Olympians mobilise for International Day of Sport for Development and Peace

6 | 4 | 2019

All around the world Olympians are mobilising for International Day of Sport for Development and Peace today.

April 6 is a special day in the global sporting calendar – a day when communities come together to celebrate the unifying values of sport and raise their symbolic #WhiteCard for inclusion, respect and peace.

Every year, the #WhiteCard campaign, first launched by Peace and Sport in 2015, engages millions of people across social media - last year, the digital campaign reached 90 million people worldwide. Olympians, such as Jamaica’s Yohan Blake and Russia’s Yelena Isinbaeva are among those to have already raised their #WhiteCard this year, and hundreds more are gearing up to take part in activities and host events on April 6.

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

“I urge all Olympians to get behind the #WhiteCard campaign on International Day of Sport for Development and Peace. As Olympians you have the power to make a positive difference in this world through your words and actions. Raising a #WhiteCard is more than a gesture it is a commitment to respect and dialogue – it is a message of peace, of hope and of solidarity.”

This year’s #WhiteCard campaign was launched in Cyprus when football teams, fans and leaders from the Greek Cypriot and the Turkish Cypriot communities came together with Ivorian football legend Didier Drogba for a friendly match in Pyla. The day was organised by Peace and Sport in partnership with Stelios Philanthropic Foundation and the United Nations to foster dialogue and cooperation between the two communities. More than a thousand people joined the event. It was only the second gathering of its kind in 64 years.

What can you do?

Olympians are encouraged to get behind the #WhiteCard campaign to show their commitment to peace efforts worldwide.

Simply snap a photo of yourself holding up a plain #WhiteCard and post it on social media using the Hashtag #WhiteCard. The more creative the photo the better!

And don’t forget to spread the word to your Olympian friends and family.

You can find out more about the White Card campaign HERE.

If you are keen to join in activities you can find local events in your country by logging on to the APRIL 6 website. You can also upload details of any activities you are organising in honour of International Day of Sport for Development and Peace on this platform.