2026 International Day of Sport for Development and Peace.

6. My name is Andrew Loria. I'm a journalist, a former two-sport collegiate athlete, a dad of 3, and someone who knows the impact that sports can have as individuals, as communities, and as a world. Now I've covered sports, I've watched them, I've played them, I've coached them, probably yelled at my TV a few times about them over the years. But as we gather here today to talk about ways that sport can be a catalyst for change in the world, I want everyone to think about the ways that sport has come into your life and how it's impacted you. Whether it was a connection with your parents or your grandparents, maybe it's a coach, someone who saw something in you before you did, or the team that helped you belong somewhere, I want you to consider how it resonated from one generation to the next. It's a language that's universal, a bridge that exists because we all do our part to support it. That's exactly what today is all about. The theme this year is sport, building bridges, breaking barriers, and really couldn't come at a more important time. Right now in a world that feels more divided than it's been in a long time, sport remains one of the few spaces where we can collectively rise above the rhetoric and see through our differences into what makes us the same, where what you can do speaks louder than where you're from, or who you are or what you've been through. The United Nations' own 2025 World Youth Report tells us that 1 in 7 young people worldwide lives with a mental health condition today. And the research shows it's not just about individual struggle, it's shaped by things like community, connection, and whether a young person has somewhere to belong and has someone who believes in them. Well, today we're gonna hear from people who know that firsthand, from an Olympic champion who changed the world in 54 seconds in Los Angeles, to a young leader who found her footing through football when life gave her little to stand on. Athletes and advocates who are building bridges right now in skate parks, rugby fields, and football stadiums, facing every barrier you can imagine. After our opening remarks from our key organizers and champions of this global effort, we're gonna have a panel discussion with some of these incredible athletes who have broken barriers and changed the world for a lot of people. After the panel, we'll open the floor to audience, uh, questions and discussion, and we'll close with reflections on why this mission matters and what we can all do to see it through. Today's event is co-hosted by the State of Qatar, the Principality of Monaco, UN Women, and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs. And now to officially welcome us, it is my honor to introduce Her Excellency, Alia Ahmed Bid Saif Al Thani, the Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar. To the United Nations, Qatar co-chairs the UN Group of Friends on Sport for Development and Peace, funds youth programs across dozens of countries, and use the global stage of the 2022 World Cup to launch lasting development initiatives. Please welcome Ambassador Elhani.

Thank you so much, Andrew, uh, and thank you for taking part with us today on this special day. Um, again, dear colleagues, welcome to, to this event, high-level event on this occasion on the International Day for Sports for Development and Peace. We are proud to, to co-host this event once again with the, with my dear sister, Ambassador Isabel uh of Monaco, together with UNESA, UN Women. Under the theme Building bridges, breaking barriers as, as co-chairs of the Group of Friends for Sports Development MPs, the, the day established by the General Assembly Resolution 67296 recognizes sport as a powerful catalyst for development and peace, promoting inclusion and creating opportunities for youth, women and girls and. And persons with disabilities. We were also pleased that the 2nd World Summit for Social Development held last year in November in Doha reaffirmed the importance of investing in sport as a driver of social inclusion, economic opportunity, and peace, while underscoring the need to translate commitments into tangible impacts on the ground. For us in the state of Qatar, sport is a transformative driver of human development and social progress. We firmly believe in the power of advancing sustainable development, promoting peace, and delivering lasting social change. Our approach to hosting major international sporting events reflects that vision. We see these mega sports events not only as a platform for athletic excellence, but as well as an opportunity to generate meaningful human and social legacies, promoting sustainability and strengthening international understanding. In this regard, the legacy of the most famous tournament that Doha has hosted, the FIFA World Cup in 2022, continues to shape our efforts as the first FIFA World Cup held in the Middle East and the Arab region. Then it demonstrated the power of sport to bring. People together across cultures and promote mutual understanding. Its legacy lives on through initiatives such as Generation Amazing, the first legacy program of its kind linked to a FIFA World Cup, which continues to advance Qatar's human and social development objectives nationally and globally. Again, you know, as co-chairs of the Group of Friends for Sports for Development and Peace, together with Monaco, Qatar remains committed to strengthening partnerships with the United Nations, the International Olympic Committee, FIFA, and other stakeholders to ensure that sport is fully integrated into development and peace building efforts. With less than 4 years remaining to achieve the 2030 agenda, we must accelerate implementation and scale up solutions that deliver real impact. Sport offers us a unique and powerful tool to do so by fostering inclusion, building trust, and creating opportunities where They are needed most. Let us use this day as a call to action to strengthen partnerships, investing inclusive and accessible sports systems, and ensure that sport continues to serve as a bridge between communities and a pathway to peace, dignity, and sustainable development for all, and I thank you.

Thank you, Ambassador Eltani. Representing our other co-hosts, please welcome Her Excellency, Isabel Pico, the permanent representative to the mission, from the, uh, mission of Monaco to the United Nations. In 2013, Monaco presented the resolution at the UN General Assembly proclaiming April 6th as International Day of Sport for Development and Peace. The principality has co-chaired the group of Friends on Sport for Development and Peace since 2010 and is home to Peace and Sport, the global organization behind Champions for Peace Movement. Please welcome Ambassador Pico.

Thank you Andrew for being back with us today. Today, uh, it's not the 6th of April, but the 6th of April we will, uh, uh, celebrate Easter Monday. So, uh, delighted to be with, uh, strong women. You know, we have an amazing partnership with Alia. Uh, our country has been doing, uh, so well with the sport, uh, but also because they, uh, emphasize so much on education. And uh UN women Sima, uh, I know that you know, uh, and you know even more since you were in Paris for Paris 2024, the power of sports. So, um, Charles uh and Mr. Lee. We are delighted that you support our work. We will try to present an even stronger resolution this fall together because now that sport has been established as a real driver in the UN agenda, we need to go to the next step and take stock of what you. In this room today are bringing in terms of efficiency and concrete work on the ground. So just to compliment what Aria has been saying, you know, building bridges and breaking barriers, there is no more important moment for doing so at the UN. Uh, why we selected the 6th of April? Because the 6th of April was the first, uh, uh, modern Olympic Games in, in Aten in, uh, 1896. So, uh, coming from Monaco, uh, it's a given, you know, uh, sport is part of the curriculum. Uh, every sport is accessible free of charge. Uh, we have, uh, main events, uh, and, uh, I can't wait to go to Doha for the Formula One. And the tournament of tennis. So it's, it's really about giving back and Prince Albert II and Princess Charlena are both Olympians, so they know what it means in terms of community understanding. respect and hard work. So now sport is is evidence based thanks to a very important report that I encourage all of you to consult. The Commonwealth produced a report on the impact of sport last February. And we often talk about the lack of data, but the data that they share with us, and they've been doing an amazing job close to 200 countries around the world. So we, we really, it really shows first of all that the lack of physical activity is the 4th cause of mortality in the world, so this is terrible. Then you have a good example like Jamaica, you know, that has heavily invested in education, and you need to train. The trainers, this is true in every sport from squash to soccer it's it's it's a basic. We always go back to education. So Australia, I don't know if there is an Australia in the room, but Australia leads in strengthening governance and multi-stakeholder cooperation, and that is probably why they have the happy slam. So you know, I really invite you to to consult that that report and we will also use it for our work in the fall. So we need more cooperation with the UN system. We need more inspiration from you. You need to tell us what is really lacking when you want to implement at grassroots level. And also it's very rewarding to us to have those partnerships because we feel that we're moving. From a policy to really going to with the people and at the end of the day this is why we are there, you know, to serve the people of the world and in particular those that are affected by so many issues and bringing the youth and every time I see the youth outside the UN, it reins. Invigorates me, uh, because you, you believe and I hope that you will be in our seats, uh, sooner than later, uh, to change this organization. So thank you. It's, uh, it's wonderful to be there with you to see so many young people, and I cannot wait to move to the side and, and listen to your presentations.

