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400 'Athletes for Peace' united from across the country to celebrate the International Day of Sport and Peace 2019.


  • Date: 04/04/2019 04:00 PM
  • Location Ramla, Israel (Map)
  • More Info: Azrieli Center

Description

In a genuine expression of the power of sport to bridge differences among all sectors of Israeli society, over 400 Jewish, Arab, Bedouin, ultra-Orthodox, immigrant, Asylum Seeker and special needs 'Athletes for Peace' united from across the country to celebrate the International Day of Sport and Peace in the multi-cultural city of Ramla, on Sunday, April 7, 2019.

CELEBRATING SHARED GOALS OF PEACE THROUGH SPORT 

Just two days before the national elections, this special people-to-people event connected diverse communities and illustrated the power of sport to build a shared society as the young athletes, members of the Diplomatic Corps and Taekwondo Olympian gathered to showcase their commitment to the Olympic values of respect, inclusiveness and fair play.

The children, youth, men and women of 14 diverse Sport and Peace NGOs not only reflected the rich social fabric of Israeli society, they also represented 10 different types of sport including Soccer, Karate, Capoeira, Frisbee, Taekwondo, Tennis, Wheelchair Table Tennis, Catchball, Surfing and Kayaking.

"GO FAR, GO TOGETHER!"

"The idea of bringing diverse communities together on the same platform of sport was very important. Especially these days where the kids can see other kids who are wearing the same clothes, playing together, following the same rules, they have an understanding that peace is possible and it is done from the bottom up. It is expected that 3,000 events in 180 countries that will reach 90 million people will occur in 2019, the year before the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. One event in Israel inspired the region" – Danny Hakim, BFP Founder and Chairman.


"Throughout the year, these worthy organizations work hard to promote their missions to make our region more tolerant and inclusive for future generations. This unique initiative proved that we can also work hard together – we played together, laughed together, danced together. Our strength is in our unity. This powerful sentiment was worn proudly on the backs of our brightly coloured t-shirts: "Go fast, go alone. Go far, go together!" - Elad Simon, BFP Executive Director.


The young 'Athletes for Peace' proved on the fields, on the courts, on the mats and on the dance floor we are all equal, we all speak the same language – the language of sport.

CELEBRATION OF SPORT, MUSIC AND ART: UNIVERSAL LANGUAGES

The International Day of Sport and Peace in Israel was a celebration of the universal languages of sport, music and art. Through these languages we built new connections, deeper friendships and a stronger wider community of peacemakers:

Sport and Peace Photo and Art Exhibition: Featuring the powerful and moving works of photographer Jordan Polevoy and artwork from students from the American International School (AIS) in Even Yehuda.

Sports Activities: Led by 14 Sport and Peace organizations and Israeli Olympian.

#WHITECARD Campaign: #Whitecard is a worldwide digital campaign by Peace and Sport promoting Sport for Peace initiatives in honor of April 6. In contrast to the red penalty card in sport, all participants will hold up a #whitecard in a gesture of inclusion, equality and peace. The #WhiteCard campaign reaches millions of people through social media.

Joint Dance Party and Martial Arts Performance: Joint dance party led by the dynamic DJ Raphi followed by a show-stopping Martial Arts Performance.

Tri-Lingual Ukulele Performance by Ukuleles for Peace

The International Day of Sport and Peace in Ramla was sponsored by the Azrieli Ramla Mall and was supported by the National Olympic Committee in Israel (NOC) and The Alliance of Middle East Peace (ALLMEP).

Budo for Peace was proud to be a part of this inspiring initiative and we can't wait for the 2020 International Day of Sport and Peace, in the Olympic Year.


Our event was featured in Israel21C: https://www.israel21c.org/israeli-project-could-win-global-peace-sport-award/