Inter’Act in Monaco: refugees testify about the role of sports as a tool for development and peace

In the presence of Ms. Isabelle Rosabrunetto, Director General of the Department of External Relations and Cooperation, all final year students of FANB and several refugee athletes who traveled to the Principality met around the theme “Sport: A Vehicle for Peace, Social Cohesion, and Integration.” The intention was, on one hand, to raise awareness among students about the situation of forcibly displaced refugees worldwide, to change perceptions about refugee status, and also to discuss how sports can be a tool for development, solidarity, and peace.

This symposium, designed as a moment for exchange and debate, was structured around various activities: an introductory presentation by the UNHCR, which addressed the concepts of humanitarian crisis and forced displacement, was followed by a special sharing session with three refugee athletes, as well as a representative from the Monégasque International Solidarity Organization (OSI) Peace and Sport, who notably presented the “Live Together” program, implemented for six years within the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan.

The final year students, who were represented in the panel by two delegates, were then able to ask questions to the different speakers about their involvement in sports. For instance, Fanoos shared her experience as a former member of the women’s football team in Afghanistan, while Ammar talked about his journey and training as a sports coach. Finally, Boubacar discussed his civic and associative engagement with displaced persons.

Ahead of the symposium, FANB students also enjoyed a meal prepared by a refugee chef along with the school catering teams from the Lycée, featuring Thiéboudiène, a traditional dish from her home country, Senegal.

As a reminder, the theme of refugees and displaced persons is one of the cross-cutting approaches of Monégasque cooperation. As evidence of this strong commitment, Monaco has been the top per capita donor to UNHCR since 2020. As Ms. Rosabrunetto emphasized, “In addition to financial support, we strive to combine efforts to raise awareness about the situation of displaced and refugee persons among the general public, and especially among students in the Principality.”

Mr. Paolo Artini, Representative of UNHCR in France and Monaco, is pleased “that in an era marked by the multiplication of humanitarian crises, UNHCR teams have mobilized alongside Monégasque cooperation to help students – citizens of tomorrow – better understand the challenges of forced displacement, the importance of solidarity, and the inclusive power of sports for refugees.”