Thank you, Ambassador Pico. Now, for our opening remarks, it's my privilege to welcome Mr. Li Junhua, the UN Undersecretary General for Economic and Social Affairs. Mr. Lee leads DESA, the department behind this event, behind the 2030 agenda, and behind the World Youth Report that shaped so much of today's conversation. He has spent 4 decades building international cooperation at the highest levels. Welcome, Mr. Lee. Thank you, thank you, Andrew. Well, Excellency, distinguished guests, dear friends, it's a great pleasure to see you all today in the UN and at the very outset, let me, uh, thank the permanent representatives of, um, Qatar and also the Monaco, and also my colleagues from the UN Department of uh uh uh Global communications and the UN Women for supporting today's uh commemoration of the International Day of Sport for the Development and Peace. I'd also warmly welcome the accomplished athletes and the sports professionals to join us today this morning. Um, this year's the thing, sport, building the bridges to breaking barriers. Essentially reflects a symbol and a powerful truth. Sport can communicate can unite the communities across the cultures and the generations. Build on shared passions, and fostered a more inclusive and harmonious society. We must harness this potential in the world grappling with conflict, polarization and the mistrust. Today, we gathered to explore how sports can reopen doors with a dialogue that has broken down, reconnected isolated communities and forged stronger intergenerational bonds. However, sport does not automatically generate the peace or development. To drive lasting change, policies and programs on sport must be the intentionally designed, evidence-based, equitably resourced under the anchored in strong policy frameworks and the partnerships. Research shows that without the proper safeguards, sport can reinforce the inequalities, for the exclusion and even spark the violence. We cannot assume the positive outcomes without the deliberated focus on the institutional support. Recognizing this reality, many governments were now deploying the form of sport diplomacy to build the cultural bridges and counter the societal polarization. Globally, we see the inspiring examples of the global of the sport driving peace and development, from providing mental health and psychosocial support for children in the conflict zones to strengthening the child protection measures in sport. So, dear friends, this year's commemoration follows the successful Second World Summit for Social Development, a landmark event held last November in Doha. So the Doha Political declaration, the international community has pledged to advancing the role of the sport in fostering social integration and social cohesion. My department, the UN Department for the Economic and Social Affairs, is fully committed to working with member states, the broader UN system, and all stakeholders to advance this important global dialogue and to translate the Doha commitments into the decisive action. In closing, May I invite you to reflect on the road sports has played in your own lives and how we better harness its power in our collective pursuit of the peace, equity and the global development. Thank you. Really Well, finally, it's my pleasure to introduce Ms. Sima Sami Bahus, the executive Director of UN Women. Ms. Bahus has spent 35 years championing gender equality and empowering women and girls at the highest level of international leadership. At UN Women, she leads the global effort to ensure that inclusion and equal opportunity are not just aspirational, but they are reality. Welcome, Ms. Bajos.

Thank you, thank you, uh. Andrew, very much. uh, Your Excellency, Ambassador Aa Ahmed Ben Saif Al Thani, Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the United Nations. Your Excellency, Ambassador Isabel Pico, Permanent Representative of Monaco to the UN. Mr. Lin Junghua, Undersecretary General, uh, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Excellencies, athletes, distinguished guests, advocates, young people, and friends. It is an honor to join you as a co-host of this year's International Day of Sport for Development and Peace. We gather at a defining moment. Conflict, inequality, and widening global divides continue to shape the lives of millions, with women and girls disproportionately affected. And yet precisely because these pressures are real, sport matters more than ever, as we saw most recently in the Doha political declaration. Sport remains one of humanity's most universal languages, a space where dignity can be restored, belonging can be built, and possibility can be imagined. Its power is not merely symbolic, it is structural. Over the past years we have seen compelling evidence of sport's transformative potential. The Paris Olympics in 2024, which I was honored to attend, were the first gender parity Olympics in history. The Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games featured 47% women athletes, with nearly half of all events dedicated to women, progress that would have been almost unthinkable just one generation ago. The 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup filled stadiums and challenged long-held assumptions about excellence, while the ICC Women's T20 World Cup matched the men's final in viewership. And from the rapid growth of the Women's National Basketball Association WNBA to equal prize money at all four tennis Grand Slams, momentum is real and visible. When millions witness women performing at the highest levels, girls see their ambitions reflected, not as exceptions to be explained, but as expectations to be claimed. Sport must remain inclusive. Every person, every woman, every girl has the right to participate, leaving no one behind. Sport has the power to bring people together across divides, fostering dialogue, trust, and mutual respect even in the most fragile contexts. Sport is also a powerful driver of peace. Indeed, the Olympic truce reflects the spirit of sports as a unifying force. When made inclusive and accessible, sport becomes a strong tool for building social cohesion, empowering communities, creating shared spaces where all women and girls can thrive in peace. Excellencies at UN Women, we are advancing this agenda through 3 strategic priorities under our global sport strategy. First, we are strengthening policies, opportunities and services for gender equality in and through sport, working with governments and partners to expand access, leadership, and safeguarding, and to translate commitments into real change on the ground. Second, we are shaping narratives and Building a global consensus, sport is one of the world's most powerful storytelling platforms. By amplifying women's athletes' voices and leveraging major sporting moments, we help normalize women's excellence and reinforce that equality is not exceptional. It is expected. Third, we are strengthening movements and coalitions. Gender equality in sport cannot be achieved by any single actor alone. Through initiatives such as sport for Generation equality and partnerships across governments, sports federations, civil society, athletes, and the private sector, we are turning momentum into sustained, accountable action again, leaving no one behind and pushing forward towards the achievement of Agenda 2030 and in particular SDG 5. So Excellency's sport does more than reflect society. It helps shape it. When women and girls participate, their leadership skills develop, stereotypes are challenged, and societies move closer to equality. I call on everyone here to invest in women's and girls' sports, to adopt inclusive policies, and actively challenge the biases that continue to limit participation and leadership of women and girls. Let us collectively commit to making sport a powerful force for peace, for social inclusion, and for gender equality on every pitch, in every nation, for every woman and girl. Let's make that happen. And when sport is inclusive, safe, and equal, we do more than level the playing field. We change the game. We change what society believes is possible, and we inspire the world.

Thank you so much, Ms. Bajos, and thank you for all of your powerful words, for hosting and for setting the stage and reminding us that what happens in this building can certainly reach far beyond it. Now I want to introduce the people who are living this mission every single day. I want to invite our uh panelists to come on up. And as you do so, I will say that our panelists today come from different countries, they come from different sports, but they're all athletes, advocates, builders, and believers, each of them using sport to break barriers that others said couldn't be broken. Of our 6 panelists, and we have 1 joining us remotely from Qatar as well. I'm gonna first introduce Nawal El Mutawilil. On August 8th, 1984 in Los Angeles in 54 seconds, this woman changed the world. Nal became the first Moroccan, the first Arab, the first African, and the first Muslim woman to win an Olympic gold medal by winning the 400 m hurdles. And when she did, the king of Morocco. Very well deserved. This is even cooler. When she did, the king of Morocco declared, every girl born that day would be named in her honor.

When

Oh, wow. What Noelle did after that race is just as impressive. She became Morocco's Minister of Sport. She became the first Muslim woman ever elected to the International Olympic Committee, and she's now the vice president of the IOC currently hoping to uh coordinate the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, returning to the same city where she first made history. She considered the 400 m hurdles a metaphor for life, and that it teaches you how to start and finish strong, and how to overcome every barrier in between. Please welcome Ms. Naal El Mutuwil.

