#WhiteCard for Peace Celebrates Record-Breaking Campaign

6 | 5 | 2016

The mass social advocacy campaign, #WhiteCard for Peace, has marked its most successful year yet with record online engagement and worldwide activities taking place to mark 2016’s International Day of Sport for Development and Peace on April 6.

The campaign, backed by the World Olympians Association (WOA), brought together high profile Olympians, global sports stars and other important figures from the world of sport and beyond to promote the message of peace through the sports movement by asking participants to hold up a symbolic white card on their social media platforms.

Peace and Sport, the organisation behind the global campaign, is hailing the success of this year’s event, which broke all previous records with more than 15 million internet-users posting their support on social networks and over 300 global projects registered on the april6.org platform.

WOA President Joël Bouzou, President and Founder of Peace and Sport, said:

 "I would like to express my thanks to all who have made this third edition of the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace such a great success and of course to the WOA for its continued support in promoting #WhiteCard to its members.

“Sport brings divided communities together and April 6 focuses on those who use sport as a tool for peace. I especially want to thank all the sports men and women who have participated in this event. The symbolic gesture of holding up a white card to show your conviction that sport can change the world is a true reflection of Olympic values"

Among the prominent Olympians who publically backed the campaign were WOA Executive Committee member and four-time Olympic silver medallist Frank Fredericks (Namibia, Athletics), four-time Olympian and marathon world record holder Paula Radcliffe (Great Britain, Athletics), Olympic bronze medallist and two-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome (Great Britain, Cycling), double gold medallist Pernilla Wiberg (Sweden, Alpine Skiing), Olympic champion and three time Olympian Sergey Bubka (Ukraine, Athletics), Olympic bronze medallist and world number one tennis star Novak Djokovic (Serbia, Tennis), three-time Olympic gold medallist Tony Estanguet (France, Canoe Slalom), double gold medallist Yelena Isinbayeva (Russia, Athletics) and five-time Olympian and double Olympic gold medallist Laura Flessel (France, Fencing).

Now in its third year, #WhiteCard for Peace continues to grow and raise awareness around the UN’s International Day of Sport for Development and Peace. Since its inception in 2013, the campaign has gone on to become a symbol of the peace through the sports movement, promoting 850 projects in 180 countries, while the hashtag #WhiteCard has been posted over 25 million times.

You can find images from the 2016 #WhiteCard 2016 campaign by visiting the Peace and Sport Facebook page.