GALA REWARDS PEACE PROJECTS
Sports Features Communications
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Dec 6 2008
UK
MONACO: Sport’s unique power to cut through barriers of politics,
religion, race and creed has been evidenced by a Peace and Sport gala
in which headline contributions were singled out in front a 300-strong
audience representing sporting, political, commercial and civic life.
The awards were presented at the International Peace and Sport Forum
by Prince Albert II of Monaco, patron of Peace and Sport, and by the
organisation’s founder and president Joel Bouzou.
The Image of the Year award was presented to Turkey and Armenia
for the photograph of the historic handshake between the countries’
state presidents, Abdullah Gul and Serge Sarkissian, at a World Cup
tie between the countries in Yerevan in September. The moment marked
the end of nearly two decades of diplomatic silence.
Prince Albert presented the award jointly to Armen Grigorian, Armenian
Minister of Youth and Sport, and to Mahmut Ozgener, president of the
Turkish football federation. Bouzou and David Tomatis, chief executive
officer of Sportel, described the photograph as "a symbol of hope for
two communities whose history has been marked by hostility and pain."
An award for the best peace project from an international sports
federation went to Judo for Peace, a commission created by the
International Judo Federation. The award was received on their behalf
by Marius Vizer, the IJF president, and by Jan Erick Scholtz, president
of Judo for Peace.
Organisational benefits
The initiative seeks to teach the practice and values of judo to
disadvantaged young people and thousands have alreadt benefited
from the project. Peace and Sport supports one of its projects in
Cote d’Ivoire.
A prize for Sports Event of the Year went to Rally Ireland which, in
November 2007, heightened cross-border co-operation between Northern
Ireland and the Republic of Ireland through a joint organizing
committee. The award was presented to John Naylor, president of Motor
Sport Ireland and to Ronnie Trouton, president of the Association of
Northern Ireland Car Clubs.
The Non-Governmental Organisation of the Year prize was presented to
Serge Betsen’s Les Enfants de Biemassy – a project designed initially
to popularise rugby among the disadvantaged youth in Cameroon and
which expanded to preach the values of social integration, personal
fulfilment and educational access.
Former Olympic champions who attended the presentations gala included
Sergey Bubka, Dick Fosbury, Wilson Kipketer and Bradley McGee.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