Thank you, thank you so much and uh very happy excellencies, uh, ladies and gentlemen, you are champion. Very happy to be here and share with you this moment. I was told we only have 3 minutes to express ourselves after every question, so I'll try to condense all what I have to say, all this rich experience within 3 minutes. My name again is Nawal Mutawakil, the first ever Muslim, Arab, African, Moroccan woman to win the 400 hurdles at the Olympic Games in LA in 1984. Games that were that allowed many women to express themselves, including myself. My race was the 400 hurdles, a race where there is a start and a finish, and in between there are 10 hurdles, and for me they were the hurdles of life. They teach you discipline, coordination, determination, passion. Sometimes you experience failures, but um I never gave up and I thought that was a very good lesson of life and very great school that uh I tried to pursue uh uh even after I finished competing. And this is what I'm implementing even today after so many years, 40 years later in my daily life. So this, this sport, this sports and this 400 hurdles, um, not only inspired the younger generation within my country, in our countries, and also in Africa, and I was at that moment, 54 seconds, that's all it took me to translate my dream from, I would say. Um, uh, a dream to reality and 54 seconds that totally changed my life and the lives of so many young girls within again my country and from being the very first and only, uh, lady in the Moroccan totally men. Composed of men in judo, uh, wrestling, um, cycling, football, and track and field, and I asked myself, where are all these women who are making our society in Morocco and elsewhere. There were no women journalists, no woman doctor, no woman coach, and so forth and. I stopped at a very young age to do something else with myself, to become the port parol, the ambassador of those so many women who did not enjoy physical activity and sports that are today a must in every constitution around the globe. So from an innocent athlete who become today the One of the vice presidents of the International Olympic Committee, like you said, and then afterwards becoming a member of the parliament and two times minister in my country, it's not about a chance. It's 99% of hard work and 0 0.00% of chance. So if you don't work hard, I don't think you can. Implement any resolutions, any decisions, any, and it's all teamwork and uh within the IOC uh I found my family uh that really opened a huge gate for me and a highway of opportunities to become what I am today and uh uh working with the. Many ladies who are committed like myself to translate that a little over 20% of women in Los Angeles Olympic Games to have today 50 50% of women being represented at all kinds of levels within our organization, and we also work with our partners and other constituents and I'd like to name the international federations and also national Olympic Committees. And so many partners to make them understand to move forward you really need to implement those ideas that are sometimes I would say, um, fa, but uh we need to have women in every aspect of life and so I'm so happy today to share with you. That for the first time in the history over more than 100 years we had an organization that was chaired by men, and today we have a woman called Kirsty Coventry, many times Olympic champion in swimming, and also from my continent Africa, and to see how the progress now is being made, I'm so happy to belong to this, uh, to this organization and to share with you this experience. It's been 4 minutes, so I'll stop here because I have a lot to say.

Welcome. Well, Noel showed us what a sport can build over a lifetime. Our next panelist shows us what sport can do in a moment when someone has almost nothing left to hold on to. Eileen Lopez grew up in a household where mental health wasn't really talked about, and the challenges and the weight of what she faced could have defined her story in a very different way. But instead, she found football and through football, she found community, resilience and her own voice, and today she's a young leader with Street Child United, an organization that uses sport to support young people living on the streets or in extreme poverty. She also helped Street Soccer USA start its first Girls with Goals program, and she's here today because sport gave her a voice, and she's now using it to help those who follow in her path. Please welcome Eileen Lopez.

Good afternoon, everyone. I just wanna say it's a great honor to have me here. um, yes, uh, growing up was very difficult for me, uh, dealing with mental health, uh, depression, anxiety, um, but I found resilience through soccer um I had an amazing coach her name was Zeham Ascencio um and through street soccer also an organization I was able to find my voice and express my feelings that I just didn't really understand in the moment. Um, at times it felt very difficult, um, but I kept going because I felt like soccer was the only thing I did have and I was good at. Um, and to this day I, Appreciate and. realize that I have so many opportunities because of it. And coaching girls now that are were once I was their age I realized that I'm such an inspiration for them and I continue to try and guide them and inspire them to continue because girls don't really like to play sports that much these days, but I want to continue to try to build an environment where they feel comfortable and safe to express themselves in the same way I have.

Perfect. Mary Connor is a former professional soccer player who co-founded, then spent 16 years building Soccer Without Borders, using the sport to serve refugee communities and marginalized youth across multiple continents. Today she leads Common Goal, a global network of 200 organizations including Soccer Without Borders, reaching 3.6 million young people in more than 100 countries. Their idea is that soccer is one of the world's most powerful tools for social change. Mary growing up, uh, grew up fighting to play on boys' teams, and she's never stopped fighting for everyone who came after her. Please welcome Mary Connor.

Uh, thank you so much. And at first I just want to thank the permanent representatives of Monaco and Qatar for having us here and convening this space. And honestly, it's an honor. A lot of what we're gonna talk about today is, is this generational change and how we can use the sport or the platform that we have to pave the way for a more inclusive and equitable world to come after us. So it's an honor to sit next to a woman that paved the way for my generation. To have more opportunities in sport, um, and I know we'll get to talk about that, but, uh, let me just start by saying one of the things that I love the most about my sport, about football, is that in the game itself, if you don't love football, you probably think nothing happens. Um, in the game itself, it is much more important what you do off the ball than what you do on the ball. You actually spend 95% of the game without the ball. And so it is all about the space you create for others, the way you support a teammate, the way that you actually sometimes move away from the ball in order to let some, make space for somebody else to go to goal. And I just, you know, as we're sitting here at the UN at the, You know, the place that we are most intending to come together across differences, across cultures, across, you know, all of these things that keep us isolated and keep us, uh, maybe from unlocking the potential that sport could have. I just wanted to name that because I, I hope we'll get to talk about, um, you know, not only the ways that we're contributing on the ball, but actually how it takes all of us making space for one another, um, and finding, finding a way through against a lot of headwinds, which I know we'll talk about today. So thank you so much.

Thank you, Marion. Now I want to introduce Julian. Julian Zhang Agliardi was 7 years old when a homeless man on the street handed him a skateboard. Julian didn't know why, but from that moment that Julian first stood on board his life and maybe the sport itself was on its path to where it is now, and maybe a path that you never expected. By 15, he was competing at the X Games. In 2024, he won the street competition of the Mystic Skate Cup in Prague. He has competed at the street league skateboarding, is considered by many in the sport to be a prodigy, and is one of the fastest rising stars in professional skateboarding today. But what brought Julian here is something else. He's a champion for peace, recognized by the global organization Peace and Sport based in Monaco for using skateboarding to inspire young people and to help build peaceful societies through the sport. He's a kid who got a gift from a stranger on the street and rode it all the way here to the United Nations to help change the world. Please welcome Julian Cheng Agliardi.

Well, uh, I just wanna say thank you. I'm really honored to be here and, um. I do. I would have to say one of the reasons that I love skating so much is that it's always challenging to get outside of your comfort zone and challenge. I guess like challenge what you feel like, because, sorry, um, to get outside of your comfort zone and try new things and uh basically just to challenge yourself and Sorry, um. It also tells you to never give up and get back when you fall and to just never give up and to Keep doing what like to do what you. Sorry, it it just shows you whenever you fall to get back up and to try again and never give up, um, and it's also amazing because skateboarding is like, it's such a big family to where everybody is very inclusive and everybody is very, um, helpful with each other and they like to. Like the older generation will help the younger generation by pushing them and inspiring them to show them what they can do and how they can do it and like, let's say a kid is struggling with a trick or is struggling with something, they can help them like like showing them how to do it and um. Just like try to inspire them as much as they can. Um, and the cool thing is that whenever you travel with like, let's say if you go to a country, um, and they don't speak the same language as you, uh, you can connect by, because you guys do the same sport and like there's been times where I go to a different country, they don't speak the same language, but we connect automatically because we both skateboard and we speak through skateboarding, so I think that's one of the cool things about it. Thank you.

I encourage you all to follow Julian on Instagram because you wanna see somebody fall a couple of times and pull off something incredible. It's an amazing thing to watch. Um, now I wanna introduce Elena. Elena Olsson never played rugby in her life till she was 18 years old and she just wandered into a practice at the University of Michigan and found her calling. She was an All-American at Michigan. She went on to represent the United States in 30 World Series tournaments, competed in the Pan Am Games and the Rugby World Cup, and then at the Paris Olympics in 2024, as time expired in the bronze medal match, her teammate Spi Cedric ran the length of the field to score and win the first Olympic medal ever for the US Women's Rugby Sevens. Elena is a recipient of the IOC's Athletes for Good Award. She works with Child Fund Rugby's Passive Back program using rugby to build life skills, resilience and confidence in young people who are facing exclusion and poverty around the world. She, uh, also has, until recently, lived in America's finest city, San Diego, and trained with Team USA. Please welcome Elena Olsson.

