Qatar-headquartered global forum Save the Dream together with the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) and Qatar Charity (QC) will implement a new humanitarian initiative to promote peace and development through sport for the benefit of internally displaced people (IDPs) in Darfur, Sudan.
"This is in line with the Save the Dream's priorities to promote sport and its educational values for the benefit of needy and deserving youth and children, who are hit by conflicts and crises," said its executive director Massimiliano Montanari at the announcement of the initiative on Wednesday night at a gathering at the Katara Cultural Village.
While hailing the noble initiative, Special Envoy of the Arab League's Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs HE Sheikha Hessa bint Khalifa al-Thani recalled similar initiatives launched by forums from Qatar over the years and how each of them contributed to improvement in the lives of similarly displaced people in those countries.
The 'Sports for Peace and Development Initiative' will operate within the framework of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD) and the first round of activities will take place in El Fashir, in northern Darfur.
The initiative will be launched with the involvement of some of the vital partners of the Save the Dream such as Qatar Football Association (QFA), Aspire Academy, Qatar Stars League and Al Jazeera centre for Human rights.
The project will also have the active participation of Save the Dream's international partners such as the Mission 89 foundation, and Save the Dream's ambassadors long distance runner from Kenya Tegla Loroupe and football legend from Cameroon Roger Milla.
Among those who spoke at the launch ceremony were QFFD director general Khalifa Jassim al-Kuwari, Qatar Charity CEO Yusuf Ahmed al-Kuwari, the International Centre for Sports Security (ICSS) president Mohamed Hanzab and the Qatar Football Association vice president Saoud al-Mohannadi.
Ambassador of Sudan to Qatar Fath al-Rahman Ali Omar thanked the organisations from Qatar in supporting the IDPs in his country.
At the ceremony, a formal signing featuring QFFD's executive director of Development Projects Misfer Hamad al-Shahwani, QC executive director Mohamed al-Ghamdi and Save the Dream's Massimiliano Montanari also took place.
A video highlighting similar initiatives undertaken by Save the Dream by involving Qatari institutions and forums was shown on the occasion.
At the formal launch of the media campaign of the Save the Dream's latest initiative, Qatar Stars League CEO Hani Taleb Ballan, Aspire Academy deputy director general Ali Salem Afifa, Al Jazeera Human Rights Centre director Sami Mohamed al-Hajj, Qatar Olympic Committee's Support Services Sector director Hamad Lahdan al-Mohannadi and representatives of QFFD, QC, ICSS and Save the Dream were also present.
Save the Dream, launched in 2012 in Doha, is an independent and self-funded non-governmental forum. It has been conceived by the ICSS in partnership with the Qatar Olympic Committee and technology partner Ooredoo to promote and protect the core values of sport for young people at a global level.
