HRH Prince Feisal Al Hussein addresses United Through Sports Conference in Gold Coast

AMMAN — HRH Prince Feisal was welcomed as an honoured guest speaker at the opening ceremony of the United Through Sports Conference in the Gold Coast, Australia, on Tuesday. The conference was held alongside Sport Accord 2019, which is an annual global gathering of the sports movement.

The United Through Sports (UTS) initiative was established in 2017 by the Alliance of Independent Recognised Members of Sport, with the aim of using sport to make a difference in the lives of children all over the world. It looks to use sport to bring unity and peace to an often-divided world and is supported by a number of organisations, including the International Olympic Committee, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

HRH Prince Feisal was invited to be the keynote speaker at the inauguration of the United Through Sports Conference last year at Sport Accord 2018 in Bangkok. This year, HRH Prince Feisal was welcomed again to speak in his capacity as the founder and chairman of the peace-building NGO, Generations For Peace (GFP), due to the parallels between the values of the two organisations, the statement said.

This year’s UTS initiative in Gold Coast will feature the second Sports Festival, following last year’s success in Bangkok. One of the key successes last year was the inclusion of refugee and disadvantaged young people. This year, the festival is welcoming around 5,000 children from 170 schools and directly engaging local indigenous communities. The festival helps promote education, a healthy lifestyle, being active and inclusivity for all.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the United Through Sports Conference, HRH Prince Feisal said: “United Through Sports is committed to making an impact in new communities, which will turn ripples of knowledge into waves of acceptance in years to come. I have had the privilege of seeing this unfold firsthand through my involvement with GFP. Our vision is to guide leaders of youth to instil a culture of understanding, tolerance and peace amidst the chaos of violent conflict. Sport has been a key part of achieving this. The ethos of the United Through Sports initiative is very much in line with the values that provided the foundations of GFP’s work. There are many parallels that can be drawn, and I am proud that the two organisations are working together.”

“Over the past 12 years, the work of GFP has enabled me to witness firsthand the direct translation of sport to unity, and unity to peace. That translation is what the Olympic Movement stands for and it is what the United Through Sport is rightly seeking to achieve.”