And Yes, great, thanks so much Andrew and thank you everyone here um for inviting me in today. I love seeing a full room. um, I like to say this is playing off what Mary was saying earlier, but social change is a team sport and that's why I love seeing so many people here working together, um, to make those changes happen, um, and I know that this can happen with whatever sport it is that we're representing and we want and we wanna see, you know, succeed in the world. But, um, Like the way that I've seen rugby transform the lives of young girls and young women as they were talking about the Rugby World Cup that just happened and the Olympics and and the way that rugby has exploded has really given kind of a platform to women and young girls to see like who they can be in this world and the strength that they can have in this world and then I mean on top of that just like access to sport for young people in general, showing them. The leadership that's inside them, the courage and the resilience that's inside them, um, and sport is just a beautiful metaphor for what is out there in life for everyone, um, and so it'll be great to talk about that with all of you guys and all of you guys in the room as a team together today.

Thank you, Elena. Uh, Jassim Jada is gonna be joining us here remotely from Qatar. He had the idea of combining the world's most popular sport with the world's biggest content creators and putting them in a World Cup stadium in Qatar. The idea was to use it to fund education for children who have never had access to it. The first two Match for Hope events have been watched by millions around the world, raised nearly $30 million and have helped tens of thousands of children and their education opportunities. What makes it different is who's on the field, not just football legends, but these content creators that hundreds of millions of young people watch daily. So he found a way to reach the next generation by going where they already are. Jasim is proving that sport in the digital age is the delivery mechanism for change. Please welcome Jasim Jada. Jasmin, if you can hear me, you are muted. Can you hit the mute button?

I'm sorry about that.

There you go.

Good morning, everyone, and thank you for having me. It's a pleasure to be, um, well, virtually with you, and I would have loved to be there in person. Um, uh, but it's an absolute honor to, to, to participate in this panels, uh, in this panel discussion. Your Excellency, Sheikh Aliyah, Your Excellency, Ms. Daphne, uh, Mr. Lee, and Ms. Sima, thank you for the opening, uh, remarks. Um, Mr. Andrew, thank you for the kind introduction and, uh, my, uh, my fellow panel discussion, uh, my fellow panel, um, uh, friends. Next to me or online. Um, thank you for being a part of this. It's an absolute honor to, to be a part of this discussion. Um, as Andrew mentioned, I am the project director of Match for Hope for the ones who have not heard about it. It's a charity match that unites both the top content creators in the world, combined with the biggest football legends, or as you may call it, soccer, and um. In the US to raise funds for children in need all around the world. And what differentiates a match for hope between, um, in comparison to all the other sports is the unity, what, what football brings together, football or sports bring, brings people together. And it adds another valuable element to it, which is supporting people in need all over the world. And this is a part of what the leadership in Qatar has put in each individual through schools, through initiatives. That help children in need whether it's supporting children in Qatar or in the region or across the world, and we're very proud to be, we have been able to raise over $32 million helping raise build schools. It Helping initiatives, building communities through education. Um, and, uh, it, it had a very unique element where the content creators would be, um, bringing in or their fans for a great cause. And when the content creators themselves felt the initiatives, um, they gave the chance to, to let the, the, the new generation to build on that and to, to want to do good for the world, and seeing how sports unites us all together, no matter what your Um, uh, let's say, no matter where you're from or what your background is, um, again, it's a pleasure to be here with you all and I'm looking forward to, to the questions.

Justin, thank you very much. So let's start with the questions and, and the first one I kinda wanna ask to all of you, so maybe just a brief, you know, answer, um, in your perspective, but as we talked about building bridges, sports didn't just happen to you, right? Somebody passed it to you in some way, shape or form, gave you an opportunity or direction, maybe it's a parent, a coach, a stranger, in, uh, Julian's case, maybe. Um, but somebody showed you the way that before they even really knew where it was gonna take you. So, who is that person for you and how did it lead you to be sitting here today? Why don't we start with Eileen.

Um, I guess I would say my dad. Um, my dad is Mexican and of course soccer is a big part of many countries and for him seeing his daughter daughters grow up and play the sport was an inspiration because he has my brother but my brother was never really interested. So it turns out me and my sister were the ones who got into soccer and it really opened so many opportunities for us and to this day my dad goes to every single one of my games whenever he can can and he supports me being there present and just guides me in many ways.

So the person who inspired me the most was my mom, um, because back in the 50s and 60s, she used to play volleyball in her high school and my dad was a judo player. We were 5 brothers and sisters and we all did track and field and mainly 400 hurdles. And so I grew up in a positive environment that really pushed all of us to really understand the power and the magic of sports. And um so our lives and our discussions, our, our conversations on a daily basis were around the sports.

All right, um, so I'm gonna age myself here, but in, in 1988, I was six and my family moved from the United States to Hamburg, Germany. Um, so it's about a year before the Berlin Wall, um, came down and, and, you know, Cold War era, and I ended up in a public school in Hamburg, Germany, spoke no German, just me and my older brother, 2nd and third grade. And, uh, my older brother would get to play soccer at, at recess. He would play football with the boys at recess, and I was bullied. Like literally, I had, I had a jacket. I was pretty fast, but, but the hood of my jacket, I would run away and people, kids would chase me. So I asked my mom. Take the hood off my jacket so I could run away. But my brother talked the boys into letting me play, uh, at recess. And so, you know, he opened the door. You asked who opened the door and getting me into the game and, and advocating that I could be in the game was, was really the beginning of my lifelong love with this sport. Um, and that's where it started.

And Julian, uh, was it that stranger or was it somebody else who mentored you, you know, to kind of get you that door opened?

I would have to say the people who inspired me the most are my, both my mom and my dad, because without them I wouldn't be to where, I wouldn't be where I'm at today. Um. I know my dad whenever like he'll help me with, he's never done, none of my, both my parents have never done skateboarding, but they understand sports, so they understand like the resilience and how to be dedicated in the sport you love and They help me by like they push me when I'm stuck. Like let's say there's a wall and I'm just, I can't break through it. They help me by pushing me and explaining to me how to go around it or how to get over that wall, um. And they're just, I mean, without them I wouldn't, I mean, yeah, I wouldn't be here today and I wouldn't be where I'm at sitting in this place and being here. Plus

I gotta pay the hospital bills when you fall off the stairs. Uh, Elena, how about for you?

So I, I did play soccer growing up and I also played volleyball growing up and, you know, just tried a bunch of sports and I would always get this feedback that was like, Elena, you're too much. You need to tone it down. And my best friend's going to laugh because she was on my team back when I was playing soccer and people would say, Elena, tone it down, you're going to hurt somebody, not in a, not in a mean way. And it wasn't until I was in college and I joined a rugby team and so I'm dedicating this one to that team because it was the first time I had joined a place where people were like, yes, we want more of that. And they really celebrate and encourage that sort of power and the strength and the aggression that you show in a lot of other sports, but, but you know there's never too much um for that team and and for the sport of rugby, and I think that's so many things that rugby players have in common is that it was too much for a lot of other places, but here you have a home.

Uh, and, uh, Jase, if you are able to join us as well, I'm curious what was able to inspire you to take on something as big as the Match for Hope and maybe what opened the door for you if there's somebody who inspired you?

