International Day of Sport for Development and Peace is observed on April 6. The day as the name suggests is marked to celebrate the positive contribution of sports towards sustainable development and advancement of human rights. The day came into existence after the UN General Assembly passed resolution 67/296 in 2013.
The International Day of Sport for Development and Peace 2021is an opportunity for individuals to recognise the role of sports in communities, individuals lives, building resilience and in recovery from the global pandemic. Since the novel coronavirus has impacted the entire world there will be no celebration in physical form. However, people who are enthusiastic about sports and believe in the spirit of the day can mark the day by participating in online events. Furthermore, enthusiasts are also urged to amplify the spirit of the day on social media by using hashtags, #OnlyTogether and #SportDay.
The Department of Global Communications, in collaboration with the World Health organisation, DESA and the co-chairs of the Group of Friends of Sport for Sustainable Development in New York, Qatar and Monaco have decided to keep this year’s theme around, recovery from the pandemic, the importance of equity in that recovery, and what is necessary to build back better for a more resilient and equitable world.
Other important agendas of the day include, reaffirming the place of sport in the recovery from the pandemic and beyond; fostering equity, solidarity, community and team spirit in response to the pandemic, encouraging healthy habits through physical activity and building emotional wellbeing and inspiring hope through sporting analogies.
Sports analogies, like ‘achieving success through teamwork’ and ‘using a level playing field’ can also be promoted on the occasion. This will help in stressing on the spirit of the day. Further, organisations and individuals on the day should specifically talk about teamwork as it is not only an essential part of sports but is also crucial in rebuilding the world in the post pandemic era.
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