The farsighted vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI for the promotion of sports was highlighted, Thursday at the United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York, on the occasion of the celebration of the 10th anniversary of the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace.
Intervening on this occasion, the founding president of the non-governmental organization (NGO) TIBU Africa, Mohamed Amine Zariat, stressed that following the adoption of the new Constitution on July 1, 2011, Morocco established, in its fundamental law, the right to sport as an essential right of citizens and placed it as a lever of human development.
Zariat, who participated in this event with several renowned athletes, including former international football players Argentinian Javier Zanetti and Ivorian Didier Drogba, said that the royal letter addressed to the participants of the National Conference on Sport in 2008 prompted several projects related to the rehabilitation of the sports sector.
TIBU Africa’s president also stated that, in Morocco, the New Development Model aims to establish sport as a lever for human development, inclusion, social cohesion, and the fight against exclusion and marginalization.
“I invite all Member States to join our Education through Sport Summit in Africa, scheduled for May 25 and 28, in Morocco to discover firsthand our solutions and programs on education, vocational integration, and entrepreneurship of youth and women through sports,” added Zariat.
Recalling the role of NGOs in the promotion and social inclusion of youth, Zariat praised the efforts of several actors undertaken “to create a strong and lasting impact in their communities,” noting that his participation in the event initiated by the United Nations (UN) is an opportunity to “honor local sports associations, schools, educators and facilitators who are implementing programs and innovative approaches to use sports as a lever for human and socio-economic development.”
Founded in 2011, TIBU Africa is an NGO that uses the power of sports to design social and innovative solutions in the areas of education, empowerment, and socio-economic inclusion of youth and women through sport in Morocco and Africa.
The International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, celebrated on April 6 each year, is an opportunity to acknowledge the significant role of sport and physical activity in communities and the impact it has on people’s lives around the world.
This year’s theme is “Score for People and the Planet.” The activities in the program usually focus on the influence of sports in relation to sustainable development and peace.