International Peace Day, 2025.
| PEACE AND SPORT, BE PART OF WHAT MATTERS |
When we think of peace, or the absence of it, most of us picture only the conflicts that dominate the headlines. But while the spotlight is on a handful of crises, dozens of others unfold in silence—unseen, unheard, yet devastating millions of lives. Today, the world is facing 59 active conflicts, the highest number since the Second World War. This is not an abstract figure: it means 460 million children growing up amid violence, 122 million people forced from their homes, and more than 300 million depending on humanitarian aid. In such a world, speaking about peace may sound naïve. And yet, if we stop speaking about peace, then violence dominates the agenda. If we stop speaking about peace, we stop believing it is possible. Peace is not just the absence of war. It is the daily practice of dialogue, respect, and cooperation. It requires courage, intention, and concrete action by all, and at every level. This is the call behind the 2025 International Day of Peace’s theme: ‘Act now for a peaceful world’. As we reflect on the International Day of Peace, we must ask ourselves how we can act every day to make peace a reality. One way to act is to recognize that the path to preventing hatred and healing divisions lies in bringing people together, whether to prevent conflict or to reconcile after it. And here, sport can be a decisive force. Sport is not just performance or entertainment it is a powerful tool for prevention, reconciliation, and social cohesion. On the playing field, we learn to cooperate, to respect rules, and to recognize each other as equals. Sport’s potential is recognized in international texts since almost three decades now. Governments have also included sport in their social development plans. The example of Colombia is striking: sport is explicitly integrated into the national plan for “Total Peace” as a tool for social transformation and community building in areas long affected by violence and inequality. But this potential is not automatic. It requires intention. It requires a change of paradigm. Sport must not be limited to performance or entertainment. It must also – and most importantly – be used deliberately to build bridges across communities and create trust. Let us not confine peace to a single day of the year or to a simple commemoration! Let us change the equation together! Let us use sport not only to build stronger bodies, but stronger communities; not only to entertain, but to empower. By doing so, we can help millions of young girls and boys grow with the resilience to stand against violence and the confidence to choose peace. If we choose to act, sport can help us plant the seeds of peace before conflict and to cultivate reconciliation in the wake of it. |