Absolutely. Well, I would, I would, um, I would split it into 22 segments. Initially, uh, let's see, uh, what inspired, um, us, I would say us because it's really not, um, something that I would take credit for. It's, it's really the team behind that really made this come together without the leadership. Um, without His Highness Sheikh Hamed pushing towards the World Cup and the legacy of the World Cup and being able to get such an amazing, an amazing event to come to Doha, as Her Excellency Sheikh Alia said, to showcase the world, uh, what Qatar has to offer. Um, that was definitely the initiating point is how can we use the legacy of the World Cup to To, to showcase the stadiums, the infrastructure, the, uh, the welcomeness of the people. And so that was, I, I would say that was what initiated it. But then the second part of the question, so that brought the success of the first year, but then the second year happened and it got even more successful. And then the third year. And what I, what we noticed is that what kept the drive going is The, the, the young, the young audience or the young kids in the country or, or around the world that felt the connection too much for hope. And that's what kept the drive, honestly, is seeing the, seeing the drive from fans, from the young. Ones who want to help, who want to donate, who want to, to, to, to be a part of this great cause. So definitely the young generation and the leadership who have driven us to, to, to, to do this event to make it the best of its kind.

Terrific. Justin, thank you very much. Noel, I wanna ask you, you, you mentioned the fact that your family was all about sport from the time that you were young, your parents were both athletes, sport was passed down to you. And as we, you know, build those bridges, you've spent your entire career, uh, doing that for the next generation. You talk about the investment in passing sport forward and, and why you think that it pays off when you do.

I think it's important to also leave a legacy as a former athlete and a champion. I started playing football. It was my first love before athletics. But it was at that time back in the 70s and 80s, not something appropriate for a young girl, so I went to athletics and that and then it was not at a certain time even appropriate to be involved in governance of sports because it was a male dominated environment. The president was a man of a club, of a federation, of a confederation and of international federation, so no way to navigate. It was a shut blocked. I mean, um, environment, so, but without us being heavily involved, I don't think the door would have been opened. We needed to have somebody try at least and understand how to reach the, uh, you know, the, the, the level of. Uh, leadership and then of governance and, uh, and little by little you try to, uh, understand how to get there and I'm not thankful enough for Anita de Fran, uh, who was a former and my hero Olympic champion, and with her and under the leadership of past presidents of the IUC President Samaranch, President Jacques Rogge, and President Thomas Bach, and today President Coventry. We came up with this philosophy of including involving more women. It started with this working group of women in sports and then it became uh uh Women and sports commission, and today it's a gender equality, diversity and inclusion commission, and we started to implement little percentages of, I mean, quotas of having women like 10% and then 15%, 20%, and reaching 50/50. Sorry, it's something fantastic, it's a dream. That is um becoming a reality. And so, um, I spoke about the legacy of us being former athletes and today, um, sports leaders. It's very important to speak to a younger generation. We are here surrounded by this uh uh future heroes who to whom we have passing down the this Olympic torch or this Olympic relay or this Olympic dream. To continue, um, you know, our, our, uh, way to excellence and, um, and, um, uh, friendship and respect which are our Olympic values and Olympics, uh, you know, um. Uh, uh, values that, uh, bring us to the top and, uh, so this is what I want to say regarding, uh, your question, and we have so much to say and so much to, uh, share, and I'm so happy to be here with you because um I see uh how you started and um how you started and how we all started this uh fantastic journey, this beautiful dream. Where I came as a lambda. I came to compete without knowing where my 54 seconds was going to take me afterwards in 1984. I could not speak. I could not answer questions to journalists. I did not know how to do, and today the International Olympic Committee is really helping. Taking all these athletes that gave so much from their time, their love and their passion to this Olympic movement, and then after their career is over, they don't know what to do with themselves from heroes sometimes to nobody and so. Training sessions are there to help young girls and young boys to shape themselves, their experience to become future leaders in the Olympic movement, and we see this today with so many Olympic champions reaching excellence, becoming presidents of so many organizations. We have Sergei Bubka, the pole vaulter, we have, uh, President Thomas Bach, Olympic champion, we have Sebastian Coe, we have our president of the International Olympic Committee, and the list is long because we are trusting this younger generation. We are aging. Sometimes we are leaving, but they are the ones who are helping us shape the future of our Olympic movement and sports in general. These commissions of sports in which we are having these athletes. Once they are towards the end of their career, they really participate with giving us their ideas, their projects, their dreams, and that's how our today's president started being a member of an active athletes commission and then chairing many other commissions and committees to reach the top of our Olympic movement. So I think. This gathering is very important from generation to generation, how to bring the gap and break barriers. It's very important to the um 2030 projects or objects or um um what what we want to reach between now and 2030 up to 2050. It's um through dialogue, through conversations, and through sharing and through caring. And it is the only way we can continue to move forward and uh His Excellency, he said, we are here to listen to you, to listen to your ideas, to your project, to your conversation, so we're glad that uh the true partnership uh we've had with the IUC and the UN for so many years uh have come to uh a really positive uh ideas. And the implementation of uh and seeing her excellencies, Your Excellency, and then also uh Sami attending our Olympic uh Summer Games in Paris 2024 and then in Milano Cortina 2026 and to see all this progress made because of the joint efforts, um, it's something fantastic so. Thank you, thank you.

Yes, obviously the impact is long term, um, but Eileen, I wanna also ask you about kind of coming back to the beginning like we did, talked about the UN World Youth Report says 1 in 7 young people is dealing with some sort of mental health condition. So if you could talk to us a little bit about how sport changed that for you, um, what the path was, what was it like to get on a team and, and kind of find belonging where maybe you didn't have it before.

Um, yes, um, so growing up I played in an all boys soccer team, um, and I was the only girl on the team and instead of the boys kind of leaving me out or, you know, discriminating me because I was the only girl, they did the opposite and they supported me and whenever someone on the other team would say oh she's a girl like go on her side that's their weaker side they'd say no, that's actually our strongest defender. Um, don't underestimate her and, um, yeah, I think growing up with these mental health issues, um, I was able to find the space where I had all this anger built up that I could put it into my sport and use that anger as a motivation. Um, to want to win a game, to go against an opponent. Um, and it just helped me guide those feelings in a healthier way where I didn't know what to do with them initially.

Uh, Mary, in your work, um, working with, I mean, you've seen soccer play a big role in changing lives at, you know, refugee camps, lower socioeconomic situations, but you've also seen it at kind of a big level here in the US because when you went to play professional soccer, the WUSA had just been established. The 1999 World Cup had been shortly before. Um, everybody was so excited about that incredible team and what momentum came out of that. Um, talk to us a little bit about those who, uh, maybe set the stage before you. And also how you've seen soccer, you know, make changes at two very different levels.

Yeah, so I, I, building on the story before I came back from Germany, had been, you know, training with boys in the playground and ended up on this sort of path in the 90s, um, you know, playing club soccer and Olympic development program and getting to play in college at Dartmouth and Um, so I didn't, when I got to college in 1999, that had just happened. Brandi Chastain had just really changed the trajectory, not just for women's soccer, but for women's sports, um, with that moment, and this league launched. So it wasn't a goal or a vision. It didn't exist when I was coming up in the game, but then it did. And, um, you know, I was drafted to play and, and ended up in Philadelphia where I was born, which was like really beautiful. Um, and then quickly the league ended and I, I want to pick up on something that Ms. Bahuth said earlier, equality is not exceptional. It is expected. Like when equality is not exceptional, but it is expected, that's when we will have, you know, achieved something. Um, and I would say that what, what I learned from that experience is that equality gained is actually quite fragile and needs to be protected, that we had gained something that we then lost. We had gained a women's professional league. The men's professional league hadn't made any revenue, was not revenue positive when they, and had been what, 10 years in when they canceled the women's league after just 3 years. Um, so, you know, equality gain, equality gained is fragile, and I think we have made a ton of progress. I, you know, I'm so excited about the gains in my sport and the women that I see. I think that every other week there's a new, there's a new, uh, record broken for transfer fees or something. But one woman I admire in the game, Becky Sauerbrun, um, said, it's amazing that we are breaking barriers and breaking these glass ceilings, but we cannot forget to raise the floor. And raising the floor means bringing everyone along. It means who, who has been marginalized in this game and how do we create space for them. So yes, in the 90s, it was women at the highest level. Um, and, and during that time, you know, I, uh, it took me years after that to, to come out as gay in the game. Because that wasn't acceptable in the 90s. So yes, there was this rising tide for women to play, but it was not so for the gay community. It was still very homophobic sport, and there's still work to do there. So I would just say, raising the floor means looking at the opportunity we have and the platform we have, saying who is most marginalized in it and how do we design for their inclusion. And I think there's still a lot of work to do on that front, um, and we'll continue to fight for that.

