POSTED: Sunday June 19th 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Timor Leste Runs for Peace

DILI (TIMOR LESTE) June 18, 2011 - Over 5,000 people gathered today in the streets of Dili, capital city of Timor-Leste, to participate in the country's inaugural "Run for Peace".

The aim of this exceptional and federative sporting meet (entitled 'Halai Ba Dame' in Tetun language) was to celebrate the country's social cohesion and national unity after years of violence and crises.

It was organized by the Timor Athletics Federation, the "Dili, City of Peace" campaign team and Peace and Sport, the international organization that works for peace through sport, under the High-Patronage of HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco.

Thousands of people from all social and cultural backgrounds, religions, ages and genders, gathered for this symbolic 7 km race in the streets of the city to share the values of friendship, tolerance, diversity and dialogue epitomized by sport.
The Run for Peace was much more than a simple sports event. A Tree of Peace was planted on the starting line of the race to embody the desire of the Timorese to live in a peaceful environment.

Thanks to the support of several NGOs and the UNMIT, the race also provided the opportunity to raise awareness about public health issues (such as nutrition, sexually transmitted diseases and family planning) and the Millennium Development Goals of the United Nations amongst the population.

Peace and Sport plans to regularly organize or support similar "Runs for Peace" worldwide in partnership with the IAAF (International Federation of Athletics Associations) and with the support of the 56 high-level international athletes who are members of its "Champions of the Peace" club. These symbolic races are unique, straightforward and cost-effective tools in the promotion of peace targeting such a broad general public, particularly vulnerable youngsters living in countries in crisis.

Joël Bouzou, Peace and Sport's President and Founder explains: "Runs for Peace serve a triple objective. First, it is an ideal way to encourage young people to practice sport. Then, these very federative events foster dialogue, fraternity, cohesion and peace in a very simple and obvious way, while involving local decision-makers and opinion-leaders. Finally, they offer opportunities to diffuse important messages to a wide audience and leave a lasting legacy to the society. We were very happy and proud to be involved in this event in Dili."

'Halai Ba Dame' took place in the context of the promotional campaign "Dili, City of Peace", a governmental initiative designed to promote, through sport, the country's stability and its investment opportunities. A competitive marathon and half marathon were also organized for the same day.

In parallel, Peace and Sport and the Timor Athletics Federation launched 'Atletismo Ba Dame', a peace-building program in several youth centers of the capital. This program promotes the use of adapted equipment, made out of local resources, to offer supervised athletics activities to vulnerable Timorese youth.

It will bring structure into the lives of hundreds of marginalized youngsters living in underprivileged and violent neighborhoods of the capital using athletic practices as a tool to foster dialogue, peaceful confrontation, respect for one another and self-esteem.

'Atletismo Ba Dame' is the second program developed in Dili's youth centres with the support of the international organization Peace and Sport. A "Ping Pong Ba Dame" program was launched in 2010.

For more information, please contact Valérie AMANT
Phone:        +33 (0)6 83 37 66 21     / Email: press@peace-sport.org

Website : http://www.peace-sport.org

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ABOUT PEACE AND SPORT

"Peace and Sport, L'Organisation pour la Paix par le Sport" is a neutral and apolitical international initiative based in the Principality of Monaco and placed under the High Patronage of H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco.

Peace and Sport puts sport and its values at the heart of local development projects conducted within communities in crisis around the world. Exercising its missions in post-conflict zones, areas of extreme poverty or lacking social cohesion, Peace and Sport makes sport a vehicle for tolerance, respect, sharing and citizenship at the service of sustainable peace.

Supported by governments, world sport governing bodies, international organizations, major international private companies and international sports champions, Peace and Sport creates synergies between different stakeholders to carry out four types of action:

·      Organizing an annual International Forum (next edition in Monaco from 26-28 October 2011)

·      a co-operation platform for peace and sport,

·      The Peace and Sport Awards, to reward individuals and initiatives contributing to peace,

·      Locally-Based Projects; concrete actions in different regions of crisis in the world.

Today, Peace and Sport has operations in Cote d'Ivoire, Burundi, Israel-Palestine, Timor-Leste, Colombia and in Haiti.

Peace and Sport was founded by Joel Bouzou, current President of the organisation. Mr. Bouzou is an Olympic medallist, world champion of Modern Pentathlon and current Secretary General for the International Union of Modern Pentathlon (UIPM). He is also an Advisor to H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco.

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Keywords · Peace and Sport · Joel Bouzou · Prince Albert of Monaco · Run For Peace · Dili · Timor Leste

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Name: Valérie Amant
Organization: Peace and Sport
Email:
Phone: +33 6 83 37 66 21
URL: http://www.peace-sport.org/home.htm

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