forces from all six countries of the former Yugoslavia.
• The Marathon for Peace in Kinshasa, co-organized by the Congolese National Olympic Committee and the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC) to promote disarmament in the region.
• Laikipia Highlands Games in Kenya, organized by the Gallmann Memorial Foundation and the Great Rift Valley Trust to ease interethnic tension and encourage young athletes in Kenya.

Award for the Sports Non-Governmental Organization for Peace of the Year

This award is given to an NGO which has demonstrated real expertise in its use of sport as a tool for peace education. Nominees for this category:

• Skateistan, Afghan skate school focusing on education, gender equality and cross-cultural understanding in Afghanistan.
• Turikumwe, a project led in cooperation with the International Judo Federation and the Olympic Solidarity, to integrate street children, expand the practice of judo amongst women and promote the integration of disabled people in Burundi through judo.
• Play Soccer, which uses football to promote tolerance, sharing, loyalty and respect in Cameroon, Ghana, Malawi, Senegal, South Africa and Zambia.

Award for the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Initiative of the Year

This new category was created to reward an international corporation which has particularly demonstrated citizenship by using sport as a tool for peace education. Nominees for this category:

• Barclays, for its sponsorship program “Spaces for Sport” which aims to revitalize disadvantaged urban areas in the United Kingdom, South Africa, Spain, the United States and Zambia.

• Puma, for its continued support of the International Day of Peace and the “Peace One Day” initiative.

• Ferrero, for its “Kinder + Sport” program which promotes healthy and balanced lifestyles in Europe, in partnership with International and National Sports Federations and National Olympic Committees.