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International Coalition kicks-off “EYVOL”, an EU-funded programme on “Empowering Youth Volunteers through Sport”

Save the Dream in Athens to start the implantation of two-year project EYVOL

An international coalition of organizations from the Olympic Movement, the United Nations, Academia and civil society has started today “EYVOL – “Empowering Youth Volunteers through Sport”, a two-year project co-funded by the European Union within the Erasmus+ programme and aimed at developing a common framework on “Sport Volunteerism”.

The programme, which had been announced from the United Nations Headquarters in November 2018, on the occasion of the 8th Global Forum of the UN Alliance of Civilizations, attended by UN Secretary-General, H.E. Mr. Antonio Guterres, will develop and implement innovative educational methods to train youth volunteers on how to utilize sport to promote inter-cultural dialogue, peace building and socio-economic development, including in the context of social inclusion through sport and major sporting events.

Inspired by Save the Dream, the programme will be leaded by the International Olympic Truce Center (IOTC) and implemented jointly with the Comite Olimpico de Portugal (COP)l, Orama Neon – Youthorama, the International Council for Coaching Excellence (ICCE), Comitato Olimpico Nazionale Italiano (CONI), the European Platform for Sports and Innovation (EPSI), the European Non-Governmental Sports Organization – ENGSO Youth, the Universitat de les Illes Balears,  Fundación del Centenario del Sevilla FC, Universite Paris i Pantheon-Sorbonne and Fondazione garagErasmus.

Speaking at the kick-off meeting, Massimiliano Montanari, Executive Director of Save the Dream and CEO, ICSS INSIGHT said: “It is essential to agree on the key principles and values of this project to make it successful, an agree on the need to create an eco-system able to provide benefits and incentives to sport volunteers as well as skills to positively impact on their career development and future employability.”

Dr. Constantinos Filis, IOTC Director, stressed that:”Our project’s objective is to inspire young people — in an era of uncertainty — using the power of sport. Volunteerism is a step towards solidarity, while constructive interaction between local communities and refugees is an act of responsibility. We have thus joined forces with Save the Dream and prominent partners in the Mediterranean region, also enlisting the invaluable assistance of the European Commission’s Erasmus+ programme”.

EYVOL, whose initial results will be tested in the enlarged Mediterranean Region, will provide young multipliers (youth leaders and civil society activists and young people specialized in sport) with concrete and action-oriented educational and training tools while assessing the normative and practical conditions to promote sport volunteerism at the international level providing a set of policy recommendations, guidelines and best practices on this regard.

EYVOL will be officially backed by the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and the Association of IOC Recognized International Sports Federations (ARISF) and envisage the participation of Roma Cares Foundation and Al Sharq Forum who will support the partners in the promotion of the initiative or the recruitment, training and deployment of volunteers in sport-related projects and events.

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NOTE TO EDITORS

 BACKGROUND INFORMATION

 About Save the Dream

Save the Dream is a global non-profit Movement of organisations, people and athletes who believe in the power of sport to build more fair and inclusive societies and are therefore committed to promote and protect its core values for the good of youth and future generations.

To support its vision of creating a world where every child and young person can practice sport, safely, and learn from its values in terms of integrity, respect and inclusion, Save the Dream implements and promotes activities to empower youth through safe access to sport and to its educational and social values.

 For more information about Save the Dream, please visit http://www.save-the-dream.org

 For further information, please contact:

Nadeesha Rathnayake
ICSS
nadeesha.rathnayake@theicss.org
+974 5051 2815 / +974 4430 8062