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Elite footballers will grab the headlines this summer, but sport can have a transformative impact in every society, connecting communities across borders and generations, and creating spaces for dialogue, solidarity and mutual respect.
In just two months, the world’s biggest sporting tournament will kick off in Mexico City and, as always, billions of people around the world are expected to watch.
From June 11 to July 19, the World Cup will pit 48 national soccer (or, if you’re based in the US, “soccer”) teams against each other in 104 matches that will be played in Mexico, Canada and the US.
In each of the host city regions, in the three countries, there is a program called Play Collective will provide funding and support to community sports organizations, creating safe spaces for underserved youth.
The project is a joint initiative of the Adidas Foundation, the Beyond Sport foundation, and Common Goal, a global non-profit organization that has built a worldwide network of community-based organizations serving 3.6 million youth annually.
Make space for each other
Mary Connor (second left) and Nawal El Moutawakal speak at UN Headquarters
Common Goal Executive Director, Mary Connor, was one of the keynote speakers at Building Bridges, Breaking Down Barriersan event held to mark International Sports Day for Development and Peacewhich takes place every year on April 6 to highlight the transformative power of sport in driving social change, moving the world forward Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and unite people and communities from all over the world.
Ms. Connor drew parallels between soccer, where supporting teammates is essential to success, and the work of the United Nations, a place where, she said, “we come together across differences, across cultures that keep us isolated” and “give space for each other to find a way out, against many obstacles.”
Nawal El Moutawakel, Olympic pioneer
In two years, the United States will host another major sports jamboree, the 2028 Summer Olympics, which will be based in Los Angeles.
Pioneering athlete Nawal El Moutawakel was one of the stars of the last Olympics held in LA. At the 1984 Olympics, she became the first Moroccan, African, Arab, and Muslim woman to win an Olympic gold medal (for the 400 meter hurdles).
Her victory at the Olympics was seen as a turning point, giving Moroccan women the confidence and courage to take up sport, previously considered the domain of men.
He has received numerous international awards for his contributions to sporting and social progress and currently serves as Vice President of the International Olympic Committee.
Overcoming life’s obstacles
Speaking at Wednesday’s event, Ms El Moutawakel likened her discipline to the struggles she faced at the start of her sporting career.
“My race is the 400 hurdles, a race where there is a start and a finish, and in between there are 10 obstacles. And for me, they are life’s obstacles that teach you discipline, coordination, determination, passion. Sometimes you fail, but I never give up.”
Today, he said, the fact that, for the first time in 100 years, the IOC President is a woman (Kirsty Coventry was also the first African to hold the post), and that women make up 50 percent of the organization at all levels, shows the progress that has been made.
Ms El Moutawakel and Ms Connor were joined by several prominent young athletes, who described the positive influence sport has had on their lives.
They include Ailyn Lopez, who overcame mental health issues through soccer, and is now a youth leader at Street Child United, an organization that uses sport to support young people living on the streets or in extreme poverty.
