On the occasion of the 2017 International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (IDSDP) marked on 6 April, The Gambia National Olympic Committee (GNOC) issued a statement to join the rest of the world in celebrating this special day.
‘It marks the increasing recognition and the importance of sport on the advancement of human right, social and economic development. There cannot be human advancement when the entire globe is not at rest,” the GNOC statement said.
Olympic House further noted that The IOC and the United Nations have championed the lead for global peace and development by setting a UN resolution on August 23, 2013, that the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace would be celebrated on April 6 each year.
‘As one of the peacebuilding tools, Sport for Development and Peace will always occupied a center stage on the Olympic Core Values and in human live,” it said.
Wilfried Lemke, Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General on Sport for Development and Peace, once said ” Sport has the capacity to empower individuals and bring one’s moral values to the forefront; it can play a strategic role in transferring life skills and communicating useful, encouraging messages on important issues, thus driving social change. This new commemoration on the international calendar will further promote the value of sport as a catalyst for development and peace.”
A similar statement was said by Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary-General that“Sport has become a world language, a common denominator that breaks down all the walls, all the barriers. It is a worldwide industry whose practices can have widespread impact. Most of all, it is a powerful tool for progress and for development.”
All these statements reiterate the high importance of sport in cementing and enhancing development and peace in today’s society.
Thus, the GNOC wants to take this opportunity to join hands and extend all its profound wishes to those currently in wars, conflicts, floods or any natural and man-made disaster.
Let peace prevail in the entire world for the development of ideal men and women, blended with the spirit of peace in both soul and the mind,” the statement ended.
Source: GNOC
