From 29 January to 7 February 2018, United Nations Headquarters in New York, NY housed the annual session of the Commission for Social Development. This year’s session of the commission, an advisory body responsible for the social development pillar of global development, concluded with the adoption of measures to create social protection systems to lift the millions of people still living in poverty. International Federation for Peace and Sustainable Development (IFPSD) was a part of this global effort with its side event on 31 January, titled “Achieving Sustainable Peace through Education and Sports.” The event was led by a panel of H.E. Ambassador Mamadou Tangara, Permanent Mission of Gambia to the United Nations; Ms. Lily Gray, UNESCO Liaison Officer to the United Nations in New York; Mr. Irakli Khodeli, Programme Specialist for Social and Human Sciences Jakarta, Asia-Pacific Youth and Sports Task Force, UNESCO; and Mr. Peter Mulrean, Director of United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine and moderated by Mrs. Salwa Kader, Founder and President of IFPSD. Member states including Tajikistan, Saudi Arabia, and the United States of America were also in attendance.
The panel focused on the importance of integrating sports and education for youth as a vehicle to sustainable development goals, especially the fourth goal, inclusive and equitable quality education for all. With programs for physical activities, children and youth can benefit from improved academic performance, positive character building, and acquisition of life skills and key values such as tolerance and cooperation. Sports and physical education teach young students beyond the academic lessons in classrooms, rearing the future generation for a world of sustainable peace. With high-level talks and side events such as this panel discussion at the Commission for Social Development, IFPSD relentlessly seeks to advocate for youth leadership around the world, for their voices to be better heard in our society.