Terrific. Um, Julian, for those who don't understand skate culture, um, help us understand what it is about skate culture that might open up the opportunity for people who might be at risk of violence or might be at risk of other sorts of troubles, um, to pick up a skateboard and stay away from that. And, and how do you kind of find yourself in a position to try to help those who come behind you?

I think it's beca, I think the reason is because skateboarding isn't um a team sport, so it's more of a sport you have to just focus on yourself and focus on doing better for yourself. Um, I mean, it's just like life, whether you're going to pursue something or like, or yeah, when you're, whether you're going to pursue something or not. Um, it's such a constant personal challenge that, um. You just have to try to do better and be better for yourself, and at the end of the day you're just so drained to where you don't, I mean it's not really that you're so drained, but you're just so, like you don't have the time and the energy to do, you know, the violence and stuff, and I think it's a really good tool to help um kids get out of violence and out of bad situations. Um, I mean, for instance, like when you're battling a trick, like on this big rail, uh, once you land it. All you want to do is look at the clip again and just be super happy you didn't hurt yourself too badly and basically just, you're on cloud line and that's already a drug and it, it feels like a drug on its own, um. And it's, it's basically like imagine winning like the Champions League or like a really big event like all the time, and after we land, you know, after we accomplish that goal, we try to find something else to challenge ourselves, and we're just always looking for new challenges, so, yeah.

Um, Elena, you guys won the bronze medal. There's no time left. The ball was on the other side of the pitch, call the pitch, or we call it the, the, the field, OK. Um, and there's no time left. I mean, it's like, it's like UConn the other day, right? I mean, nobody expected it to happen. Um, talk to us about, you know, if anybody asks you, like they don't think something's possible, obviously you guys proved something that nobody believed was possible in that moment. Is there some advice that you have for younger people who come behind you that you give them when it comes to overcoming the impossible?

Well, I mean early on in my career I was with the US team for 7 years, but the 1st 3 years of that time I never saw the field. I never made selections. I, I was on the brink of getting cut basically for 3 years and so many times I was like why? Why am I still here? Why don't I just leave? Um, and it's because there's like always that sliver of hope. And I think in sport that's always true too is that like you never are giving up because there's always that little bit of hope that everything might work out, um. And I guess I feel like we're, like, you know, like. That's, that's part of the like role modelship of of being in that position is. You know, seeing the challenge that's in front of you, knowing that you might not make it right, and you can do everything you can to try to make that happen, but there's never a guarantee that it will. But I guess we're always going after the opportunity that sport has to, you know, change your life and to change the way that you think the outcomes are going to be.

I, I also want to ask you about passive backs. It's not just a rugby rugby program, it's uh. Uh, life skills curriculum, resilience, leadership, gender equality, decision making. You use rugby as a platform to do a lot of things including fighting for, uh, climate, um, understanding. Um, how do you think the sport is able to teach kids or other people in a way that maybe a classroom or other, um, media might not?

Yeah, I mean, I, I think I wanna talk about it in the context of breaking barriers, um, when my experience with Pass it BAC is in the Philippines and the Philippines just does not have the same kind of sports culture that we have here in the US or in a lot of Western countries and I don't think that people are as or communities and families aren't as encouraging for young people to be in sport, especially. In impoverished areas where they might ask why, why should my kid go into sport when I can maybe have them working and earning money for the family, um. And pass it back I think does a really good job of trying to change the way that the culture sees how how sport is valued and they do that I think the most the most powerful way is by employing. Young adults in the areas that they're servicing to be coaches, so these young adults are ages 17 to 25, and they have a much better understanding of the challenges in in the environment that the community is in. They speak the language and they just have a better ability to build trust and relevancy with the kids that they're working with and the parents that they're advocating to and pass it back. Requires these coaches to 2 or 3 times a year go to a coach's training where they're given resources but they're also assessed pretty heavily on their ability to create an environment that's energetic and supportive and safe for kids to come to so that they want to continue coming back to it. But also these coaches are pretty intensely assessed on their ability to give curriculum that's rugby skills, so they're learning the sport, but every rugby session is paired with a life skills session so they'll play a game and then they'll discuss on life skills and those life skills might be something like mental health, leadership, reducing violence, creating safe and supportive environments, but then it also might be understanding gender and then, you know, hopefully in the future it might. Be a curriculum that's like understanding sustainability and how can we be more sustainable so you can put different curriculum into this where they're doing like play based learning so they play a game and then they connect that to a discussion and so the inclusivity that the coaches try to cultivate but then also you know this curriculum that they cultivate the important thing is that they're that it's not just we get a rugby ball into kids' hands one time and they get access to the sport. They know what it is that's great, but we want them coming back for a full season, those 3 to 4 months, the year after year, where they're getting a lot of repeated exposure into these ideas. They're deepening the connections that they have with their teammates, they're deepening the connections that they have with their, with their coaches and their role models and so that you can see more of like a lasting impact that might be counterbalancing some of the negative influences that are in their environment more constantly.

Terrific. I wanna bring in uh Jassem, uh, for our next question about uh Match for Hope. And I want you to kind of give us an idea of what led to Match for Hope. What made you think outside the box like that, and maybe what some other people could learn from, from thinking that way to have an impact. Um, and in addition to that, you guys have raised tens of millions of dollars. Can you give us an idea of how that translates to helping kids?

Um, yeah, uh, absolutely. So, in regards to the first question, um, Uh, so. Uh, could you break it down again for me one more time, again, the first part of the question? Sure,

just the idea that you guys were able to kind of think outside the box, not just putting together a football match, but bringing together content creators and, you know, amazing football players, and then at the same time raising money for, you know, for children to benefit from it.

Absolutely. So, there, there's definitely a lot of boxes that we tick when it comes to when it comes to Match for Hope, and it makes so much sense for us. Um, as Qatar is, is a sports focused country where we have a lot of initiatives, where we're we're building, whether it was before the World Cup or after the World Cup. But as I mentioned earlier, um, part of the reason we decided to do football was to build on the legacy of the World Cup. Um, and then the reason we decided to do it as a charity, as Her Highness Sheikh Mosa is one of our leaders in, in, in, in showing us or showing us the path to be um helpful and help the people in need and going all around the world and giving the Opportunities to the children in need where through education above all, they've been able to give opportunities to over millions of students, whether it's in the region, whether it's in Africa, and seeing the impact that comes out of such initiatives has made us Connect all the dots. So in regards to sports, football came naturally because the whole country or the region is truly focused on football as the main sport. And then how could we connect it with initiatives that the country has focused on? We looked at supporting people in need or children in need specifically. For example, $25 can support a child for one full year of education. That was something. I didn't know or anyone from our team kind of knew, and pushing that narrative showed the people in need, how blessed or showed the people around the country how blessed we are that we're able to have free education and we're how we're able to support the people that don't have that to get to that point and how can we help the people in need. Um, so that's in regards to the first part of the question, um, and if you don't mind, sorry about that, repeating the second part of the question.

Sure, I was just curious about the, uh, real world impacts of raising that kind of money can have on how many children and, and in what kind of specific ways.

Absolutely. Um, so there are so many different impacts. Um, first of all, awareness. Um, we've been able through Match for Hope and the, and the initiative of Match for Hope to, to showcase to the content creators the good that they can do by not just being content creators. Today, um, the younger generation are Following these content creators so often. So when you get them involved in these initiatives and have them be a part of this initiative and have the content creators uh believe and go where we send, for example, chunks, Harry Pennero, Abufela, these content creators to go to Tanzania or Rwanda. And see what they've been working on shows it makes them more involved. So that was the first element is getting the content creators involved. The second one is showing the real impact on the ground in Rwanda, Syria, Tanzania, and all the other countries around the world. Um, the impact that they have through, uh, beautiful initiative of natural hope, uh, giving hope for the young generation to push and to, to do the impossible initially when we did natural when we spoke to the, they thought it was far-fetched and what we were aiming was something. That wasn't as, but as soon as they came on ground, saw the stadium filled with 40,000 people, saw the The kids cheer their name and then simultaneously be part of such a great initiative that gives people hope for education. It's, it's, it's really moved on positively to the next generation.

