Young Diplomats Celebrates the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace in Chad
As a member of Peace and development movement, Young Diplomats has held celebrations in Africa to mark the United Nations’ International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (IDSDP) on 6 April. The IDSDP was celebrated for the first time in 2014. It celebrates the role of sport in development, social cohesion, reunification of the people in the world and peaceful coexistence for the Sahel countries.
Throughout this day, Young Diplomats seeks to raise awareness – as it has been supportive of this initiative and continues to support it based on the values and roles sport has on the positive contribution to social change, human and economic development and to foster peace around the world, also contributes to the achievement of millennium goals.
Young Diplomats Africa Regional Director, Zackaria Idriss, argues that the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace is the perfect platform to highlight sport’s power to create positive social change. “The main goal of this day is to develop sport for young people, promote tolerance and respect for other cultures. The core values promoted by the participants includes: friendship, honor, devotion, peace, gender, victory, tradition, justice, equality and health. ” Zackaria added.
Young Diplomats celebrated the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace through panel discussions on the theme of “the importance of sport in achieving the Millennium Development Goals”. Youth competitions, art events followed by a football tournament for children in N’Djamena, Chad.
Abakar Allamine Mahamt, representative of the Chadian Football Federation, thinks that celebrating the IDSDP is a unique opportunity for the Chadian children who participated in the program “we look forward to continuing to reach to all children in different regions of the country and establishing programmes – so that our youth can experience the same happiness and joy that we have all experienced from this beautiful sport” Mahamat said.
Sport has proven to be a cost-effective and flexible tool in promoting peace and development objectives, it has historically played an important role in all societies, as it promotes ideals of peace, fraternity, solidarity, non-violence, tolerance and justice.
By Idriss Zackaria
