The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 legacy programme Generation Amazing has crossed 725,000 beneficiaries. This exceptional mark of 725,000 was reached during the week of the United Nations (UN) International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, which was established to celebrate the significance of sport in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
During a special message on the day, Secretary-General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) Hassan Al Thawadi said that, “Every day, somewhere on this planet, sport is changing our world for the better. It’s a universal language, transcending cultures and borders, and it possesses a unique power to unify and inspire.”
Commenting on the Generation Amazing’s progress till date, Al Thawadi added that, “On this United Nations International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, we celebrate the success of our social and human legacy programme Generation Amazing. Driven by that unifying and inspiring mission, Generation Amazing has reached over 725,000 beneficiaries around the world through football for development programmes and community pitches.”
Meanwhile, at a UN panel that was organised during the Economic and Social Council Youth Forum 2021, Generation Amazing Programmes Director, Nasser Al Khori, highlighted on the impactful ways to prevent violent extremism and rebuild societies using sport. He stated that, “Sport has that transformative power to break down barriers, to bring people together, and to create a cohesive environment and society. Sport is an enabler.”
Explaining how Generation Amazing has put youth at the forefront of its programme, Al Khori said: “We have a youth advocacy programme, where we engage with youth in our community clubs and enrol them in capacity building opportunities and training sessions.”
“We try to empower youth. We help them develop life skills and communication skills. These skills show them that there is a different path; there’s a future, there’s hope, we try to inspire them as much as we can,” he added.
Along wuth Al Khori on the panel Sean Arbuthnot, from St Philip’s Centre, Lihini Weerasinghe, from the National Youth Services Council in Sri Lanka, modern pentathlete Aya Medany and Agnes Atwijukire from the Integrated Community Development Initiative also joined. Generation Amazing has also taken the initiative to launch its new brand identity, which was inspired by its vision to pass on core life skills through sport and deliver social change globally.
Influenced by the blue colour and shapes of the SC, it shows the way forward for Generation Amazing. Having hosted active programming in over ten countries, Generation Amazing continues to work towards its objective of positively impacting 1 million lives through football for development outreach and education within next year.
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