Terrific, Justin, thank you so much. And obviously, everybody here has had a big impact on a, on a lot of other people, which is always, uh, so impressive to see. Um, I wanna open the room for discussion and questions. We wanna start with, uh, Silvio Grey, who is a trans-cultural psychologist and the Social Research and technical Manager at the Inter-campus Program of Inter Milan. He has spent his career at the intersection of sports, psychology, and community, and has research and insights that bring everything we've talked about today into sharp focus. Welcome, Silvio.

Good morning everyone. Thank you for inviting us and representing a little piece of Italy after a dramatic day today, yesterday, because you know that Italy for the 3rd straight time is not on the World Cup, so very sad, but uh we have this thing going on and as the intercampus our organization is focusing on, uh, to give back the right to play on children in all over the world. We are active in 31 countries. Across four continents and involving 10,000 children, both boys and girls. Uh, thinking about the, the, the, the main, uh, areas, uh, that you're gonna deep inside today, I appreciate the inspiring story about, uh, all the speakers that I want to thank you. I was reflecting about, uh, that it is very important, a multi-dimensional approach, I think, using sports in our case football as an occasional tool. I'm thinking about a multi-dimensional approach that could involve practical experience starting from the fun of the children, the fun of the younger generation, to being together, to sharing experience, in our case playing football, but it could be the same with other sports that generate a very first safe space of inclusion. And then I've been back from Palestine there some weeks ago and there after a dramatically ongoing war that is still going on, you know, many children are affected by psychological wounds, and we used also art therapy with them to express their feeling, uh, their sadness, their wishes to the future. And uh also the other part of the dimensional approach, it could be very important to use scientific evaluation tools for uh checking if our activities have an impact or not. Because you know that uh um working with children uh is very difficult from one side, but we have to identify which uh barriers we have to break and which bridges we have to build. Because it's not the same bridges or barriers in every country of the world. So for example, in Palestine it's very important to respect the local backgrounds in terms to use football to trigger, you know, in my experience, emotional issues as well. And to overcome this very difficult process in children that is feeling, you know, affected by traumas and step by step rebuilding and setting up new experiences, positive experiences that could bring the children to have a positive view to the future. I think that it's our challenge today because in many countries that we are active now, wars, psychological problems, violence, stereotypies, no inclusion. And so, uh, trust tend to be loose, and so we have to rebuild this process, and football, sports have really, really power to do this. Uh, using sports for me, it's a very great, uh, responsibility for us, uh, because we're involving in, uh, many organizations coming from, uh, many countries of the world that we are active in Morocco, Mexico, we, we work there. And uh I think that the SDGs number 17, it could be inspiring us. Partnership for the goals. So staying together today and be new partnership, new knowledge. Me, I'm a psychologist, so I, I bring today many instruments, if it's possible to know to share something with, with some of you because I think that it's a very good, important moment for sharing experiences outside of the panel after and a good new connection for working together for improving the future of these generations. I would leave you a message as an intercampus organization that we can go on together but also being trust. The first slogan of resilience learned in case, the first question of a sense of mastery domain, it says, Uh, and the sense of mastery, life is fair. So I think that many children now, OK, uh, could answer, uh, never or rarely or uh sometimes. We have to try to change, you know, these standards and to bring them to answer yes, often or almost always. That's our challenge all together. So thank you so much. Uh, we would have, OK, uh, uh, much more things to, to share, but I think that from inter-campus organization, thanks to you all, thanks to all the stakeholders. We are here to bring our contribution to improve. Uh, children and younger life with sports and starting from today our commitment, uh, what with all of you, OK, is still going on. Thank you so much of, uh, every one of you for being here.

Thank you, Silvio and it's great to have such aspirational goals. With women, with, uh, with mental health, and with our approach. Do we have any other questions or uh discussion points throughout the room? Yes, please. And my name is Gail Davis and I'm a UN ECOSO CSO representative. Um, I think what, uh, is, uh, the gentleman said here is very important and I think how can we utilize that, uh, Mr. Skinner and everyone here, not just as young but older too, because I still play ball, I still play soccer, some of the ambassadors here still play soccer. You know how can we use that with all stakeholdership across the board because in sports we don't fight each other we actually play together as a team as a team and how can we use those team building exercises with each other as many of you know I also am a proponent of the arts. The arts are very important. How can we use the arts? I mean, literally here every day or anywhere else we go, what exercises can we bring to that, whether in this institution or across the world? Thank you very much. And thank you very much as well. Do you have any other questions for our panelists or uh discussion points? All right, I will, I'll ask you guys one last question, which is, if you were to talk to somebody out there who hasn't quite found their footing yet, their sport yet, um, their path yet, what is something you've learned in sports that you would advise them on that you could kind of pass along to younger people out there? Eileen, why don't we start with you?

Um, I think I would start with I know it's difficult to put yourself out there and uncomfortable and not I don't, I guess new environments for yourself. um, I think that would be the first step to just step out of your comfort zone and take that first step because you don't know where it'll lead to. Um, I know the unknown is always so scary for the younger generation and it like people stick to their comfort zone because it's what they know. But it's always OK to step out of that and see what happens and whatever happens, you know. It was meant for you and if it wasn't, then it wasn't meant for you. And it guides you in so many ways that you wouldn't even know until you actually do it. Um, yeah, I say take that first step.

Terrific. And Noel?

Um, yes, uh, some years ago, some decades ago, I could have just, uh, um, left, uh, the track and enjoy life, um, after so many years of hard work and training, uh, day and night, wintertime, summertime, during holidays as a teenager is very difficult and tough, but it taught me a resilience and, um, I think, uh, we have a mission once you finish your career. Not to give up and to look up to the younger generation, specifically today, that is, I would say lost in translation sometimes because of so many, um, things in life, you know, that, uh, um, pushes you to um be an isolated because of all this, you know, games and to, um, put you aside because of poverty and the misery and the. Um, so many aspects of life that are pulling our boys and girls, uh, um, down. And, uh, so we have a mission. We have a message and like I said, I could have lived the rest of my life enjoying my gold medal and my performance and hey, yeah, but no, I think we have a mission and is to speak up and stand up. And um and transfer transfer the knowledge, the little knowledge that we have and we had and to show that everything in life is possible and that impossible should not be in your vocabulary. And um this is what most of us from listening to all of us, I mean, they ended up after they finished their career, they came up with this foundation, this NGOs, and they're speaking up and to see how they also can. Like I said earlier, each one teaches one and each one reaches one, and this is our mission and I think you are doing it beautifully and I commend you because some years ago rugby was not even in our Olympic program. It was in our Olympic program only in 2016 in the Rio Olympic Games. And the same thing with football was introduced to our Olympic program in 19996. Women were not accepted and to see you today speaking up. And um making you heard in the sessions like this with important people and in this uh important uh uh headquarters, it's something fantastic. So keep up the good work and that's that's what I have to say in this terrific

it's like the, the athletic accomplishment is the rocket ship that gets you going and it sends you on the right path. Uh, Mary, how about for you? Is there something that you've learned through sport you want to pass on?

