Message from the President

More Than a Dream. Sport Has the Power to Change the World.

Every day, on our planet, armed conflicts break out, lives are shattered, cities are destroyed, and villages are wiped off the map. Citizens are murdered, while too often some political leaders are driven by the pursuit of power rather than by the common good.

Faced with this daily reality, every citizen in the world must rise up. In sport, culture, social life, community life, and in everyday life, each of us can choose to act.

This revolt does not necessarily have to be expressed through confrontation. It can also take the form of simple fair-play gestures towards others. When these gestures are multiplied and brought together, they can become a powerful groundswell capable of changing attitudes, influencing those in positions of responsibility and, even if they do not immediately succeed in doing so, at the very least giving hope to our planet.

This is the message of the European Fair Play Movement: that everyone, in their club, their federation, their association or simply in their everyday life, should practice fair play, demonstrate it and make it visible. In this way, a chain of individual actions can be created, capable of challenging established ways of thinking.

These gestures can take many forms: through a poem, a social action, a drawing, a song or music. They can be imagined, created and brought to life by everyone, and particularly by the world of sport and through fair play. Together, these expressions can become a powerful force capable of changing minds and transforming attitudes.

This is why the European Fair Play Movement, on the occasion of the United Nations International Day of Peace on 21 September, is launching a major citizen and sports mobilization under the theme: “Fair Play, A Daily Practice for Peace.”

— Philippe Housiaux
President