Andrew, if, if, I know we just met today, but if you knew me, you know, I never turned down the opportunity to give a football analogy, ever. Um, so in football, when the game is chaotic, like picture, it's raining, there are headwinds, you know, the conditions are muddy and messy, um, and you're maybe up against a really strong opponent. And it feels chaotic and that kind of is how it feels right now in the world to a lot of people in a lot of places as Silvio said. And when that happens in the game, you do not just like lump the ball forward or try to dribble through everybody. Like, you get a hold of the ball and you make a simple pass. Like that is what you do to, to get out of that, to make progress towards a goal. And so for me, the biggest lesson I learned is like whatever you're facing, and this is the advice I would give, whatever you're facing, what is that simple pass you can make? And, and that will aggregate. It will, like you'll connect with a teammate, you'll bring someone along, and then suddenly you've got this collective and you're moving towards a goal. And I know we didn't get to talk a ton about common goal, but that's what it is. This example that Alina gave, you know, that coach in that place, imparting, sharing, inviting a lesson on mental health or whatever it is. I, you know, organizations in this room around the world doing incredible work to bridge cultures to turn the sport into something valuable. Find your place in that. That can look small, it can look local, or it can look like a collective of 200 organizations across 100 countries, you know, doing this work. So find your place in it. And I just a little, maybe I'll end with an invitation. Um, today, if you go to worldfootballgiving Day.org, common goal is actually creating a container for people to get involved, to give back through the game of football to these incredible organizations in this work that's happening around the world, because we can't get frozen by the conditions we're playing in and the opponents that we're up against. We have to find a way to make a simple pass. And in my experience, generosity, kindness, Paying it forward, Yasim, we gotta talk content creators soon. If you're still there, uh, you know, how can we really mobilize, uh, you know, a million collective actions to make a difference? I'll leave it there.

Thank you, Mary. You knocked it out of the park. That's, that's, that's my sport. Um, Julian, Julian, I played baseball at Cornell while Mary played, uh, soccer at Dartmouth at the same time, so we're slight rivals here, but it's OK, um. Uh, Julie, how about for you? Is there anything you've learned through sport you want, uh, you would tell somebody else who's in need of hearing it?

I would say you have to at least try once. My dad always said that you never know until you try, and if you try it once, if it doesn't work, then no need to try again, but at least you try it once and you give it your all. Like that's something, if you give it, like for instance, I'm going to put it this way, like, let's say I'm skating this super big rail. Um, if I don't give it my all, if I don't go 100% on that route, I have a very big chance of hurting myself, while if I just pretend like I know what I'm doing and I just go fully, there's a like almost, I mean most of the time I've landed it. Um, and I would say just. And also, I would just also say just have fun. If you're not having fun, then it's probably like. I don't know, it's Like you, the whole, I guess just try to have as much fun as you can. That's the whole point of sport and to try once. As long as you try once, it's OK. So yeah,

that's terrific. And how about you, Elina?

Sorry. I think that like in in sport we. are always thinking about like winning. What's the outcome? What's the outcome that we're looking for? And don't get me wrong, I love winning and I think it's, it's We need to have like the goal that's giving us the direction that we're going in, but it's really all about the process and falling in love with the process and staying like staying with the process and I know that like in the grander scheme of life that we're working with there's a lot more at risk than winning or losing a game, but um. But like really being able to stick to that process and that day to day because because you know we are moving forward 1% we are making ourselves better, making our communities better, making like the people around us better um so if we can like stick with that day to day process and not always like so fixated on winning the game, then we can keep moving forward.

It's a great perspective to have, and I want to bring in Jasmin real quick if we still have him on our connection. If Jasmin's there, I wanna know, um, for you, what thing you've learned maybe through a Match for Hope that you'd like to share, uh, with somebody who, who's in need of finding something like this.

Well, uh, definitely, as the, as the title of this panel is, is breaking barriers is always try to break barriers and connect. People from all over the world for whether it's a love of sports or helping people in need. Um, that's first and foremost, and never give up. Always push as much, as hard as the guests, as much as you think, uh, as much as anyone would think that it's not possible. Everyone thought something was impossible until they made it possible. So never give up and always try to break barriers to get to the outcome that you're trying to reach. Um. So I would like to end it with that from my perspective.

Thank you, Justin. Thank you so much. And to bring today's program to a close, it's my honor to introduce Mr. Robert Skinner, the Chief of Partnerships and Global Engagement here at the United Nations Department of Global Communications. Mr. Skinner,

great, thank you so much, Andrew. You've done an amazing job, uh, managing the panels today and the whole conversation. Um, first, I'd like to thank, uh, the ambassadors, Ambassador Pico and Ambassadors Pico and Eltani for your inspiring leadership in, in pulling this together and keeping us all on track. And of course, my colleagues at, at UN Women and DASA who, who also worked closely with us in the Department of Global Communications across the sports, for not just for today, but across the sporting landscape. Um. You know, one of the big programs that we work on the Department of Global Communications is Football for the Goals, um, and we need the entire membership of the UN behind us as well as our colleagues across the system behind us, and I'm so glad that we're able to bring so many of the participants from Football for the Goals to be a part of the day today. Because as I've learned in working with Football for the goals, is there is so much inspiration out there. There are so many organizations doing incredible work around the world to drive positive change, and I think that's really what this whole day is about, that positive change, regardless of the sport that's being played. Whether you're a fan, an athlete, coach, engage with the game because it can really demonstrate how we move forward and, you know, wrapping up a program like this, which has been incredibly inspiring, you are all so amazing to listen to the different perspectives, uh, you know, the different levels of the game you've participated in and how you've engaged with the game, demonstrate just how rich the sporting community is and how we can all work together to do it. And if some of you don't mind, I'm going to like go through and and talk about the notes that I took, that I took away from this because I think I don't really have anything to add to what you said because it was so inspiring. But, you know, blaze a trail. You know, success in sport can lead to opportunities to lead and to lead for good. Create space for each other. I think we all need the opportunities to engage with each other and have that space, um, and it helps us learn as well, um, when we create that space. Fall and get back up. I mean, I don't think we all have to skateboard and take quite the risks that that sport involves, uh, but we all have to learn how to fail and return and keep at it because we all fail, and that is for certain, and we have to come back and keep at it. Um, learn from each other intergenerationally, uh, but also across cultures, and if I can, can call you out for a second, Andrew, intergenerationally, your parents are here and you hadn't referenced that, so we love it when people bring families and communities to the United Nations, and that's fantastic, and we, we, we welcome you both and are so pleased to have you here, um. We, you, we can create paths that were not previously expected for ourselves and for others. We create opportunities through sport, um, to become leaders and to help others become leaders. And overall, sport can drive change for good if we open it up to all, if we make it accessible and make it inclusive and raise the floor for everyone. Thank you, Mary, for that line. I'm gonna keep using that. And this is true from a global level. An event like the World Cup in Qatar, which created a drive for change in that space because of a major global event, the Olympics, that drive change and can be an example for all of us, the inspiration that we get from the athletes and all the Participants in that, uh, but it can also happen from a grassroots level. The organizations that that many of you are a part of and many of you work for that take that change and drive it from the bottom up, uh, and make sure that your constituents and the folks that are participating in these organizations can be part of that change. I'm a lifelong athlete myself basketball we have baseball, soccer, many others. I haven't heard any basketball, but that was my game. Um, and continues to be, we are lifelong athletes, um, at least should keep working at it and trying. Um, but we can do, we can do our part, we can all be part of the change. So let's keep at it. Let's make things happen. Let's make that easy pass. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Skinner, slam dunk. Very nice job. Uh, thank you to everyone here today. On behalf of the United Nations, the state of Qatar, the Principality of Monaco, UN Women, and UNESA, thank you for being a part of this conversation. Thank you to our high-level speakers and to our amazing panelists, Eileen, Noel, Mary, Julian, Elena, and Jassim. Your stories and your perspectives will help create a roadmap for how we use sport to affect real change in the world. And you guys are just Doing amazing work, your continued work in all of your capacities is really proof that it does work. Support was passed on to each of us. Somebody opened the door, somebody handed us a ball or a board or laced up our first pair of cleats, stayed after practice to show us one more thing. Somebody believed in us before we even believed in ourselves. So the real question today is what we're gonna do when we walk out of this room, who we show up for, which door we open, which bridge we decide is worth building. In Monaco in 2000, Nelson Mandela said sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language that they understand. Sport can create hope where once there was only despair. Young people aren't standing at the starting line. They're already running and they're facing hurdles. The question now is who's gonna be there to carry the torch with them. Thank you all for being here today.